Sustainable 3D Concrete Printing with Large Aggregates

The number of large-scale projects featuring the use of 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) had a steep increase in the past years. The most remarkable applications include apartment and residential buildings and promise to deliver a robust, cost-effective and sustainable solution compared to conventional construction. One of the paths to boost 3DCP’s sustainability lies in the material upscaling from mortars to concrete; thus, our work focuses on the concrete mixes for 3DCP. For that, we use a calcined-clay limestone-based cement (FutureCEM®) and large aggregates (up to 8.0 mm) to produce printable mixes. In this work, we present a comparative analysis of mixes produced with CEM I and FutureCEM. Specifically, mixes with strength classes of C25 and C45 produced with these cements are compared to a mortar produced with White Cement; a mortar produced with FutureCEM®; and a concrete produced with CEM I. Also, the CO₂ footprint of the mixes is compared to that of Ready Mix Concrete produced in Denmark; such analysis validates the environmental benefits of material upscaling and points out that 3DCP mixes can be produced with a similar CO₂ footprint to that of conventional concrete.