Multiscale Mechanistic Insights into the Dual Effect of Interlayer Reinforcement on the Shear Behavior of 3D-Printed Concrete Composite Walls (2026-03)¶

10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2026.146167

Wu Yiwen, Liu Chao, Liu Huawei, Pan Zhihong, Bai Guoliang
Journal Article - Construction and Building Materials, Vol. 521, No. 146167

Abstract

To resolve the debate regarding the efficacy of interlayer reinforcement in structural members, this study employed a multi-scale experimental analysis framework to investigate its "dual effect" in novel 3D-printed reinforced concrete (3DPRC) composite members. The experiments integrated micro-interfacial characterization, compression-shear testing, and quasi-static testing. The results indicate that the reinforcement increased the thickness of the interlayer influence zone, leading to a 49.3% reduction in pure interlayer shear strength. However, under axial compression, the failure mode shifted from interlayer slip to compression-shear failure, reversing the reinforcement's efficacy from detrimental to beneficial. Within the tested axial compression ratios of 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2, the shear capacities of members with 0.21% and 0.35% reinforcement ratios achieved overall enhancements of 9% - 14% and 12% - 18%, respectively, compared to the unreinforced control. Analysis of Variance confirmed that this enhancement is highly statistically significant. Accordingly, a theoretical model was established to quantify the competition between reinforcement-induced microstructural damage and macro-structural enhancement. Based on this mechanism, an engineering design equation for the shear capacity of 3DPRC composite members was proposed by modifying the superimposed model from traditional masonry design codes (GB/T 50129–2011), specifically updating its axial stress influence coefficient to 0.76. This modification quantitatively reveals the remarkably high sensitivity of 3D-printed interfaces to axial compression. Finally, a full-scale wall test provided a proof-of-concept demonstration for the interlayer reinforcement mechanism under quasi-static cyclic loading. This study provides a theoretical basis for optimizing reinforcement strategies in load-bearing 3D-printed structures.

¶

34 References

0 Citations

BibTeX

@article{wu_liu_liu_pan.2026.MMIitDEoIRotSBo3PCCW,
  author            = "Yiwen Wu and Chao Liu and Huawei Liu and Zhihong Pan and Guoliang Bai",
  title             = "Multiscale Mechanistic Insights into the Dual Effect of Interlayer Reinforcement on the Shear Behavior of 3D-Printed Concrete Composite Walls",
  doi               = "10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2026.146167",
  year              = "2026",
  journal           = "Construction and Building Materials",
  volume            = "521",
  pages             = "146167",
}

Formatted Citation

IEEE

Y. Wu, C. Liu, H. Liu, Z. Pan and G. Bai, “Multiscale Mechanistic Insights into the Dual Effect of Interlayer Reinforcement on the Shear Behavior of 3D-Printed Concrete Composite Walls”, Construction and Building Materials, vol. 521, p. 146167, 2026, doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2026.146167.

CMOS

Wu, Yiwen, Chao Liu, Huawei Liu, Zhihong Pan, and Guoliang Bai. “Multiscale Mechanistic Insights into the Dual Effect of Interlayer Reinforcement on the Shear Behavior of 3D-Printed Concrete Composite Walls”. Construction and Building Materials 521 (2026): 146167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2026.146167.