Synergistic Strengthening of 3D‑printed ECC Beams Through Steel-Wire Mesh and Interfaces Treatments (2025-08)¶

Engineered cementitious composites (ECC) with superior tensile properties holds the ability to replace steel reinforcement in structures, known as self-reinforced ECC, which offers promising solutions to reinforcement challenges in 3D printing constructions. However, the expanding application scenarios demand efficient and effective reinforcement strategies and compatible interface bonding for the printed structures. This research, therefore, proposed an in-process reinforcing technique through laying steel-wire meshes between ECC layers as well as interface treatments to simultaneously enhance the load capacity and ductility of the printed member. Four-point bending tests were performed on 3DP-ECC beams reinforced with different layers of steel-wire mesh and various interface treatments to evaluate the effectiveness of this reinforcement strategy. Experimental results demonstrated that steel-wire meshes can deform collaboratively with ECC, and enhance the load bearing capacity and ductility of 3DP-ECC beams by 96 %-214 % and 12 %-98 %, respectively, compared to those of unreinforced beam. The combined application of vertical interface nail implantation and interlayer epoxy resin brushing enhances the interface bonding and ductility of 3DP-ECC beams. In addition, a theoretical model for predicting the load-bearing capacity and the load-deflection relationship of 3DP-ECC beams was further proposed and verified. This study validated the feasibility and effectiveness of steel-wire mesh in reinforcing 3DP-ECC beams for efficient construction, highlighting its potential to facilitate automated printing processes and broaden the practical applications of 3D printing.