Mechanical improvement of continuous steel microcable reinforced geopolymer composites for 3D printing subjected to different loading conditions

Abstract Sufficient reinforcement is crucial for three-dimensional (3D) printed concrete structures. In this study, continuous and simultaneous micro-cable reinforcing methods are investigated to accommodate the 3D flexible and automatic characteristics of additive manufacturing processes, and to satisfy the mechanical-property requirements for construction applications. Different manufacturing-related micro-reinforcements and printing configurations are designed for 3D printing cable-geopolymers. The specimens were subjected to three different types of loading conditions (compressive, shear, and tensile) to gain a better understanding of the composite behavior. The results revealed interesting behaviors: under compressive loadings, the confinement effect of the micro-cables is fundamental in producing additional strength, ductility, and toughness. The print path must be considered for determining the confinement levels. Micro-cables increase the compressive strength by 50.0% in a certain print path. The shear strength depends primarily on the geopolymer weak planes’ directions between two filaments instead of the embedded cable reinforcements. The tensile response is primarily governed by the micro-cable reinforcements and the configurations, which depend on the print paths. In certain configurations, the micro-cables result in 158% and 43.8 times increase in tensile strength and strain, respectively. This study provides valuable insights into the behavior of 3D-printed geopolymer composites with micro-cable reinforcement, which is necessary for designing and manufacturing complex structures using this novel reinforcement method.

[1]  Z. Ahmed,et al.  Experimental Exploration of Metal Cable as Reinforcement in 3D Printed Concrete , 2017, Materials.

[2]  Ming Jen Tan,et al.  Improving the 3D printability of high volume fly ash mixtures via the use of nano attapulgite clay , 2019, Composites Part B: Engineering.

[3]  Quang-Cuong Pham,et al.  Improving flexural characteristics of 3D printed geopolymer composites with in-process steel cable reinforcement , 2018, Construction and Building Materials.

[4]  Michael P. Case,et al.  Development of the construction processes for reinforced additively constructed concrete , 2019, Additive Manufacturing.

[5]  Richard A. Buswell,et al.  3D printing using concrete extrusion: A roadmap for research , 2018, Cement and Concrete Research.

[6]  G. Zuccaro,et al.  Improving flexural strength and toughness of geopolymer mortars through additively manufactured metallic rebars , 2018, Composites Part B: Engineering.

[7]  F. Fraternali,et al.  Design, microstructure and mechanical characterization of Ti6Al4V reinforcing elements for cement composites with fractal architecture , 2019, Materials & Design.

[8]  B. Šavija,et al.  Development of strain hardening cementitious composite (SHCC) reinforced with 3D printed polymeric reinforcement: Mechanical properties , 2019, Composites Part B: Engineering.

[9]  Willi Viktor Lauer,et al.  Mesh‐Mould: Robotically Fabricated Spatial Meshes as Reinforced Concrete Formwork , 2014 .

[10]  G. Ma,et al.  Printable properties of cementitious material containing copper tailings for extrusion based 3D printing , 2018 .

[11]  B. Panda,et al.  Extrusion and rheology characterization of geopolymer nanocomposites used in 3D printing , 2019, Composites Part B: Engineering.

[12]  G. Ma,et al.  A novel additive mortar leveraging internal curing for enhancing interlayer bonding of cementitious composite for 3D printing , 2020 .

[13]  Fernando Fraternali,et al.  On the reinforcement of cement mortars through 3D printed polymeric and metallic fibers , 2016 .

[14]  Richard A. Buswell,et al.  Developments in construction-scale additive manufacturing processes , 2012 .

[15]  Clément Gosselin,et al.  Large-scale 3D printing of ultra-high performance concrete – a new processing route for architects and builders , 2016 .

[16]  A. Kashani,et al.  Additive manufacturing (3D printing): A review of materials, methods, applications and challenges , 2018, Composites Part B: Engineering.

[17]  Domenico Asprone,et al.  3D printing of reinforced concrete elements: Technology and design approach , 2018 .

[18]  Xun Yu,et al.  A review of the current progress and application of 3D printed concrete , 2019, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing.

[19]  Geert De Schutter,et al.  Vision of 3D printing with concrete — Technical, economic and environmental potentials , 2018, Cement and Concrete Research.

[20]  Nemkumar Banthia,et al.  Fiber synergy in Hybrid Fiber Reinforced Concrete (HyFRC) in flexure and direct shear , 2014 .

[21]  Ming Jen Tan,et al.  Synthesis and characterization of one-part geopolymers for extrusion based 3D concrete printing , 2019, Journal of Cleaner Production.

[22]  Victor C. Li,et al.  A self-reinforced cementitious composite for building-scale 3D printing , 2018, Cement and Concrete Composites.

[23]  Fang Wang,et al.  Mechanical anisotropy of aligned fiber reinforced composite for extrusion-based 3D printing , 2019, Construction and Building Materials.

[24]  J. Teng,et al.  Strength Models for Fiber-Reinforced Plastic-Confined Concrete , 2002 .

[25]  Guowei Ma,et al.  Mechanical characterization of 3D printed anisotropic cementitious material by the electromechanical transducer , 2018, Smart Materials and Structures.

[26]  Faiz Shaikh,et al.  Matrix design of strain hardening fiber reinforced engineered geopolymer composite , 2016 .

[27]  Tao Ding,et al.  A 3D Printed Ready-Mixed Concrete Power Distribution Substation: Materials and Construction Technology , 2019, Materials.

[28]  Peter E.D. Love,et al.  Digital reproduction of historical building ornamental components: From 3D scanning to 3D printing , 2017 .

[29]  Ming Xia,et al.  Effect of surface moisture on inter-layer strength of 3D printed concrete , 2018 .

[30]  G. Ma,et al.  Mechanical behaviors of 3D printed lightweight concrete structure with hollow section , 2020, Archives of Civil and Mechanical Engineering.

[31]  Jacek Katzer,et al.  Properties of concrete elements with 3-D printed formworks which substitute steel reinforcement , 2019, Construction and Building Materials.

[32]  Ji Zhao,et al.  Separated 3D printing of continuous carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic polyimide , 2019, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing.

[33]  Viktor Mechtcherine,et al.  3D-printed steel reinforcement for digital concrete construction – Manufacture, mechanical properties and bond behaviour , 2018, Construction and Building Materials.

[34]  Manuel A.G. Silva,et al.  Behavior of square and circular columns strengthened with aramidic or carbon fibers , 2011 .

[35]  Guangming Chen,et al.  Compressive behavior of steel fiber reinforced recycled aggregate concrete after exposure to elevated temperatures , 2014 .

[36]  T. T. Le,et al.  Mix design and fresh properties for high-performance printing concrete , 2012 .

[37]  A. Gibb,et al.  Hardened properties of high-performance printing concrete , 2012 .

[38]  Z. Ahmed,et al.  Design of a 3D printed concrete bridge by testing , 2018, Virtual and Physical Prototyping.

[39]  Yu Zhang,et al.  Rheological and harden properties of the high-thixotropy 3D printing concrete , 2019, Construction and Building Materials.

[40]  Li Wang,et al.  Preparation and properties of bio-geopolymer composites with waste cotton stalk materials , 2020 .

[41]  Dirk Volkmer,et al.  Properties of 3D-printed fiber-reinforced Portland cement paste , 2017 .

[42]  J. Kaufmann,et al.  Mechanical reinforcement of concrete with bi-component fibers , 2007 .

[43]  Guowei Ma,et al.  Micro-cable reinforced geopolymer composite for extrusion-based 3D printing , 2019, Materials Letters.

[44]  Ming Jen Tan,et al.  Fresh and hardened properties of 3D printable cementitious materials for building and construction , 2018 .

[45]  Ming Jen Tan,et al.  Mechanical properties and deformation behaviour of early age concrete in the context of digital construction , 2019, Composites Part B: Engineering.

[46]  Xianhui Zhao,et al.  Physical and mechanical properties and micro characteristics of fly ash-based geopolymers incorporating soda residue , 2019, Cement and Concrete Composites.

[47]  Xin Cheng,et al.  Rheological and mechanical properties of admixtures modified 3D printing sulphoaluminate cementitious materials , 2018, Construction and Building Materials.

[48]  Jay G. Sanjayan,et al.  Synthesis of heat and ambient cured one-part geopolymer mixes with different grades of sodium silicate , 2015 .

[49]  G. Ma,et al.  Real-time quantification of fresh and hardened mechanical property for 3D printing material by intellectualization with piezoelectric transducers , 2020 .

[50]  Freek Bos,et al.  Rethinking reinforcement for digital fabrication with concrete , 2018, Cement and Concrete Research.

[51]  Erik Schlangen,et al.  The Effect of Viscosity-Modifying Admixture on the Extrudability of Limestone and Calcined Clay-Based Cementitious Material for Extrusion-Based 3D Concrete Printing , 2019, Materials.

[52]  Xianhui Zhao,et al.  Investigation into the effect of calcium on the existence form of geopolymerized gel product of fly ash based geopolymers , 2019, Cement and Concrete Composites.

[53]  Chen,et al.  Limestone and Calcined Clay-Based Sustainable Cementitious Materials for 3D Concrete Printing: A Fundamental Study of Extrudability and Early-Age Strength Development , 2019, Applied Sciences.