An assessment of the repeatability of 3D printed concrete structures

Additive manufacturing of concrete structures, also known as 3D concrete printing, is a technology that received a lot of attention over the past decade due to its financial an ecological advantage as sustainable construction technology. Although several techniques and approaches demonstrate these advantages, quality control during printing is highly challenging and rarely applied and harmonized standards are not existing. Due to the continuous mixing process used in 3D concrete printing, it is impossible to exclude variations in the dry mixture or water content, and a single test sample is insufficient to be representative for the whole structure. A defect in one layer during the printing can affect the entire integrity of the whole structure. This study shows the results of an arch designed as framework structure that was printed multiple times under the same boundary conditions using an extrusion-based 3D concrete printer. Each arch was tested for its mechanical strength and load bearing behavior. The results of the mechanical testing of the printed arches are compared with material data obtained by classical tests and discussed regarding their statistical significance.