Effect of Chemical and Physico-Chemical Activation on the Properties of 3D Printed Concrete with a Low-Cement Multicomponent Binder (2026-03)¶

This research proposes an alternative low-cement multicomponent binder for extrusion-based 3D concrete printing to reduce CO2 emissions associated with high Portland cement content. Due to the extremely low Portland cement content (100 kg/m3), the proposed mixture presents several limitations, making it unsuitable for 3D printing without additional activation. To overcome these limitations, chemical and physico-chemical activation methods were applied to promote rapid early-age structuration, partly associated with accelerated ettringite formation, thereby improving compliance with the printing process requirements. The results demonstrate that both activation methods positively affect Portland cement hydration and improve printing-related properties. The research focuses primarily on the hardened properties of 3D-printed concrete, showing that activation reduces macroscopic porosity and increases density and compressive strength. The applied activation methods also increase overall shrinkage compared to the non-activated low-cement mixture. However, the absolute shrinkage remains approximately 25–30 % lower than that of a conventional reference mortar with a high Portland cement content. The suitability of the components used in the multicomponent binder was evaluated through pozzolanic activity testing. In contrast, the effects of chemical and physico-chemical activation on binder phase composition were investigated by X-ray diffraction, and the hardened properties of concrete were assessed using X-ray computed tomography, mercury intrusion porosimetry, shrinkage measurements, density, and compressive strength testing. The results demonstrate that chemical and physico-chemical activation enables the effective use of low-cement multicomponent binders in extrusion-based 3D concrete printing, providing a more sustainable alternative to conventional high-cement mixtures.