Evaluation of extrusion methods for 3D concrete printing and their effects on printed filament

3D concrete printing is an additive manufacturing process that builds concrete objects in a layer-by-layer fashion. To print geometrically complex concrete structures, the precision over the flow control and start-stop effect are important factors. It is also important to note that different concrete 3D printing methods have different ways of material delivery, which could result in deviations in the size of the printed filaments. Such deviations in filament sizes can cause accumulated dimensional error of the final product and in some cases, the failure of the structure. In this report, different 3D concrete printing methods were evaluated to determine the respective effect on the printed filament. The conclusion drawn was that each of the printing method has their own advantages and disadvantages based on the observation made on four evaluation criteria. As such, this suggests that the selection of the appropriate printing method should be dependent on the required printing specifications.Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering