3D printed construction might be the most promising way to automate construction so recently many people have been pursuing the perfect mix for printing. Rheology is the study of how materials flow so that is the science being applied to concrete made for printing.
My name is Jarett and I’ve gathered this information to simplify some of the material science behind forward thinking disruptive construction methods.
These materials range from nearly free adobe mixtures of dirt and straw to ultra strong and highly engineered custom concrete hybrid mixtures that can be cost prohibitive in respect to affordable housing.
Rheological parameters
Currently most groups automating large forms are using unique mixtures of concrete engineered to have properties conducive to a sturdy structure.
The material needs to hold immediately exiting the machine. Generally that is either achieved by a stiff mortar or a thinner mix with an accelerant added at the point of extrusion to cure the concrete faster and acheive angles gravity otherwise would not permit.
Thixopotry is a property that allows a mixture to flow when it is being moved but remain firm after it has been placed so this is behind many of the developments in this space. There could be a
Some of these mixes include various forms of supports which I will cover in an upcoming video, others are strong enough to support themselves like the project in Brazil by InovaHouse3D.
Other companies like Twente Additive Manufacturing spray an accelerating admixture on the freshly printed layer to give it enough strength to print on angles, even capable of printing arches.
