The technology of additive manufacturing, especially 3D concrete printing (3DCP), has been recently adopted in the construction industry as a viable alternative to traditional construction methods. Although the technology offers a wide variety of structural, economic, and environmental benefits, it is still restricted in use due to certain limitations that are still under research. This paper explains the fundamentals of the 3D printing process, its potential, challenges, as well as the different 3D printing systems. The recent literature is explored for recommended materials that possess the required properties for 3D printing, as well as reinforcement methods and techniques. This paper also reviews 3D printing extrusion using concrete and foam and explores the effect of both materials and extruding systems on the final product. The application of different additive construction systems with Building Information Modeling (BIM)-integrated algorithms are also discussed in this paper. It is believed that with providing a comprehensive knowledge of 3D printing for concrete construction, there is a huge potential to change the way cementitious materials are formulated and sustainability aspects are implemented, especially for complicated designs.

In the last decade, nanomaterials made a major breakthrough in the concrete industry by providing the concrete with unique properties. Earlier studies have shown improvement in the early strength of concrete that can accelerate the construction process. In this study, 1% and 2% of nano-silica were added to concrete mixtures that contain 30% and 70% ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS). Adding 1% of nano-silica to the 30% GGBS mixture showed an increase in the compressive strength by 13.5%, 7.8%, 8.1%, and 2.2% at one day, three days, seven days, and twenty-eight days, respectively. The 2% of nano-silica increased the 30% GGBS mixture’s compressive strength less effectively by 4.3%, 7.6%, and 4.9% at three days, seven days, and 28 days, respectively, when compared to the 1%. On the other hand, adding 1% and 2% of nano-silica reduced the 70% GGBS mixtures’ compressive strength. Moreover, nano-silica reduced the deformability of the mixtures significantly, which caused the increase in the Young’s modulus. The flexural strength of the 30% GGBS mixtures had similar behavior as the 28-day compressive strength. On the other hand, the flexural strength of the 70% GGBS mixtures increased as the nano-silica increased. Nano-silica addition improved the microstructure and the interface structure of the mixtures due to its high pozzolanic activity and the nano-filler effect, which is confirmed by RCPT results and SEM images.