A Perforated Strip-Based Three-Dimensional Reinforcement Strategy for 3D Printed Concrete (2025-12)¶

The reinforcement of 3D printed concrete structures remains a critical bottleneck hindering the widespread application of 3D printing technology in construction. To address this challenge, this study proposes a novel reinforcement strategy combining perforated strips and rebars to form three-dimensional frameworks for structural members. The reinforcement strategy is seamlessly integrated into the layer-by-layer concrete printing process and adaptable for complex geometries. To validate its feasibility and structural performance, large-scale 3D printed beams were fabricated and tested under flexural loading. The proposed strategy markedly enhanced the flexural performance of printed beams, with reinforced printed beams reaching over 100 % of the ultimate capacity and 90 % of the ductility of well-reinforced cast beams. Both experimental observations and finite element analysis confirmed that the failure mode corresponded to typical flexural failure of reinforced concrete beams. Moreover, existing design codes (such as Eurocode 2 and GB/T 50010–2010) were proved to be applicable in guiding the design of 3D printed members using this reinforcement strategy, facilitating practical engineering application of 3D printed concrete structures.