3D concrete printing (3DCP) is an innovative construction technology with the potential to revolutionize the concrete industry. As the research and development of 3DCP accelerate, there is a growing need for suitable numerical tools for the simulation of the process.…
3D concrete printing (3DCP) is an innovative construction technology with the potential to revolutionize the concrete industry. As the research and development of 3DCP accelerate, there is a growing need for suitable numerical tools for the simulation of the process. In response to this need, this paper presents an integrated approach, combining a time-dependent material model for hardening concrete with a finite element method (FEM) solver, capable of progressively activating finite elements along the printing trajectory. The time-dependent material model is derived directly from the underlying hydration mechanism thus allowing consideration of temperature impact on the development of mechanical properties. The FEM solver is formulated to account for second-order effects. To demonstrate the applicability of the proposed framework, an example simulating layer- by-layer construction of a real pilot house is shown.