UTC 2022 Funding - Cycle 2 Research Projects

Project Number: CY2-TAMU-02
Project Title: Study on Mix Design for 3D-Printable Components using Geomaterials and with CSA Cement as Binding Material
Performing Institution: Texas A&M University
Principal Investigators: Anand J. Puppala and Jianxin Huang
Proposed Start and End Date: 10/01/2024 to 09/30/2025
Project Description: This project proposes the idea of using locally available, natural geomaterials for 3D printing. Successful applications of geomaterials like soils into current 3D printing mix design can reduce the consumption of cement and produce a more sustainable mixture. The project will focus on the development of the mix design using sand, silt, or clay soils with calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement as the major binding material. CSA cement is a fast-setting material which makes it an ideal binding material for 3D printing purposes. To make the proposed mixture 3D printable, different admixtures like superplasticizers, viscosity modifiers, retarders, or accelerators will be used. Properties of the mixture during its fresh state including viscosity, yield stress, and setting time will be examined to ensure proper flowability, extrudability, and buildability for 3D printing. A viscosity test is introduced in this project to find the correlation between the fresh properties of the printed mixture and its printability. Correlations between the viscosity, setting, and the flowability and extrudability will be analyzed to find the ideal viscosity range for initial printing. In addition, creep tests under varying load levels at different intervals will be applied to the mixture to understand the creep behavior. When the printable mix designs are developed, the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) will be measured as the major strength parameter, which works as a refence for their possible future applications. The volume stability of the printed composite materials will be studied as well.
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