A review on 3D printable cementitious material containing copper and iron ore tailings: material characterization, activation methods, engineering properties, durability, and microstructure behavior

3D concrete printing (3DCP) is an advanced technology that combines digital technologies with new materials science insights to allow free-form building without using formwork. This 3DCP has attracted much attention in recent years due to its potential benefits, including reducing construction costs by eliminating the formwork, less construction waste, geometric freedom, less onsite construction time, risk reduction, robustness, and better productivity. However, the researchers have challenges in developing the printing materials for 3DCP applications. There is a substantial difference in the composition and performance of 3DCP and conventional concrete. In recent decades, CO₂ emissions from concrete manufacturers have accounted for 5–8% of global total CO₂ emissions. Moreover, the amount of industrial waste created increases year after year. Iron ore tailings (IOT) and copper ore tailings (COT) have been a matter of concern for researchers in recent years as a type of building material. This paper primarily examines material and microstructural characterization, activation methods, engineering properties durability, and microstructure behavior of cementitious printable material containing copper and iron ore tailings. It critically discusses the performance of IOT and COT and the impact of partial replacement on the performance of various aspects of printable concrete materials containing IOT and COT. It also highlights the future research directions on COT and IOT. The findings show that the copper ore tailings and iron ore tailings if incorporated in the required amount as supplementary cementitious material will reduce the mining waste as well as develop the sustainable cementitious material with enhanced engineering properties.