Ali Kazemian

Use of Natural Zeolite to Produce Self-Consolidating Concrete with Low Portland Cement Content and High Durability

AbstractSelf-consolidating concrete (SCC) is one of the innovative products in concrete technology that has been developed in recent years. However, many researchers are still trying to optimize the mixture proportions and investigate the incorporation of new materials in SCC. The typical high content of portland cement in SCC is one of the main challenges in optimization of its mixture proportions. This high cement consumption increases the production cost of SCC and, considering the large amount of CO2 emitted during portland cement production, is also undesirable from an environmental point of view. In this study, two approaches were employed to lower the portland cement content in SCC mixtures, namely, adopting a dense aggregate grading and partially replacing portland cement with natural zeolite. Portland cement was replaced by natural zeolite at different percentages to investigate the effect of this natural pozzolan on the fresh and hardened properties of the SCC mixtures. Fresh properties of the S...

A Framework for Performance-Based Testing of Fresh Mixtures for Construction-Scale 3D Printing

A step-by-step procedure for performance-based testing of mixtures for construction-scale 3D printing is proposed. Workability of a fresh “printing mixture” is described in terms of print quality, shape stability, robustness, and printability window. To demonstrate the proposed procedure and test methods, an experimental program is carried out using four different mixtures. The experimental results are used as the basis for discussion and comparison of performance of developed mixtures for use in construction-scale 3D printing. Finally, perspectives on the future research areas as critical steps for advancement of construction-scale 3D printing are provided.