Development of a 3D printable mortar with flash-calcined sediment
Abstract
This study investigates the feasibility of using dredged sediment, which is now classified as waste, to partially replace Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) in concrete 3D printing. The sediment used in this study was thermally treated using the flash calcination method. Mortars with varying flash-calcined sediment percentages (ranging from 0 to 20%) are studied and characterized in both fresh and hardened states. A manual gun device was used to test their printability (extrudability and buildability). The flow table test and the fall cone test were used to assess their workability and structural build-up, respectively. Furthermore, the compressive strength of the mortars was determined after 1, 7, and 28 days. The results show that it is possible to 3D print mortars containing up to 10% flash-calcined sediment while maintaining acceptable extrudability and buildability. Furthermore, no significant decrease in compressive strength was observed when flash-calcined sediment was added to the control mixture.