Development of low-cement lightweight concrete mixes for 3D extrusion printing

Additive Manufacturing (AM) continues to advance in the construc-tion industry, offering considerable potential. One of AM's advantages lies in eliminating the need for formwork, allowing for the realization of highly complex structures. Combining this innovative technology with the development of spe-cific material compositions can achieve more efficient building construction. The paper aims to develop a material for 3D extrusion printing, facilitating the crea-tion of thermally improved, multifunctional, and sustainable building elements. The development is carried out with a focus on the sustainable use of the tech-nology, which primarily requires reducing the cement content. Therefore, a pack-ing density approach is applied to optimize cement efficiency. In addition, an aggregate with a particle size of up to 8 mm is used. Lightweight aggregates (LWA) in specific grain groups will be incorporated to improve the insulating properties of the building parts. To validate applicability in 3D printing, the de-veloped mixtures are tested in practical applications. Furthermore, compressive strength tests provide insights into subsequent load-bearing capacity.