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<p>In concrete structures, material performance is typically determined at the level of the concrete mix (the microscale) and the overall shape and dimensions of a building element (the macroscale). However, recent developments in the field of 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) are demonstrating that the design of concrete now also can take place at a previously impossible intermediate scale involving the shaping and placement of the material at the level of the printing nozzle (the mesoscale). By focusing directly on the design of print paths, advanced surface effects and internal porous material distributions can be achieved that significantly affect the aesthetic experience and structural performance of 3DCP structures. This ability to design the distribution of concrete according to local architectural, structural, and functional design criteria is an especially interesting application of 3DCP that could be exploited to customise material performance while at the same time optimising material use and reducing the self-weight of building elements. This paper specifically examines how four different three-dimensional print patterns produce distinct material structures at the mesoscale (mesostructures) and presents an experimental procedure for evaluating their load-bearing capacity.</p>
</abstract>

In concrete structures, material performance is typically determined at the level of the concrete mix (the microscale) and the overall shape and dimensions of a building element (the macroscale). However, recent developments in the field of 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) are demonstrating that the design of concrete now also can take place at a previously impossible intermediate scale involving the shaping and placement of the material at the level of the printing nozzle (the mesoscale). By focusing directly on the design of print paths, advanced surface effects and internal porous material distributions can be achieved that significantly affect the aesthetic experience and structural performance of 3DCP structures. This ability to design the distribution of concrete according to local architectural, structural, and functional design criteria is an especially interesting application of 3DCP that could be exploited to customise material performance while at the same time optimising material use and reducing the self-weight of building elements. This paper specifically examines how four different three-dimensional print patterns produce distinct material structures at the mesoscale (mesostructures) and presents an experimental procedure for evaluating their load-bearing capacity.

Towards the Application of Mesostructures in 3D Concrete Printing – Evaluating Load-bearing Performance

Dept. of Civil & Architectural Engineering, Div. of Concrete Structures

Nordic Concrete Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

In concrete structures, material performance is typically determined at the level of the concrete mix (the microscale) and the overall shape and dimensions of...

Towards the Application of Mesostructures in 3D Concrete Printing – Evaluating Load-bearing Performance

Published Online: Jan 06, 2024

Page range: 87 - 100

Received: Oct 05, 2023

Accepted: Jan 02, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ncr-2023-0011

Keywords
3D concrete printing, concrete design, mesostructures, testing, concrete performance, load-bearing capacity, bulk density

© 2023 Helena Westerlind et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Towards the Application of Mesostructures in 3D Concrete Printing – Evaluating Load-bearing Performance

Published Online: Jan 06, 2024

Page range: 87 - 100

Received: Oct 05, 2023

Accepted: Jan 02, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ncr-2023-0011

Keywords3D concrete printing, concrete design, mesostructures, testing, concrete performance, load-bearing capacity, bulk density

© 2023 Helena Westerlind et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
3D concrete printing, concrete design, mesostructures, testing, concrete performance, load-bearing capacity, bulk density