Influence of the In-Fill Pattern of the 3D Printed Building Wall on Its Thermal Insulation

The intensive development of 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) technology causes constantly increased its share in the construction sector. However, in order to produce products with controlled properties, optimization of the technological process is still required. Automation of production based on additive manufacturing methods streamlines the process by comprehensively manufacturing building components that meet, among others, strength, visual, and insulation requirements. Moreover, the possibility of using computer simulations to assess the properties of the designed elements allows for a multitude of analyzed versions of the constructed partitions, which can be verified at the design stage. Thanks to such an opportunity, the process of designing building elements can be significantly improved. The article presents results related to the assessment of the level of thermal insulation of products that can be produced by additive technology, depending on the applied spatial geometry of the vertical partition and the amount and type of materials used. Eight original solutions of in-fill pattern were designed, for which both Finite Element Method (FEM) computer simulations of thermal conductivity and experimental measurements of thermal conductivity of samples were performed. On the basis of the obtained results, both the correctness of the simulation results for the various analyzed materials and their consistency with the practical results were found. Depending on the investigated geometry, for samples of the same dimensions and using the same material, the differences in the U-factor obtained by FEM analysis amounted to 61%. The best solution from the investigated spatial geometries of the vertical partitions has been indicated. The U parameter in the variant with the best thermal insulation was 0.183 W/m²K, which meets the requirements of Polish construction law. The issues discussed in this work can be the basis for the selection of the best solution possible for practical use during the production of building walls using the 3DCP method fulfilling the guidelines of applicable standards. Furthermore, they can be used as a tool for optimizing geometry in terms of energy savings and reducing waste production by both engineers developing 3DCP technologies and architects using innovative techniques for manufacturing building structures.