Abstract
This paper presents a computational fluid dynamics model fit for multi-layer 3D Concrete Printing. The numerical model utilizes an elasto-visco-plastic constitutive model to mimic the flow behaviour of the cementitious material. To validate the model, simulation data is compared to experimental data from 3D printed walls. The obtained results show that the numerical model can reproduce the experimental results with high accuracy and quantify the extrusion load imposed upon the layers. Such load is found to exceed the material’s yields stress in certain regions of previously printed layers, leading to layer deformation/flow. The developed and validated numerical model can assist in identifying optimal printing strategies, reducing the number of costly experimental print failures and human-process interaction. By doing so, the findings of this paper helps 3D Concrete Printing move a step closer to a truly digital fabrication process.
Highlights
Extrusion‐based 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) has been applied successfully by the industry to produce pre‐cast elements, bridges, and non‐load‐ carrying walls for houses
Comminal et al [12,13] compared the cross‐sectional shape of single layer 3DCP experiments with predictions from a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model simulating the process – this was an attempt to understand the influence of 3DCP processing parameters on the layer geometry
This paper aims at further validating the developed CFD model with appurtenant elasto‐visco‐plastic constitutive material behaviour by comparing its results to cross‐sections of experimental multi‐layer prints
Summary
Extrusion‐based 3DCP has been applied successfully by the industry to produce pre‐cast elements, bridges, and non‐load‐ carrying walls for houses. When printing new materials or geometries, the deployment of 3DCP is still dependent on extensive (and costly) trial‐and‐ error procedures, which substantially limits the fabrication method in terms of agile and autonomous production. This barrier needs to be overcome to unleash extrusion‐based 3DCP’s potential as a digital fabrication technology. In the researchers’ quest to understand and improve extrusion‐based 3DCP, they recently develop various numerical models that simulates the process [6]. The latter study showed a good agreement between the numerical and experimental results when applying an elasto‐visco‐plastic material model in the CFD model
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