Abstract
Aptly enabled by recent developments in additive manufacturing technology, the concept of functionally grading some cementitious composites to improve structural compression forms is warranted. In this work, existing concrete models available in Abaqus Finite Element (FE) packages are utilized to simulate the performance of some cementitious composites numerically and apply them to functional grading using the multi-layer approach. If yielding good agreement with the experimental results, two-layer and three-layer models case combinations are developed to study the role of layer position and volume. The optimal and sub-optimal performance of the multi-layer concrete configurations based on compressive strength and sustained strains are assessed. The results of the models suggest that layer volume and position influence the performance of multi-layer concrete. It is observed that when there exists a substantial difference in material strengths between the concrete mixes that make up the various layers of a functionally graded structure, the influence of position and of material volume are significant in a two-layer configuration. In contrast, in a three-layer configuration, layer position is of minimal effect, and volume has a significant effect only if two of the three layers are made from the same material. Thus, a multilayered design approach to compression structures can significantly improve strength and strain performance. Finally, application scenarios on some structural compression forms are shown, and their future trajectory is discussed.
Highlights
Introduction iationsThe support for automation and complexities in design, in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, underpinned by a fast-paced concrete science and a materials engineering niche, are driving significant and rapid research in additive manufacturing (AM) [1] and constitutive material models [2,3,4] development and usage.As a result, applying additive manufacturing to concrete structures and numerical tools in modeling and predicting concrete behavior at the micro and macro scale is on the edge of new possibilities
The intermittent stiffening and increase in ultimate strain are a vital improvement in the brittle nature of concrete
The results indicate that the performance of a structure using microsilica concrete (MC)-2 as a primary material can be optimized by encasing it with 25% C as no significant improvement in strength is observed by increasing the volume of C as an outer layer
Summary
The support for automation and complexities in design, in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, underpinned by a fast-paced concrete science and a materials engineering niche, are driving significant and rapid research in additive manufacturing (AM) [1] and constitutive material models [2,3,4] development and usage. As a result, applying additive manufacturing to concrete structures and numerical tools in modeling and predicting concrete behavior at the micro and macro scale is on the edge of new possibilities. Additive manufacturing (AM), otherwise referred to as threedimensional concrete printing (3DCP), is an emerging method in the use of automation in construction [5]. The benefits of 3DCP include reduced construction time and cost, along with enhanced quality control and material efficiency [5]. Amidst the many benefits of Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
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