Computational modeling for structural element analysis using cement composites in 3D printing

The construction industry has incorporated 3D printing as an innovative technology. However, there are still challenges involving the complexity of the necessary parameters, such as the geometric characteristics, strength, and rigidity of the printed objects, depending on the studied material. Therefore, this study proposes a new tridimensional computational modeling for dimensioning 3D-printed structures. The model is based on the physical non-linearity of the material and the geometric non-linearity of the structure. It consists of a numerical reproduction of an experimental test using frame finite elements and considers the material properties' evolution over time by construction phases. The printing speed used is 60 mm/s, and the time interval between layers is 11 s. The results obtained revealed good agreement with those from experimental tests and validated the theoretical formulation. The differences between computational and theoretical methods varied from 0.58 to 3.38% for different building rates. In terms of vertical normal stress at the base of the walls, the maximum percentage variation between the models is of 5.22% and less than 1 mm in absolute values for vertical displacements. The model successfully predicted the failure moment of the structure. The parametric analyses showed that the proposed model is an accessible, effective, and accurate tool to reveal the effects of printing speed on the construction process.