Effect of curing methods during a long time gap between two printing sessions on the interlayer bonding of 3D printed cementitious materials

A good bond between the layers of 3D printed cementitious materials is a prerequisite for having high structural rigidity for the printed elements. However, the influence of printing process on an interlayer bond is still not well understood. This study investigates the influence of curing methods (i.e., air curing, plastic film covering, wet...

Effect of white mud on properties of alkali activated slag

White mud is a solid waste from the papermaking industry, composed mainly of CaCO₃ and residual alkali metal ions (such as Na+, Mg²⁺). In the current study, the feasibility of using white mud as partial replacement of slag in alkali activated materials is explored. The fluidity, setting time, autogenous shrinkage,...

Towards understanding the influence of porosity on mechanical and fracture behaviour of quasi-brittle materials: Experiments and modelling

In this work, porosity-property relationships of quasi-brittle materials are explored through a combined experimental and numerical approach. In the experimental part, hemihyrate gypsum plaster powder (CaSO 4 ⋅1/2H 2 O CaSO4⋅1/2H2O) and expanded spherical polystyrene beads (1.5–2.0 mm dia.) have been mixed to form a model material with...

Fundamental investigation on the frost resistance of mortar with microencapsulated phase change materials

Recent studies have shown that concrete containing Phase Change Materials (PCM) with low transition temperatures may reduce the number of freeze/thaw cycles suffered by the cementitious composite in temperate climates. Nevertheless, the positive influence of such admixtures on the frost resistance of cement-based materials has not been...

Microstructure informed micromechanical modelling of hydrated cement paste: Techniques and challenges

Application of micromechanical modelling of hydrated cement paste (HCP) gains more and more interests in the field of cementitious materials. One of the most promising approaches is the use of so-called microstructure informed micromechanical models, which provides a direct link between microstructure and mechanical properties. In order to...

Influence of SiO₂, TiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles on the properties of fly ash blended cement mortars

This study explores the effects of different types of nanoparticles, namely nano-SiO₂ (NS), nano-TiO₂ (NT), and nano-Fe₂O₃ (NF) on the fresh properties, mechanical properties, and microstructure of cement mortar containing fly ash as a supplementary cementitious material. These nanoparticles existed...

Effect of crack width and wet-dry cycles on the chloride penetration resistance of engineered cementitious composite (ECC)

The resistance of cracked ECC against chloride ingress is mainly governed by the accumulated crack width of all the cracks rather than the maximum width of multiple cracks. However, most studies focus on the influence of a single fine crack

Self-healing of cementitious materials using sustainable cenosphere-based manufactured aggregate

Self-healing concrete using encapsulated healing agent has shown great potential in enhancing concrete durability. However, the capsules are expensive to make and can lower the mechanical properties of concrete. In this study, a new type of manufactured aggregate that employs waste-derived fly ash cenosphere as a carrier of healing agent (SH...