Compression Dewatering Forming: A Rheology-Driven Approach to Produce Complex-Shaped Prefabricated Cement Products

With the development of prefabricated buildings, complex-shaped cement products, represented by heating-type elevated floors, have appeared on the market. These cement products can only be produced by the pouring method, with low efficiency and poor precision. Among the existing processing methods for preparing cement products, compression dewatering offers the greatest ability to produce cement products with complex shapes. However, the pressed mixing material comprises a plastic fresh mortar, which inherently lacks fluidity, making it difficult to completely fill the cavity of the shaped mold. Few studies have been conducted on the experimental method and design ratios of mortar for the compression dewatering process in the industry, with no effective solution. To achieve the efficient production of complex-shaped cement products, this study explored the experimental method of testing the strength and flowability of mortar formed through compression dewatering as the forming process. Mortar ratios suitable for producing complex-shaped cement products using the compression dewatering process were determined, the relationship between material rheology and product forming performance was analyzed, and the influence of the compression process on the strength and micro-properties was studied. Finally, a cement-based heating-type elevated floor forming technology was developed, offering a novel approach for the efficient forming of complex-shaped cement products.