
IS35 - Modelling Additive Manufacturing Processes With Cement Based Materials: Challenges And Hindrances
Keywords: 3D printing, concrete AM, Modelling
Additive manufacturing with cement-based materials is a rapidly advancing technology that enables the efficient and accurate construction of complex concrete objects. Exploiting these techniques complex structural components can be built layer by layer without the need for formwork, resulting in improved accuracy, optimized material usage, and reduced construction time and waste. However, to fully exploit and control these processes it is essential to develop adequate modelling frameworks and numerical predictive tools.
However, accurately modelling these phenomena presents significant challenges, both in characterizing the material and in capturing the complexities of the process. Cementitious materials exhibit a wide range of properties during the printing process, including a transition from fluid-like behaviour to a solid state. Additionally, the printing process is influenced by numerous parameters, including extrusion and printing velocities, and nozzle geometry, further complicating simulation efforts.
Typically, solid FEM models are employed to predict buildability, while fluid or particle-based methods are used to evaluate pumpability and extrudability. Despite these advancements, a unified numerical framework capable of simulating the entire additive manufacturing process for cement-based materials has yet to be developed.
This Invited Session aims to provide a platform for presenting and discussing innovative techniques in this field. Contributions are encouraged on topics such as the characterization of cementitious materials, accurate process modelling, and other advancements in additive manufacturing for cement-based materials.