Title:
Three-Dimensional-Printed Engineered, Strain-Hardening Geopolymer Composite as Permanent Formwork for Construction of Reinforced Concrete Beam
Author(s):
Shin Hau Bong, Behzad Nematollahi, Viktor Mechtcherine, Victor C. Li, and Kamal H. Khayat
Publication:
Structural Journal
Volume:
121
Issue:
2
Appears on pages(s):
37-48
Keywords:
engineered geopolymer composite (EGC); permanent formwork; reinforced concrete beam; strain hardening; three-dimensional (3-D) concrete printing
DOI:
10.14359/51739159
Date:
3/1/2024
Abstract:
Extrusion-based concrete printing technology allows the fabrication
of permanent formwork with intricate shapes, into which fresh
concrete is cast to build structural members with complex geometries. This significantly enhances the geometric freedom of concrete structures without the use of expensive temporary formwork. In addition, with proper material choice for the permanent formwork, the load-bearing capacity and durability of the resulting structure can be improved. This paper investigates the concrete printing of permanent formwork for reinforced concrete (RC) beam construction. A three-dimensional (3-D)-printable engineered geopolymer composite or strain-hardening geopolymer composite (3DP-EGC or 3DP-SHGC), recently developed by the authors, was used to fabricate the permanent formwork. The 3DP-EGC exhibits strainhardening behavior under direct tension. Two different printing patterns were used for the soffit of the permanent formwork to investigate the effect of this parameter on the flexural performance of RC beams. A conventionally mold-cast RC beam was also prepared as the control beam for comparison purposes. The results showed that the RC beams constructed using the 3DP-EGC permanent formwork exhibited superior flexural performance to the control beam. Such beams yielded significantly higher cracking load (up to 43%), deflection at ultimate load (up to 60%), ductility index (50%), and absorbed energy (up to 107%) than those of the control beam. The ultimate load was comparable with or slightly higher than that of the control beam. Furthermore, the printing pattern at the soffit of the permanent formwork was found to significantly influence the flexural performance of the RC beams.
Related References:
1. Johnston, D. W., “Design and Construction of Concrete Formwork,” Concrete Construction Engineering Handbook, E. G. Nawy, ed., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2008, pp. 7.1-7.48.
2. Jha, K. N., Formwork for Concrete Structures, Tata McGraw Hill Education Private Limited, New Delhi, India, 2012, 573 pp.
3. Arumsari, P., and Xavier, C., “Cost and Time Analysis on the Selection of Formwork Installation Method,” IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, V. 426, 2020, Article No. 012042. doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/426/1/012042
4. Wringley, R. G., “Permanent Formwork in Construction (CIRIA C558),” CIRIA/The Concrete Society, London, UK, 2001, pp. 13-16.
5. García de Soto, B.; Agustí-Juan, I.; Hunhevicz, J.; Joss, S.; Graser, K.; Habert, G.; and Adey, B. T., “Productivity of Digital Fabrication in Construction: Cost and Time Analysis of a Robotically Built Wall,” Automation in Construction, V. 92, 2018, pp. 297-311. doi: 10.1016/j.autcon.2018.04.004
6. De Schutter, G.; Lesage, K.; Mechtcherine, V.; Nerella, V. N.; Habert, G.; and Agusti-Juan, I., “Vision of 3D Printing with Concrete—Technical, Economic and Environmental Potentials,” Cement and Concrete Research, V. 112, 2018, pp. 25-36. doi: 10.1016/j.cemconres.2018.06.001
7. Pan, Z.; Zhu, Y.; Qiao, Z.; and Meng, S., “Seismic Behavior of Composite Columns with Steel Reinforced ECC Permanent Formwork and Infilled Concrete,” Engineering Structures, V. 212, 2020, Article No. 110541. doi: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2020.110541
8. Tian, H.; Zhou, Z.; Zhang, Y.; and Wei, Y., “Axial Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Column with Ultra-High Performance Concrete Stay-In-Place Formwork,” Engineering Structures, V. 210, 2020, Article No. 110403. doi: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2020.110403
9. Huang, B.-T.; Li, Q.-H.; Xu, S.-L.; and Li, C.-F., “Development of Reinforced Ultra-High Toughness Cementitious Composite Permanent Formwork: Experimental Study and Digital Image Correlation Analysis,” Composite Structures, V. 180, 2017, pp. 892-903. doi: 10.1016/j.compstruct.2017.08.016
10. Leung, C. K. Y., and Cao, Q., “Development of Pseudo-Ductile Permanent Formwork for Durable Concrete Structures,” Materials and Structures, V. 43, No. 7, 2010, pp. 993-1007. doi: 10.1617/s11527-009-9561-4
11. Zhang, R.; Hu, P.; Zheng, X.; Cai, L.; Guo, R.; and Wei, D., “Shear Behavior of RC Slender Beams without Stirrups by Using Precast U-Shaped ECC Permanent Formwork,” Construction and Building Materials, V. 260, 2020, Article No. 120430. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120430
12. Li, H.; Leung, C. K. Y.; Xu, S.; and Cao, Q., “Potential Use of Strain Hardening ECC in Permanent Formwork with Small Scale Flexural Beams,” Journal of Wuhan University of Technology-Materials Science Edition, V. 24, No. 3, 2009, pp. 482-487. doi: 10.1007/s11595-009-3482-5
13. Qiao, Z.; Pan, Z.; Xue, W.; and Meng, S., “Experimental Study on Flexural Behavior of ECC/RC Composite Beams with U-Shaped ECC Permanent Formwork,” Frontiers of Structural and Civil Engineering, V. 13, No. 5, 2019, pp. 1271-1287. doi: 10.1007/s11709-019-0556-0
14. Vantyghem, G.; De Corte, W.; Shakour, E.; and Amir, O., “3D Printing of a Post-Tensioned Concrete Girder Designed by Topology Optimization,” Automation in Construction, V. 112, 2020, Article No. 103084. doi: 10.1016/j.autcon.2020.103084
15. Anton, A.; Bedarf, P.; Yoo, A.; Dillenburger, B.; Reiter, L.; Wangler, T.; and Flatt, R. J., “Concrete Choreography: Prefabrication of 3D-Printed Columns,” Fabricate 2020: Making Resilient Architecture, J. Burry, J. Sabin, B. Sheil, and M. Skavara, eds., UCL Press, London, UK, 2020, pp. 286-293.
16. Zhu, B.; Nematollahi, B.; Pan, J.; Zhang, Y.; Zhou, Z.; and Zhang, Y., “3D Concrete Printing of Permanent Formwork for Concrete Column Construction,” Cement and Concrete Composites, V. 121, 2021, Article No. 104039. doi: 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2021.104039
17. Huntzinger, D. N., and Eatmon, T. D., “A Life-Cycle Assessment of Portland Cement Manufacturing: Comparing the Traditional Process with Alternative Technologies,” Journal of Cleaner Production, V. 17, No. 7, 2009, pp. 668-675. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2008.04.007
18. Taylor, M.; Tam, C.; and Gielen, D., “Energy Efficiency and CO2 Emissions from the Global Cement Industry,” Energy Efficiency and CO2 Emission Reduction Potentials and Policies in the Cement Industry, International Energy Agency (IEA), Paris, France, 2006, pp. 61-67.
19. Bong, S. H.; Nematollahi, B.; Nerella, V. N.; and Mechtcherine, V., “Method of Formulating 3D-Printable Strain-Hardening Alkali-Activated Composites for Additive Construction,” Cement and Concrete Composites, V. 134, 2022, Article No. 104780. doi: 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2022.104780
20. Duxson, P.; Provis, J. L.; Lukey, G. C.; and van Deventer, J. S. J., “The Role of Inorganic Polymer Technology in the Development of ‘Green Concrete’,” Cement and Concrete Research, V. 37, No. 12, 2007, pp. 1590-1597. doi: 10.1016/j.cemconres.2007.08.018
21. Ohno, M., and Li, V. C., “Sulfuric Acid Resistance of Strain Hardening Fiber Reinforced Geopolymer Composite,” The Indian Concrete Journal, V. 93, No. 12, 2019, pp. 47-53.
22. AS 1379-2007, “Specification and Supply of Concrete,” Standards Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 2007, 42 pp.
23. AS 3600:2018, “Concrete Structures,” Standards Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 2018, 256 pp.
24. Bong, S. H.; Xia, M.; Nematollahi, B.; and Shi, C., “Ambient Temperature Cured ‘Just-Add-Water’ Geopolymer for 3D Concrete Printing Applications,” Cement and Concrete Composites, V. 121, 2021, Article No. 104060. doi: 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2021.104060
25. JSCE, “Recommendations for Design and Construction of High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cement Composites with Multiple Fine Cracks (HPFRCC),” Concrete Engineering Series No. 82, Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Tokyo, Japan, 2008.
26. Li, V. C., “Durability of Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) and Reinforced ECC (R/ECC) Structural Members,” Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC): Bendable Concrete for Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure, Springer-Verlag GmbH, Berlin, Germany, 2019, pp. 225-260.