Title:
Steel Reinforced Digitally Fabricated Concrete Beams: Technology and Experimental Assessment
Author(s):
Costantino Menna
Publication:
Web Session
Volume:
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
DOI:
Date:
10/25/2020
Abstract:
Reinforcement integration into 3D printed concrete structures represents a challenging task for the effective implementation of digital fabrication in the construction industry. One of the main reasons is the poor adaptability of traditional steel reinforcing systems (e.g. straight and thick rebar or rods) to the complex shapes achievable through automated fabrication processes. This paper aims to contribute to this subject by discussing two approaches for the fabrication of steel reinforced concrete beams using the layered extrusion process. In particular, one strategy consists in connecting an external in-plane/out-of-plane steel reinforcing system to separately printed concrete segments in order to obtain a single monolithic element. In a second approach, we construct the beam by means of a concrete printed lost formwork which contains conventional steel rebars; this arrangement is subsequently filled with conventional cast concrete. This latter approach increases the form efficiency due to the possibility of removing material according to a predefined mechanical model. The main structural design features using both the approaches are discussed in this paper along with the results of flexural tests carried out on 4 m long digitally fabricated beams.