Researchers from the University of Virginia, Virginia Transportation Research Council and Turkey's Istanbul Technical University have developed a more sustainable, printable cementitious composite. This new material combines graphene with limestone and calcined clay cement (LC2), and is said to offer enhanced strength and durability while significantly reducing carbon emissions.
"Our goal was to design a printable concrete that performs better and is more eco-friendly," said Osman Ozbulut, a professor at UVA's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. "The addition of graphene to LC2 cement offers a unique opportunity to lower carbon emissions while maintaining the strength and flexibility required for 3D printed construction."
The study, which explored the flow properties, mechanical performance and environmental impacts of this material, was led by visiting scholar Tuğba Baytak and UVA’s Tawfeeq Gdeh, doctoral researchers at Resilient and Advanced Infrastructure Laboratory at University of Virginia. Collaborating with researchers at Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC), Baytak and Gdeh applied graphene to LC2 cement, significantly improving its performance for 3D printing applications.
A key aspect of the research was a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), conducted by Zhangfan Jiang, a postdoctoral researcher the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, in collaboration with Lisa Colosi Peterson, an environmental engineering professor at the University of Virginia. The LCA revealed that this graphene-enhanced LC2 concrete could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 31% compared to traditional printable concrete mixtures.
"Being able to see the full environmental footprint of this new concrete was important," explained Jiang. "It not only exhibits better mechanical performance but also has a lower environmental impact, making 3D concrete construction technology more sustainable compared to traditional 3D printing methods with higher carbon emissions."
The partnership with VTRC allowed the UVA team to assess the material's potential applications in transportation infrastructure, further showcasing its real-world potential. "The VTRC collaboration was essential in uncovering the fundamental properties of this new concrete," added Ozbulut.
