Comparative analysis of ternary blended cement with clay and engineering brick aggregate for high-performance 3D printing

Utilising recycled brick aggregate in cementitious mixtures can decrease the overdependency on limited natural resources and improve the sustainability of concrete. This paper presents a potential solution to lower the amount of waste being landfilled and increase the sustainability of 3D concrete printing technology by combining low-carbon ternary blended cement with recycled aggregates. Hence, the effect of incorporating two types of recycled brick aggregate - clay brick (CBA) and engineering brick (EBA) on the properties of 3D printable ternary blended cement were investigated. The natural aggregate in a pre-existing 3D printable blend was substituted by up to 50 wt.-% with two varieties of recycled brick aggregates available throughout Europe. The recycled brick aggregates underwent characterisation to determine their properties. The fresh property evaluation using the green strength test was used to assess the effect of aggregate replacements on the mixture's shape stability. The mechanical performance of mixtures containing CBA and EBA, both cast and 3D printable mixes, was evaluated and compared to that of the control sample. The results indicated that incorporating recycled brick aggregate enhances green strength and Young's modulus significantly. Mechanical strength performance showed significant enhancement when incorporating RBA, which reached up to 67% and 55% for both cast and 3D printing methods, respectively. The suitability of the developed mix formulations for 3D printing was assessed by printing cylindrical objects. • Substituting natural sand with recycled brick aggregates in a 3D printable mix formulation. • Enhanced mechanical performance via incorporation of recycled brick aggregates. • Increased green strength and Young's modulus with clay and engineering brick aggregates.