Analysis of Object Deformations Printed by Extrusion of Concrete Mixtures Using 3D Scanning

Abstract

Additive technologies in construction and architecture are becoming more and more popular. Due to their advantages, concrete extrusion technologies have great potential for the future. One of the important parameters is the quality and precision achieved in the entire building process. This study investigates the search for a methodology to verify the quality of three-dimensional (3D) printing from concrete mixtures not just as an indication of the resulting accuracy of the process but to monitor the behavior of the printed object in the period immediately after the printing for a period of 28 days. Research has confirmed, among other things, that one of the main causes of dimensional changes over time is shrinkage, which occurs primarily in the length and height directions of the object. The drying behavior of the material also depends on the thickness of the wall, with the thicker parts of the element shrinking more slowly than the thin and peripheral parts. The research also confirmed the hypothesis that digitization using 3D optical scanning could be used for complex three-dimensional analysis of the dimensional accuracy and dimensional stability of concrete elements produced by 3D printing. However, due to the surface structure of printed objects, specific inspection procedures need to be chosen, which are analyzed and described in this paper.