Studies on Enhancement of Stability Rheology and Mechanical Performance of 3D Printable Foam Concrete

Abstract

Multifunctional properties are a requirement due to the increasing need for the thermal newlineresistance, acoustic insulation, fire resistance, and etc. for the modern construction. Nevertheless, the material must be both mechanically sound and porous in order to fulfil these requirements. newlineOne such concrete that satisfies the demands of modern building is foam concrete (FC). FC is a cellular concrete produced using binder, fine aggregate or filler, foam and water as ingredients. Proper control in dosage of foam can result in wide range of densities ranging from 300 to 1800 kg/m3. FC is a unique, non-structural and low-cost light weight concrete with special properties such as low density, high acoustic insulation, low thermal conductivity, high energy absorption newlinecapacity, good fire resistance, and good freeze and thaw resistance. The aforementioned properties of FC are mainly dependent on the microstructure of FC which is influenced by the foam production parameters (air pressure, type of foam generator), foam stability (drainage, newlinedensity, size, shape, and etc.) and surfactant characteristics (type of surfactant, viscosity, surface tension, and etc.). FC has an extensive spectrum of demands to satisfy an array of applications.