Mechanical behavior of 3D printed cement materials

The various stages of production (particularly layer-by-layer extrusion, injection or deposition) may lead to a stratified and/or orthotropic behavior, changing the behavior of a conventional isotropic and monolithic concrete. 3D printing with concrete is different from conventional concrete casting in terms of the processes it uses for mixing and routing, the absence of formworks, etc. This chapter describes some of the results reported in the literature regarding the potential effects of the printing process through extrusion/deposition on the mechanical performance of the printed material. The technology of printing through injection into a particle bed is also an additive manufacturing process, which is done layer-by-layer. It will be necessary to revise the criteria and the new regulations to measure and evaluate the mechanical performance of the 3D printing of concrete, as well as to develop new theoretical models to assess their structural behavior.