A Strategy for the Improvement of the Bonding Performance of 3D Printed Concrete Inter-Layer Interfaces (2024-09)¶

3D-printed concrete, as an intelligent building technology, has enormous potential in construction. However, the weak bond interfaces between two adjacent layers of concrete are still a well-known problem affecting the mechanical properties of printed structures, with reduced interlayer shear and tensile properties. The reinforcement method of inserting steel bars in vertically printed layers is crucial and requires research and exploration of suitable methods, as well as finding the optimal reinforcement scheme that satisfies the interlayer interface when facing different loads. This study proposes a method of interlayer reinforcement by vertically laying steel fibers between layers, and investigates the effects of steel fiber offset, deployment density, and cross-sectional area on interlayer bonding strength. The strengthening effect of steel fiber on interlayer shear and tensile strength was tested through shear and splitting tests. Microscopic numerical models are used to study the evolution process of interlayer cracking. The correlation between different steel fiber variables and interlayer bonding strength was studied using a Generalized Grey Relational Analysis (GGRA). The results showed that the shear strength and tensile strength of the interlayer interface could be improved by 256.32 % and 353.61 %, respectively, through a reasonable fiber layout scheme. It is recommended to lay steel fibers with small offsets. When the interlayer interface is subjected to shear loads, priority should be given to increasing the cross-sectional area. When the interlayer interface is subjected to tensile loads, the deployment density should be increased first to achieve the best improvement in interlayer strength.