Mechanical properties of 3D printed concrete

ǂa ǂRILEM 304‑ADC interlaboratory study – compressive strength and modulus of elasticity

Viktor Mechtcherine (Author), Shravan Muthukrishnan (Author), Annika Robens-Radermacher (Author), Rob Wolfs (Author), Jelle Versteege (Author), Costantino Menna (Author), Onur Ozturk (Author), Nilufer Ozyurt (Author), Mateja Štefančič (Author), Lucija Hanžič (Author)

Abstract

Traditional construction techniques, such as in-situ casting and pre-cast concrete methods, have well-established testing protocols for assessing compressive strength and modulus of elasticity, including specific procedures for sample preparation and curing. In contrast, 3D concrete printing currently lacks standardized testing protocols, potentially contributing to the inconsistent results reported in previous studies. To address this issue, RILEM TC 304-ADC initiated a comprehensive interlaboratory study on the mechanical properties of 3D printed concrete. This study involves 30 laboratories worldwide, contributing 34 sets of data, with some laboratories testing more than one mix design. The compressive strength and modulus of elasticity were determined under three distinct conditions: Default, where each laboratory printed according to their standard procedure followed by water bath curing; Deviation 1, which involved creating a cold joint by increasing the time interval between printing layers; and Deviation 2, where the standard printing process was used, but the specimens were cured under conditions different from water bath. Some tests were conducted at two different scales based on specimen size—“mortar-scale” and “concrete-scale”—to investigate the size effect on compressive strength. Since the mix design remained identical for both scales, the only variable was the specimen size. This paper reports on the findings from the interlaboratory study, followed by a detailed investigation into the influencing parameters such as extraction location, cold joints, number of interlayers, and curing conditions on the mechanical properties of the printed concrete. As this study includes results from laboratories worldwide, its contribution to the development of relevant standardized testing protocols is critical.

Keywords

aditivna proizvodnja;digitalna proizvodnja;strjeni beton;tlačna trdnost;modul elastičnosti;additive manufacturing;digital fabrication;hardened concrete;compressive strength;young’s modulus;

Data

Language:	English
Year of publishing:	2025
Typology:	1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization:	ZAG - Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute
Publisher:	Springer Netherlands
UDC:	620.1/.2
COBISS:	248482563
ISSN:	1871-6873
Views:	169
Downloads:	79
Average score:	0 (0 votes)
Metadata:

Other data

Secondary language:	Slovenian
Secondary keywords:	aditivna proizvodnja;digitalna proizvodnja;strjeni beton;tlačna trdnost;modul elastičnosti;
Pages:	str. 1-30
Volume:	ǂVol. ǂ58
Issue:	article no. 181
Chronology:	Jun. 2025
DOI:	10.1617/s11527-025-02688-9
ID:	27279004