Mechanical properties of 3D printed concrete: a RILEM 304-ADC interlaboratory study – compressive strength and modulus of elasticity

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Viktor Mechtcherine - , Chair of Construction Materials (Author)
  • Shravan Muthukrishnan - , Chair of Construction Materials, Swinburne University of Technology (Author)
  • Annika Robens-Radermacher - , Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing Berlin (Author)
  • Rob Wolfs - , Eindhoven University of Technology (Author)
  • Jelle Versteege - , Eindhoven University of Technology (Author)
  • Costantino Menna - , Universita' di Napoli Federico II (Author)
  • Onur Ozturk - , Bogazici University (Author)
  • Nilufer Ozyurt - , Bogazici University (Author)
  • Josef Roupec - , Brno University of Technology (Author)
  • Christiane Richter - , Munich University of Applied Sciences (Author)
  • Jörg Jungwirth - , Munich University of Applied Sciences (Author)
  • Luiza Miranda - , Ghent University (Author)
  • Rebecca Ammann - , ETH Zurich (Author)
  • Jean François Caron - , École des Ponts ParisTech (Author)
  • Victor de Bono - , École des Ponts ParisTech (Author)
  • Renate Monte - , Universidade de São Paulo (Author)
  • Iván Navarrete - , Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Author)
  • Claudia Eugenin - , Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Author)
  • Hélène Lombois-Burger - , Holcim Innovation Center (Author)
  • Bilal Baz - , Holcim Innovation Center (Author)
  • Maris Sinka - , Riga Technical University (Author)
  • Alise Sapata - , Riga Technical University (Author)
  • Ilhame Harbouz - , Université de Sherbrooke (Author)
  • Yamei Zhang - , Southeast University, Nanjing (Author)
  • Zijian Jia - , Southeast University, Nanjing (Author)
  • Jacques Kruger - , University of Stellenbosch (Author)
  • Jean Pierre Mostert - , University of Stellenbosch (Author)
  • Mateja Štefančič - , Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (Author)
  • Lucija Hanžič - , Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (Author)
  • Abdelhak Kaci - , CY Cergy Paris Université (Author)
  • Said Rahal - , CY Cergy Paris Université (Author)
  • Manu Santhanam - , Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) (Author)
  • Shantanu Bhattacherjee - , Tvasta Manufacturing Pvt. Ltd. (Author)
  • Chalermwut Snguanyat - , SCG Cement-Building Materials (Author)
  • Arun Arunothayan - , Swinburne University of Technology (Author)
  • Zengfeng Zhao - , Tongji University (Author)
  • Inka Mai - , Technical University of Berlin (Author)
  • Inken Jette Rasehorn - , Technical University of Berlin (Author)
  • David Böhler - , Technical University of Braunschweig (Author)
  • Niklas Freund - , Technical University of Braunschweig (Author)
  • Dirk Lowke - , Technical University of Braunschweig (Author)
  • Tobias Neef - , Chair of Construction Materials (Author)
  • Markus Taubert - , Chair of Construction Materials (Author)
  • Daniel Auer - , Technical University of Munich (Author)
  • C. Maximilian Hechtl - , Technical University of Munich (Author)
  • Maximilian Dahlenburg - , Technical University of Munich (Author)
  • Laura Esposito - , Heidelberg Materials (Author)
  • Richard Buswell - , Loughborough University (Author)
  • John Kolawole - , Loughborough University (Author)
  • Muhammad Nura Isa - , Loughborough University (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.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number181
JournalMaterials and Structures/Materiaux et Constructions
Volume58
Issue number5
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-3999-5186/work/199215788
ORCID /0000-0002-8256-1455/work/199216406
ORCID /0000-0003-1811-9491/work/199217942

Keywords

Keywords

  • Additive manufacturing, Compressive strength, Digital fabrication, Hardened concrete, Young’s modulus