Additive Manufacturing and Performance of Architectured Cement-Based Materials

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Additive Manufacturing
• Bioinspired Engineering

Background:

• Cement-based materials exhibit brittle behavior, posing challenges for additive manufacturing (AM).
• Interfaces in 3D-printed hardened cement paste (hcp) are typically eliminated, but this study explores their potential.
• Hierarchical design and AM of cementitious materials are gaining research interest.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate novel architectures for 3D-printed cement-based materials.
• To harness heterogeneous interfaces for improved material properties.
• To explore bioinspired Bouligand structures for enhanced flaw tolerance.

Main Methods:

• Employing bioinspired Bouligand architectures in 3D-printed hardened cement paste (hcp).
• Analyzing damage mechanisms, including interfacial microcracking and crack twisting.
• Comparing the performance of architectured hcp elements with traditionally cast elements.

Main Results:

• Bioinspired Bouligand architectures promote damage delocalization in brittle hcp.
• These architectures lead to quasi-brittle behavior and enhanced fracture and damage tolerance.
• Work of failure and inelastic deflection improved by over 50% compared to cast elements.

Conclusions:

• Harnessing heterogeneous interfaces through novel architectures can overcome brittleness in AM cementitious materials.
• Bouligand structures enable unique damage mechanisms, resulting in improved material performance.
• This approach offers a pathway to novel performance characteristics in 3D-printed cement-based materials without compromising strength.