Numerical Analysis of Flexural Performance of a 3D Concrete Printed Post-Tensioned Column Under Reversed Cyclic Loading
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Numerical Analysis of Flexural Performance of a 3D Concrete Printed Post-Tensioned Column Under Reversed Cyclic Loading

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Abstract

3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) is an additive manufacturing (AM) technology that has opened new possibilities in the construction industry and architectural design and has been constantly studied and developed in recent years. 3DCP has the advantages of low cost, high efficiency, flexibility in design geometry, and automated construction. While most of the research to date has focused on understanding the rheology and material behavior of 3D-printed concrete, little is understood about the structural performance of 3D-printed concrete components at a large scale. Such understanding is important to bridge the material-scale behavior and additive manufacturing process to the performance of structures. Obtaining this knowledge requires large-scale structural experiments performed on 3DCP components with steel reinforcements, as well as the development of numerical models to predict the structure performance beyond the lab scale. To address this challenge, this thesis study developed a 3D finite element (FE) model using ABAQUS to predict the flexural behavior of a 3D-printed post-tensioned concrete column subjected to reversed cyclic loading. The column contained 3D-printed concrete segments with longitudinal and transverse reinforcements, connected by grout and post-tensioning. Constitutive models of the 3D-printed concrete, connecting grout and steel reinforcements were calibrated based on experimental data and then incorporated into the FE model to predict the lateral force versus displacement curves of the column under increasingly applied cyclic drift ratios up to 3.6%, simulating seismic loading. To validate the model, the model-predicted structural performance and damage pattern were compared with the experimental data obtained through structural testing of a 3DCP column with the same design and boundary configurations. The results of this study show that the FE model reasonably predicts the flexural behavior, damage pattern, and failure mode of the 3DCP column under cyclic loading. The discrepancy between the modeling and experimental results was also identified and discussed. It was found that the FE model underestimated the load-carrying capacity and the residual displacement of the column after each loading cycle. The results highlight the need for future research to develop more accurate cyclic constitutive models of 3D-printed concrete, which more precisely capture the progression of residual strain with increasing loading cycles based on thorough experimental measurements, The results also suggest improved modeling of the interaction between steel reinforcement and 3D-printed concrete, the bonding behavior between the grout and the 3D-printed concrete segments, and the effect of cyclic loading on these constitutive behaviors.

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This item is under embargo until September 11, 2028.