Towards Greener 3D Printing (2025-10)¶

A Performance Evaluation of Silica Fume-Modified Low-Carbon Concrete

Bradshaw James, Balasubramanian Swathi, Si Wen, Khan Mehran, McNally Ciaran
Journal Article - Buildings, Vol. 15, Iss. 21, No. 3919

Abstract

This study investigates the durability challenges of 3D-printed concrete (3DPC) and examines the effect of silica fume (SF) on its performance, focusing on mechanical properties and selected durability tests as key indicators of mix suitability for 3D printing applications. Five low-carbon mixes were prepared with 50% GGBS replacement and varying silica fume contents (2.5–10%), and were evaluated through slump, compressive strength, rapid chloride migration, and accelerated carbonation tests. The addition of GGBS reduced the concrete’s shape retention, but incorporating silica fume improved flow behaviour, resulting in a more stable mix. The inclusion of GGBS and silica fume initially reduced 1-day strength but led to significant gains by 28 days, with the 5% SF low-carbon mix achieving the highest compressive strength. The low-carbon mixes showed superior chloride resistance, further enhanced by silica fume, though their carbonation resistance decreased with GGBS and SF addition. Overall, the 5% SF low-carbon mix demonstrated the best balance of strength, chloride resistance, and carbon reduction, despite minor trade-offs in early strength and carbonation resistance.

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27 References

1 Citations

Talukdar A., Belek Fialho Teixeira Müge, Fawzia Sabrina, Zahra Tatheer et al. (2026-01)
Investigation on the Fresh and Mechanical Properties of Low Carbon 3D Printed Concrete Incorporating Sugarcane Bagasse Ash and Microfibers

BibTeX

@article{brad_bala_si_khan.2025.TG3P,
  author            = "James Bradshaw and Swathi Balasubramanian and Wen Si and Mehran Khan and Ciaran McNally",
  title             = "Towards Greener 3D Printing: A Performance Evaluation of Silica Fume-Modified Low-Carbon Concrete",
  doi               = "10.3390/buildings15213919",
  year              = "2025",
  journal           = "Buildings",
  volume            = "15",
  number            = "21",
  pages             = "3919",
}

Formatted Citation

IEEE

J. Bradshaw, S. Balasubramanian, W. Si, M. Khan and C. McNally, “Towards Greener 3D Printing: A Performance Evaluation of Silica Fume-Modified Low-Carbon Concrete”, Buildings, vol. 15, no. 21, p. 3919, 2025, doi: 10.3390/buildings15213919.

CMOS

Bradshaw, James, Swathi Balasubramanian, Wen Si, Mehran Khan, and Ciaran McNally. “Towards Greener 3D Printing: A Performance Evaluation of Silica Fume-Modified Low-Carbon Concrete”. Buildings 15, no. 21 (2025): 3919. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15213919.