Application and prospect of 3D printing technology in rock mechanics test

The processing of discontinuous and heterogeneous rock samples, as well as the production of complex rock mass physical models, affect the development of rock mechanics test to a certain extent. Due to the advantages of good geometric adaptability, joints can be customized, natural model with high reduction degree, small discreteness, efficient and convenience, 3D printing technology can be used to overcome many shortcomings of traditional sample preparation methods. In this work, 3D printing technology and printing materials commonly used in rock mechanics test are introduced. The development status of 3D printing technology in rock mechanics test is systematically expounded from the aspects of rock crack propagation and fracture mechanism, rock mass shear and seepage characteristics, rock mass physical model test and geotechnical interdisciplinary research. At the same time, the limitations and the problems of current 3D printing technology are analyzed. It is concluded that the coordination of 3D printing technology among model scale, printing accuracy and forming speed needs to be further improved. The collaborative continuous printing technology with multiple outlets and multiple materials needs to be broken through And the quantitative evaluation of print model reduction and similarity also needs to be solved. Besides, the post-processing and maintenance of print models need to be standardized and standardized. Finally, the application of 3D printing technology in the field of rock mechanics is prospected with the hot and difficult issues in the research of rock mechanics, such as physical model test of complex rock mass, rock size effect, anisotropy and geotechnical interdisciplinary. © 2023 Editorial Office of China Civil Engineering Journal. All rights reserved.