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Integrating reinforcement in digital fabrication with concrete: A review and
classification framework
PLEASE CITE THE PUBLISHED VERSION
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2021.103964
PUBLISHER
Elsevier
VERSION
AM (Accepted Manuscript)
PUBLISHER STATEMENT
This paper was accepted for publication in the journal Cement and Concrete Composites and the definitive
published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2021.103964.
LICENCE
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
REPOSITORY RECORD
Mechtcherine, Viktor, Richard Buswell, Harald Kloft, Freek P. Bos, Norman Hack, Rob Wolfs, Jay Sanjayan,
Behzad Nematollahi, Egor Ivaniuk, and Tobias Neef. 2021. “Integrating Reinforcement in Digital Fabrication
with Concrete: A Review and Classification Framework”. Loughborough University.
https://hdl.handle.net/2134/15112896.v1.
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Integrating reinforcement in digital fabrication with concrete: A review and
classification framework
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Viktor Mechtcherinea, Richard Buswellb, Harald Kloftc, Freek P. Bosd, Norman Hackc, Rob
Wolfsd, Jay Saranjane, Behzad Nematollahie, Egor Ivaniuka, Tobias Neefa
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Abstract
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This article offers a comprehensive, systematic overview of the existing solutions for
integrating reinforcement in digital concrete technologies with particular emphasis on Additive
Manufacturing (AM) with concrete, also called 3D concrete printing (3DCP). While the
functionalities of various types of reinforcement are briefly addressed, the major focus is on
the integration process as such, i.e., on its technological aspects. On this basis a generic
classification and process description outline has been developed for reinforcement
integration, which is regarded as an extension of the RILEM process classification framework
for Digital Fabrication with Concrete (DFC). In many instances, the integration occurs in a
separate process step prior to or after concrete shaping. This holds true for all formative digital
concrete shaping processes and for many 3DCP solutions. 3DCP approaches enable,
however, integration of the reinforcement during concrete shaping as part of a single-step AM
process in a simultaneous or contiguous manner, while placement of reinforcement is
considered to be a sub-process.
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Keywords: Digital fabrication; 3D concrete printing; additive manufacturing; reinforcement;
review; classification
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1. Introduction
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The introduction of digital fabrication processes with concrete in a prefabrication facility or
directly on the construction site is a decisive step towards the digitization of the entire value
creation chain in the construction industry. Over the last five years, enormous progress has
been achieved both in terms of establishing scientific fundamentals for the purposeful design
of DFC processes; see, for example, [1]. And with respect to implementation of the new
technologies into the practice of construction; see e.g. [2]. To date in most publications and
pilot projects the greatest attention has been focused on concrete shaping processes,
especially on Additive Manufacturing approaches (3DCP) while the solutions for incorporating
reinforcement are still rudimentary in many instances. As such they lag the development of
3DCP technologies.
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For any person familiar with concrete construction, it is clear that the use of reinforcement is
mandatory in most structural applications in complying with key requirements such as loadcarrying capacity, ductility, robustness, etc. While integrating reinforcement into formative
digital shaping processes, one can usually reach back to established technological solutions.
However, in the case of Additive Manufacturing, the challenges of introducing appropriate
Institute of Construction Materials, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering, Loughborough University, UK
Institute of Structural Design, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig,
Germany
d
Department of the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology, The
Netherlands
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Digital Construction and Concrete Laboratories, Swinburne University of Technology,
Melbourne, Australia
c
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reinforcement have already been recognised since the initial developments of 3DCP
technologies [3].
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In early projects this challenge was circumvented by using 3D-printed concrete mostly as lost
or integrated formwork for casting, conventionally reinforced structural concrete elements; see
as an example [93]. Alternatively, the integration of mesh reinforcement between the layers
and the application of post-tensioning to the print element were demonstrated at
Loughborough University [94]. However, a multitude of further conceptual solutions has been
explored and indeed some have been implemented directly into Additive Manufacturing
processes. Developments are still very much ongoing. While the number of publications on
the topic and corresponding application examples has been increasing exponentially over the
last years, several review efforts have been made as well; see e.g. [4–6]. And initial
classification schemes have been suggested [7]. These efforts are of high value in considering
the wide range of options with respect to the choice of reinforcement material and geometry,
the orientation of reinforcement related to concrete layers and point in time related to concrete
deposition, the function of reinforcement, and possible technological manners of its
integration, etc. They provide a clearer view of the advances in the field and sharpen the
understanding of differences in the various approaches. However, the state of knowledge
covered by previous reviews and classification efforts has been in many instances overtaken
by the extremely dynamic developments and rapid growth in expertise and comprehension of
different novel technologies among the professionals involved. Hence, the authors feel the
need to develop a more systematic and more generic view of the subject by preparing a
comprehensive review and suggesting a universal classification scheme.
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Indeed, the first purpose of the article at hand is to provide a comprehensive, critical, state-ofthe-art review of existing approaches to the integration of reinforcement into digital concrete
technologies with particular emphasis on AM/3DCP processes. When presenting the various
approaches, this review focuses on the technological aspects of the reinforcement integration
and on the process-specific characteristics such as continuity of reinforcement, formal
freedom, or automation capacity to name a few. In contrast, the functionality of different types
of reinforcement as well as structural design and aspects of design for durability are addressed
only briefly if at all. This is done mostly with respect to the general choice of the type of
reinforcement according to its overall performance. While both functionality and durability of
reinforcement are of major importance in structural design, these issues cannot be covered in
the present article due to the high complexity of the topic. Another collaborative effort will be
needed to offer a sound, interlinking scheme among related aspects of technological
implementation, as covered here, and design requirements and solutions. Indeed, this is an
exciting field of research and development since the optimal design solutions are likely to be
very technology- or application-specific, contrary to the “one-size-fits-all” strategy of
reinforcement bars in cast concrete.
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Based on the analysis of the state-of-the-art as presented in the review and numerous
comprehensive discussions among the authors, a generic, technology-oriented classification
for integrating reinforcement into digital fabrication with concrete is suggested. The benefits of
establishing such classification are obvious since it provides a basis for a) a clear, systematic
description of processes and process chains, b) seamless communication between
stakeholders in a highly interdisciplinary field, and c) comparative analysis of various
approaches. Furthermore, comprehensive classification is essential in developing application
guidelines and other technical or regulatory documentation as well as a reference for further
purposeful advancements in DFC technologies. While developing the classification the
authors did their best to follow both the spirit, systematic, and terminology of the RILEM
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process classification framework for DFC prepared by the RILEM Technical Committee 276DFC “Digital fabrication with cement-based materials”.
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2. State-of-the-art review
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2.1 Review concept
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For most applications of concrete parts, elements, and structures reinforcement is
indispensable in attaining the required mechanical performance. While key features of
concrete with respect to its use in construction are compressive strength and durability, the
main functions of reinforcing material are to carry tensile forces and to impart structural
ductility. The various reinforcements differ in terms of their capacity to carry tensile forces and
their direction of action; see Figure 1. Certainly as the most widely used composite material
there is more to say about the features and functionalities of reinforced concrete, i.e., about
both structural and reinforcing materials’ obvious, very successful performance together.
However, the focus of this review is on digital fabrication processes with concrete. From this
technological perspective in the overwhelming majority of existing approaches and
applications, concrete processes provide for the shape of a manufactured element
independently if a formative shaping process such as casting or additive shaping process like,
e.g., material extrusion is used. Only in rare cases does the arrangement of reinforcement
create scaffolding for concrete deposition and “dictate” the shape of the element. Thus, the
key question with respect to Creating
manufacturing
with
reinforced
concrete is how to integrate
composite
materials
and structures
reinforcement into concrete with minimum interference in the concrete shaping process.
+
Cement based matrix
Process classification
•
•
Provides shape of part
Reinforcement material
Functional performance
Formative
Additive
Short fibres
Mix design Functional performance
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•
Random orientation
Cables/yarns Uni-Directional
Compressive strength
durability
Bars
Uni-Directional
Mesh/textile Bi-Directional
Cages
Tri-Directional
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Combining
Matrix
shaping reinforcement
and placement of
reinforcement
This section provides an
overview
of different
integration
approaches used in
the context of extrusion-based and jetting-based 3D concrete printing technologies. Particle
bed printing techniques are not explicitly considered in this review for three reasons: 1) at this
stage this technique is applied very seldom at the common scale of concrete elements, 2) no
Manufacturing time-line of product
reinforcement approaches
requiring special attention exist specific only to this AM method, 3)
the authors
want
this
Potential
steps
in review to be concise and readily comprehensible.
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matrix)
(wet/hard
matrix)
The review is organised (pre-mixing
by reinforcement
type: bars,
cages,
textiles,
cables,
(wetgrids/meshes,
matrix)
processes
nails, and short fibres. A further differentiation occurs according to the reinforcing material:
steel, carbon, glass fibre, etc. Rather than being exhaustive, representative examples are
Example cases
selected with the intention of covering
Section 2.2 briefly
Stepall
1 known relevant approaches.
Step 2
describes
structural
functions
and
process-specific
characteristics
to
show
the
perspectives of
Conventional casting
Reinforcement
Wet matrix added
and Mesh-mould
both design
and technology.
The
review
of
the
existing
approaches
for
integration of
assembled/positioned
to reinforcement
are examples
reinforcement in the context of Additive Manufacturing with concrete is presented in Section
2.3, while some general conclusions are given in Section 2.4. Step 1
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Figure 1. Reinforced concrete as composite material with the assigned main functionalities
of the two components concrete and reinforcement.
Manufacturing
Before shaping
During shaping
Additive Manufacturing:
typically with extrusion
or jetting processes
Reinforcement added
with wet matrix
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Where conventional or DFC
method is used and Posttensioning is applied to the part
After shaping
Step 1
Part formed from
wet matrix
Step 1
Step 2
Reinforcement added
to part
Step 2
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2.2 Structural functions and process-specific characteristics of reinforcement
integration in 3D-concrete-printing
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2.2.1 Structural functions
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Not every type of traditional reinforcement integration in 3D-concrete-printing can be used for
static-constructive purposes. In this respect material characteristics, geometric dimensions,
installation position, the bond with concrete, durability, etc. are decisive. When using steel it
is possible to fall back on well-established material parameters. The material characteristics
of yarns and textiles made of carbon, glass or basalt fibres are subject to greater scattering
as these are composites whose behaviour depends on the materials used for impregnation;
see e.g. [95]. Furthermore, the bond between the reinforcement and the concrete matrix is
crucial to the effectiveness of the reinforcement. The bond is significantly influenced by the
form fit using the surface condition of the reinforcement and its complete embedding into the
matrix.
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By using different types of reinforcement, the failure form of the components can be
influenced. However, while the failure behaviour of reinforcement ranges from brittle, abrupt
failure as, for example, in the case of carbon reinforcements, to good-natured, slow-onset
failure as with steel reinforcements. Failure on the composite and component levels is affected
by a number of additional parameters such as the degree of reinforcement and the geometry
of the component. The ductility of components can be increased by the additional use of short
fibre reinforcement.
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2.2.2
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While the structural functionalities of reinforcement are critical to structural design, they are
indirectly relevant also in manufacturing processes. The choice of material and the position of
reinforcement in an element to be printed certainly affects possible integration scenarios for
reinforcement and associated process characteristics. Establishing the links between
structural design and technological implementation is certainly essential from a general
perspective. However, detailed deliberations are beyond the scope of this paper. Thus, the
process characteristics are presented predominantly from the technological perspective.
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Process-specific characteristics
Continuity of reinforcement
The continuity of the reinforcing entities is of elementary importance to the global loadbearing capacity of a structural element or of an entire structure. In particular, achieving
continuity of reinforcement either orthogonal or inclined to the deposited concrete
layers represents a major challenge. Reinforcement strategies offering such
reinforcement arrangements can – in addition to providing the necessary vertical
reinforcement – also improve cross-layer force transfer and so make for less
anisotropic mechanical behaviour.
Automation capability
Starting from the automation of the concrete shaping process, the automation of
reinforcement integration is essential to the enabling of seamless digital fabrication in
the future. To arrange the respective reinforcement elements in an automated process,
the automation capability assesses the process engineering effort required. The
automation of approaches in a single process step together with the shaping of the
concrete seems particularly demanding.
Geometric freedom
The geometric freedom that additive concrete application allows can be limited by the
choice of reinforcement technique. Thus, the technology of reinforcement integration
exhibits some restrictions with respect to both structural and architectural design.
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Process speed
An important criterion both for the technical applicability and economic viability of any
reinforcement technique is the achievable process speed. This is particularly relevant
for single step processes in which reinforcement is introduced simultaneously or
congruously to the shaping of the concrete. In such cases an insufficient process
speed or insufficient ease of the process – both together defining the overall process
speed – can delay the concrete printing process, possibly leading to long time intervals
between subsequent layers, which may result in insufficient interlayer bonds, generally
leading to an undesired slowdown of the entire AM process. However, also in two-step
processes, i.e., where the reinforcing process is decoupled from the concrete shaping,
the production efficiency is of high relevance.
Robustness of the process
Various approaches to reinforcement implementation impose various levels of
technical sophistication when being implemented. Generally, the robustness of a
process tends to decrease with an increasing level of complexity, e.g., the number of
necessary process sub-steps or high requirement on precision in timing or positioning.
Some types of reinforcement require additional installation aids during their integration.
These temporarily used devices increase the complexity of automation and in turn
have an influence on the robustness of the entire process, increasing the infrastructural
requirements. Additionally, the robustness of the reinforcement material as such plays
a role with respect to range of its handling scenarios.
Technological maturity level
The technological maturity level is not really a process-specific characteristic, but
rather the indicator of the current state of development for the given reinforcement
type. This indicator is supposed to express the effort required to implement a new
technology successfully, here a reinforcement approach. The assessment is based on
the so-called Technology Readiness Level (TRL), which is defined in nine levels and
ranges from “the observation and description of the functional principle" to "a qualified
system with proof of successful use"; see, for example, [96].
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Indeed, the quantification or at least comprehensive qualitative description of the process
specific characteristics listed above are crucial for a comparative assessment of various
approaches to incorporating reinforcement into digital fabrication with concrete. In the
following review, however, the authors will not be particular in respect of these characteristics
due to the very limited amount of available qualitative and quantitative information as yet.
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2.3 Review of representative reinforcement concepts
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2.3.1 Bars
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Reinforcing concrete structures with conventional reinforcing bars is a standard method in
construction. Not surprisingly this method is also being investigated for its applicability in
Additive Manufacturing with concrete. The known concepts range from the placement of
straight and pre-bent reinforcing bars in-between the printed layers, through techniques
specifically developed for reinforcing also in the vertical direction, up to the drop by drop
welding of individualised reinforcing bars using Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM)
processes; see Figure 2.
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(c)
(b)
(a)
Figure 2. Reinforcement strategies using steel bars: a) placement of straight reinforcement
bars in the print plane [8]; b) placement of reinforcement in horizontal as well as in vertical
direction [9]; c) 3D-printed reinforcement bars using WAAM welding process [10].
In order to reinforce straight, 3D-printed walls, unbent reinforcing bars can be placed into the
still fresh concrete parallel to the printing plane and then covered by a subsequent layer of
concrete; see Figure a. This approach was, for example, demonstrated by [8] and the bond
between reinforcement and concrete was analysed by [11]. For more complex geometries
such as the Cohesion Pavilion at the University of Innsbruck [12], the reinforcing bars have to
be pre-bent manually or automatically and positioned in the correct location between the
layers, as was done in most of the 47 different parts that comprise the structure. Often this
also required adapting the internal concrete filament structure to match the limited geometrical
flexibility of the pre-bent bars.
The challenge of integrating reinforcement bars in both directions was tackled in a
demonstrator from the TU Braunschweig using the Shotcrete 3D Printing technology [13]. For
this purpose, a process-specific printing strategy involving a sequence of manufacturing steps
was developed. In the beginning the input geometry is parametrically converted to contain
slight horizontal undulations, which are later used to integrate the vertical reinforcement. Every
50 cm the printing process is stopped and pre-bent reinforcing elements are placed on the top
layer. The undulations thus create tabs over the entire height of the wall, into which the unbent
vertical reinforcement can be inserted; see Figure b. The now still external reinforcement is
covered by another layer of shotcrete and subsequently trowelled under automation [9].
In the projects described above, the reinforcing bars were placed manually. In order to improve
the accuracy of the positioning, the applicability of Augmented Reality was tested in the last
example. An automation of the placement process is also possible, although with increasing
bar lengths it is more challenging due to the long bars’ sensitivity to vibration.
The possibility of avoiding some of the challenges mentioned above, i.e., pre-bending, twoway reinforcement, and automated placement, 3D printing using a parallel to the printing plane
was suggested by Mechtcherine et al. [10] using Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM);
see Figure 2c. In the WAAM method, the reinforcing elements are built up in a drop-wise
manner enabling a maximum of geometric flexibility, including the possibility of thickening the
printed bars locally, so resulting in an improved bond between concrete and reinforcement.
Tensile tests confirmed load-bearing behaviour comparable to conventional concrete steels
as well as a ductile failure of the bars [10]. Hurdles in applying this concept are that: 1) the
steel printing process is slower than the concrete printing process; 2) the steel printing
generates very high temperatures, which could potentially damage the concrete, and 3) the
WAAM welding process is so costly. The applicability of this process to digital fabrication with
concrete is currently being investigated by several research groups [10,14,15].
2.3.2
Grids, mats and cages
Today reinforcement meshes are manufactured mostly of steel but in some cases from
polymers reinforced with glass or carbon fibre as well. Mats are also used as semi-finished
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products to produce more complex reinforcing cages [16]. To cover a wide range of different
stresses, reinforcing meshes are produced with different bar thicknesses and mesh sizes.
Prefabricated meshes reduce the amount of work on the construction site, as individual bars
no longer have to be laid out and connected. The use of prefabricated meshes and
reinforcement cages in digital fabrication with concrete offers the advantage that the
reinforcement is already arranged in two principal directions. However, approaches in
assembling the meshes or cages automatically on site have been developed as well. Thus,
different concepts for integrating mats and cases into the digital concrete technologies
concentrate either on the challenges related to shaping the reinforcing meshes into the desired
geometry, on the shaping of concrete for given mesh geometry, or sometimes on both cases.
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2.3.2.1 Metallic grids, mats and cages
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The most straightforward way of reinforcing 3D-printed concrete structures using steel mats
was demonstrated at the TU Dresden. The wall shown in Figure 3a was printed as a monolithic
structure using a nozzle with a width equal to the width of the wall, here 150 mm. Short steel
bars were placed every couple of concrete layers perpendicular to the wall plane, so that their
ends protruded from concrete. After concrete hardening, the steel grid was installed on the
wall surface using protruding bars’ ends as supports; see Figure 3a [17]. After that, the mesh
was covered with a protective layer of concrete.
(a)
(c)
(b)
(a)
(d)
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(e)
Figure 3. Integration of steel mats and cages: a) steel grid installed on a 3D-printed wall after
concrete hardening [17], b) Shotcrete 3D Printing around a preplaced reinforcement cage [18];
c) in-situ printing encasing a preplaced reinforcement mat using a split nozzle [19]; d) mesh
created from welding short bars onto each other using a stud-welding process [20]; e) robotic
in-situ fabrication of a double curved reinforcement cage [21].
In contrast to that, application of concrete on pre-configured and preplaced reinforcement
cages using Shotcrete 3D Printing was developed at TU Braunschweig. In the experiment
depicted in Figure 3b, a standard reinforcement cage for a column was placed on a computercontrolled turntable before Shotcrete 3D Printing was performed. A section through the column
showed a good embedment of the reinforcement in the concrete without visible inclusion of
air voids [18].
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The Chinese construction company Huashang Tengda developed and patented a process for
integrating preplaced conventional steel reinforcement meshes in the 3D printing process
based on layered extrusion by encasing them with concrete one layer after another. The
concrete is deposited from two sides around reinforcement using a split nozzle as shown in
Figure 3c. The split-nozzle is capable of printing around meshes of about 1.5 m height [19].
To produce walls at full room height, a second or possibly third series of mats with appropriate
overlap, have to be mounted as the concrete printing progresses.
While the reinforcement described in the examples above was manually pre-configured and
pre-placed in position, there are attempts to automate these processes and integrate them
into the printing process. In a concept from RWTH Aachen and KU Leuven, the fabrication of
a freeform mesh structure and the printing of concrete around this structure are envisioned to
take place simultaneously. The fabrication of the mesh is based on a stud welding process in
which pre-cut reinforcement bars of 8 mm in diameter and approximately 25 cm in length are
butt-welded in both the horizontal and vertical directions. In the demonstrator depicted in
Figure 3d, however, the mesh was welded manually [20]. Concrete was printed around the
structure using a split nozzle, generally similar to the process depicted in Figure 3c, however,
with the advantage that the nozzle does not require the excessive height of the technology in
which preinstalled meshes are used. For a distance between the nozzles of 1.5 times the
reinforcement diameters, good inclusion of the rebar was observed. However, the small
leeway made the process prone to collisions of the nozzle with the reinforcement.
The Mesh Mould process, developed by researchers of ETH Zurich, involves the bending and
welding of 6 mm steel reinforcement by a mobile robot in situ for creating geometrically
complex reinforcement structures; see Figure 3e. After the entire mesh structure has been
fabricated, it is filled with concrete in more or less conventional fashion. In the demonstrator
at the DFAB HOUSE on NEST, this was done by laterally pumping concrete into the mesh
[21]. Automated concreting, similar to the extrusion-based approaches followed by Huashang
Tegna or the Shotcrete 3D Printing, seem to be feasible in future applications in conjunction
with the automated fabrication of reinforcement cages.
The examples given indicate the potential of the combination of automated grid production
and automated concrete application, but due to the high complexity of such combination, full
automation has not yet been proven.
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2.3.2.2 Carbon grids and mats
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Due to their higher flexibility in comparison to steel mats and their narrower mesh size, the
suitability of carbon fibre mats for additive manufacturing with concrete is being presently
investigated in several research projects. In these experiments different methods of
concreting, i.e., by extrusion and spraying, as well as different sequences of concrete
placement, i.e., before or after placing the mat, have been investigated.
One way of reinforcing construction elements is to press a carbon fibre mat into the still fresh
concrete, directly after the core has been printed. This approach was demonstrated using
Shotcrete 3D Printing in [22]. Subsequently the core and the mesh are covered with another
layer of concrete; see Figure 4a. This method is particularly suitable for single curved
components, as the commercially available carbon reinforcements can only adapt to single
curvature.
Carbon grids also can be used for the reinforcement of already hardened 3D-printed concrete
structures as presented by TU Dresden in the context of CONPrint3D technology; see Figure
4b [17]. The carbon mesh was incorporated using a laminating technique known from
application of carbon reinforced concrete for strengthening or repair; as an example see [23].
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(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Figure 4. Carbon grids: a) placement of the mesh onto a freshly printed concrete element with
subsequent application of a cover layer [22]; b) carbon grid laminated on a 3D-printed wall
after concrete hardening [17]; c) extrusion-based printing on a pre-positioned carbon fibre
mesh [24]; d) shotcreteing on a preplaced carbon-fibre mat using glass-fibre reinforced
concrete [25].
Whereas in the two approaches presented the reinforcement is supported by the previously
printed concrete core, the inverse strategy is also subject to investigations. In those cases,
the reinforcement mats are pre-placed and concrete is printed onto the pre-defined geometry.
In the Sparse Concrete Reinforcement in Meshworks (SCRIM) research project, this is done
by extruding concrete from one side onto the previously positioned mesh as depicted in Figure
4c [24]. A similar approach has been followed by the Robotic AeroCrete project of ETH Zürich.
However, instead of extruding concrete onto the mesh, the material is sprayed using a
shotcreting process; see Figure 4d [25]. In order to avoid the concrete from flying through the
mesh, a special spray-gun application is used, adding chopped glass fibres to the concrete
right at the nozzle orifice.
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2.3.3
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An early adopted reinforcement strategy for 3D-printed concrete is the application of pre-stress
to eliminate any tensile stresses occurring in the concrete. Generally, the type of ‘posttensioning without bond’ is utilised. This principle has been applied in a 3D concrete printed
bicycle bridge in the Netherlands; see Figure 5a [26]. The designers opted to press six printed
elements together perpendicular to their print plane using a common commercially available
system with strands anchored in cast concrete end blocks and running through the open inner
structure of the printed parts. The design enables counteraction of any prestress loss in the
tendons, as the shrinkage characteristics of the printed concrete were not well known
beforehand. Large 1:2 scale four point bending tests showed that the element integrity was
not lost in several un-/reloading cycles until well beyond the crack moment [27]. Nevertheless,
this should remain a point of attention when designing a structural element that relies on
unbonded tendons for its structural integrity.
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Figure 5b shows a post-tensioned dry joint column manufactured by the Institute of Structural
Design at TU Braunschweig in 2019. In this case, column segments were Shotcrete-3Dprinted, leaving a central integrated channel. The efficient integration of channels by AM
Pre-stressing strands (steel, stainless steel, CRP)
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technologies allow the integration of post-tensioning elements after printing. In a subsequent
step the joint surfaces were subtractively machined and then joined and reinforced via posttensioning [28].
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Figure 5. Pre-stressing with hardened 3D-printed concrete components: a) conventional
prestressing strands in a printed bicycle bridge [26]; b) post-tensioned dry joint column of
shotcrete-3D-printed segments [28]; c) post-tensioned girder consisting of several segments
produced using 3D concrete printing [29]; and d) external reinforcement system with tightened
bars [30].
In the example of this bridge, the geometry of the printed elements was still fairly
straightforward. However, more recent case studies have shown the potential of the use of
this reinforcement strategy in combination with structural optimization methods to obtain more
elaborate and minimalised geometries [27]. The post-tensioned girder with a span of 4 m and
consisting of several segments produced using 3D-concrete printing was developed at Ghent
University; see Figure 5c. By means of topology optimisation techniques, not only was the
concrete distribution optimised, but the optimal shape and curvature of the post-tension cable
were also determined.
Another example for reinforcement systems applied to form a segment structure is external
reinforcement for a 3D-printed truss component developed at the University of Naples
"Federico II" [29]. The patented system uses tightened steel bars. In a first manufacturing step,
only the printing elements of a truss are printed. Then, cavities for reinforcement anchors are
cut out and the reinforcement anchors are inserted and monolithically cast. Eventually,
prefabricated diagonal tension elements are attached to the reinforcement anchors and
tensioned.
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In 2017 a method was presented at TU Eindhoven for reinforcement of an extrusion-based
3D-printed concrete, longitudinal filament by directly entraining a high strength steel cable into
the filament [32]. Actively fed from a spool by a small servo motor with an appropriately flexible
cable, this allows a fully automated process that does not reduce the geometrical possibilities
of the 3DCP technology. This technology is clearly only effective in one direction, i.e.,
longitudinal to the filament. Besides several studies that have been published, this concept
has been applied in the bicycle bridge discussed in Section 2.3.3 as secondary reinforcement
to act, in about 10% of the layers of each element, transversely internal to the bridge. Although
initial studies have shown the potential of this technology, several issues remain before it can
be used generally. Besides further development of the equipment to allow fully automated
processing, the minimal reinforcement ratio in an application should be considered because
the maximum tensile force in the applied cables is limited due to their small section size, which
in turn is the consequence of the requirement for sufficient lateral flexibility. Another important
Cables and yarns
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issue is the bond between cable and matrix. As the concept relies on the cable acting as
conventional reinforcement, this bond has to exceed the cable strength. A recent study [33]
showed that the bond quality is highly dependent on the chemical interaction between cable
surface and matrix mortar as well as the flow behaviour of the matrix around the cable upon
introduction. Inspired by the work at the TU Eindhoven, other research groups have dedicated
research efforts on use of thin steel cables in extrusion-based 3D concrete printing; see
[34,35].
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(c)
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Figure 6. Introduction of linear reinforcement through or at the printhead nozzle: a) high
strength steel cable introduced into extruded filaments [36], b) mineral-impregnated carbon
yarns with feeder for placing reinforcement between concrete layers [37]; c) mineralimpregnated carbon yarns introduced into extruded filaments [38].
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Researchers at the TU Dresden developed an alternative reinforcement material, Mineralimpregnated Carbon-Fibre (MCF) composites, which are particularly suitable for integration
into digital fabrication with concrete. In comparison to steel cables or polymer-bound carbonfibre reinforcement, MCF bonds more effectively with concrete, and in the case of MCF,
sufficient bond strength was measured even at temperatures up to 500 °C [39]. The new
reinforcement is also less expensive and environmentally friendlier in comparison to the
polymer-bound version. However, of major interest is a very high technological flexibility of
new reinforcement, since it can be processed and shaped easily in the fresh state and that
fully automated [40].
Various approaches for introducing MCF into 3D concrete printing were suggested. In the first
approach, the MCF reinforcement is placed between subsequently printed concrete layers.
The MCF yarn is operated by a feeder attached to the printhead so that reinforcement is
deposited in front of the nozzle just before it passes the same spot[37,41]. While the MCF
reinforcement is being placed, the previously printed concrete filament acts as a substrate;
then the roving is immediately covered by the following printed concrete layer extruded by the
printhead; see Figure 6b. The main advantage of this approach is that the MCF can deposited
indeed independently of the concrete. This facilitates the manufacture of elements with
complex geometries and the specific reinforcement arrangements; see[37]. The entire process
is flexible, especially if a nozzle with a vertical discharge direction is used. On the negative
side, a weaker bond between reinforcement and concrete is to be expected in comparison to
the solution in which the yarn is integrated into the concrete filament [37,38].
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Figure 6c shows an alternative approach, called ProfiCarb, which currently enables the
integration of up to six MCF yarns simultaneously into the concrete filament through the
printhead before concrete deposition. The bond in the joint between the concrete layers is not
disturbed by the reinforcement, which is an advantage of this technology [38]. Flexible
reinforcement is inserted into a nozzle through an opening on the reverse side of the printhead
while the obverse side of the nozzle shapes the concrete filament with the integrated
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reinforcement. There are also limitations on such a setup: 1) deposition of the reinforcement
without concrete is problematic, and 2) placement of the reinforcement is possible only in
parallel with the printed layers.
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Mechtcherine et al. [37] pointed out that additional requirements within both approaches can
be 1) the free start and stop of MCF supply and integration into concrete and 2) an adjustable
degree of reinforcement. Quite clearly these requirements increase the level of sophistication
of the printing system and increase its flexibility and overall efficiency in the purposeful use of
the reinforcement.
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2.3.5 Textiles
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Few studies have investigated the application of textiles made of different materials such as
carbon, glass or basalt fibres for reinforcing DFC. Wang et al. [42] at the Loughborough
University placed plane glass fibre textile on a print concrete layer and covered it then by
printing the next concrete layer; see also Figure 7a. Mechtcherine and Nerella [43] proposed
an ‘in-process’ reinforcement method to place a special 2.5D textile between individual
concrete layers to counteract the possible formation of ‘cold joints’ between printed layers; see
Figure 7b. The aim of this method is to stitch each of the two adjacent layers together by the
protrusion of individual fibres in the vertical direction. Obviously, a specific print head needs
to be designed for accurate automatic placement of the textile. Apart from prevention of cold
joints, concrete layers are reinforced in the printing direction as well.
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(b)
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Figure 7. Reinforcement strategies using textiles: a) print concrete specimen reinforced with
a planar, glass fibre textile [42]; b) placement of special 2.5D textile between two adjacent
layers in the printing plane [43];c) in-process placement of galvanised steel wire mesh in the
interlayer direction (across the layers) [44]; d) automated manufacturing of 3D reinforcement
structure for a balcony using a robot-based wrapping process for mineral-impregnated carbon
fibre composites [40].
Recently, Marchment and Sanjayan [44] proposed an ‘in-process’ reinforcement method
called Mesh Reinforcement, in which a galvanised steel wire mesh was placed in the middle
of each printed layer while the concrete layers were being printed to provide reinforcement in
the interlayer direction, i.e., across the layers; see Figure 7c. The embedded mesh in each
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layer was overlapped in the vertical direction of the interface transverse to the layer to ensure
continuity of reinforcement. A special nozzle was designed to allow the insertion of the
continuous reinforcing mesh in the middle of the layers’ being printed. The reinforcing mesh
should have appropriate rigidity, diameter, and aperture of the grids to provide adequate bond
and anchorage within the printed layer, accommodate the mobility of the nozzle during
deposition, and allow placement and feeding through the nozzle system. While the proposed
method proved effective in providing a continuous ‘in-process' reinforcement for lab-scale 3Dprinted straight walls, the process still needs to be automated, and further testing should be
done on larger scale components and curved structures. In addition, the method may be
optimised by autonomous stitching together of mesh via rebar ties to reduce/eliminate the
overlap length and chance of collision during the process.
Mechtcherine et al. [40] used Mineral-impregnated Carbon Fibre composites (MCF) for
automated manufacturing of 1D- (bars and strips), 2D- (mats), and 3D- (e.g., shells)
reinforcement elements. Figure 7d shows a robot-based wrapping process for manufacturing
a 3D reinforcement for a balcony, where a supporting frame was mounted at one single point
to the robot, and the wrapping process was conducted by moving the supporting frame around
the impregnated yarn, guided by a fixed shaping nozzle.
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Several studies investigated the application of various short fibres made of polymer, carbon,
glass, steel or stainless steel as disperse reinforcement for DFC [1]. They can be premixed
into the dry mortar, added during concrete mixing, or introduced into the mortar/concrete just
prior to deposition. The former two cases have the distinct advantage that no custom
equipment is needed, allowing easy integration into the printing process. The latter, on the
other hand, may be required due to pump-fibre incompatibility and would need specific
equipment [45]. However, this still means that the printing itself is unencumbered by additional
process steps.
During printing fibres do not take a random orientation, but mostly one that globally
corresponds to the direction of the printing path. The actual fibres’ orientations are the result
of a complex interaction between matrix material properties, e.g., viscosity, fibre properties,
e.g., aspect ratio and transverse stiffness, and the print facility, e.g., pumping pressure and
nozzle geometry). Generally, fibres will only provide reinforcement in the print plane because
they do not cross filament interfaces. However, a study showed this might be overcome by
providing a tongue-and-groove type of surface accentuation of the filament; see [46].
Hambach and Volkmer [47] reported on the mechanical properties of cement paste reinforced
by different types of 3- to 6-mm-long fibres, including carbon, glass, and basalt fibres. The
inclusion of the fibres resulted in high flexural strength of the printed specimens, up to 30 MPa.
ESEM micrographs of fractured specimens confirmed a pronounced alignment of fibres in the
printing direction; see Figure 8a.
2.3.6 Dispersed short fibres
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Figure 8. Examples of the use of dispersed short fibres: a) a sample containing aligned
reinforcement fibres and corresponding ESEM micrographs showing fibre orientation
(perpendicular and parallel to the fracture surface of the specimen) [47]; b) printed specimen
reinforced by short steel fibres and sawn parallel to the printing direction [48]; c) 3D-printing
process with UHPFRC reinforced by short steel fibres [49]; d) 3D-printing process with SHCC
containing PE fibres [50].
Bos et al. [48] investigated the effect of the inclusion of short, straight steel fibres on the
performance of 3D-printed specimens, and the results were compared with the counterpart
cast specimens. A strong alignment of fibres in the printing direction was observed; see Figure
8b. Still the results showed that the fibre-reinforced specimens exhibited significantly higher
flexural strength as compared to the specimens made of plain mortar. However, all specimens
exhibited deflection-softening behaviour after reaching peak load.
Arunothayan et al. [49] recently reported the systematic development of a non-proprietary, 3Dprintable ultra-high performance fibre-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) reinforced with 2% by
volume of 13 mm long steel fibres; see Figure 8c. The printed UHPFRC exhibited high flexural
strengths (up to 39.5 MPa) along with deflection-hardening behaviour. The modulus of rupture
of the printed UHPFRC specimens was significantly higher than that of the mould-cast
specimens, due to the alignment of short fibres in the printing direction during the extrusion
process.
Ahmed et al. [45] presented a device to introduce generic particles, which could be different
types of fibres, into the mortar in an extrusion-based 3D concrete printing facility just before
printing, thus circumventing potential compatibility issues of, for example, aggregates with the
main pump of the system. Amongst others, 24-mm-long glass fibres were introduced, which
resulted in semi-plastic failure behaviour and high deformation capacity.
To date few studies have reported the development of 3D-printable, strain-hardening
cementitious composites (SHCC) reinforced by short polymeric fibres such as polyvinyl
alcohol (PVA) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) fibres. Li et al. [46] recently provided a
state-of-the-art review on 3D printing with SHCC. 3D-printed SHCC exhibits tensile ductility
comparable to that of cast SHCC. Ogura et al. [50] reported that printed HDPE-SHCC
specimens exhibited pronounced strain-hardening behaviour in uniaxial tension for fibre
concentrations as low as 1%; cf. Figure 8d. Chaves Figueiredo et al. [46] presented a
quantitative methodology based on rheological parameters for development of printable
SHCC reinforced by PVA fibres. In another study, Zhou et al. [51] reported the development
of printable SHCC reinforced by different percentages of PE fibres, exhibiting very high tensile
strength and tensile strain capacity of up to 5.7 MPa and 11.4%, respectively. The results of
several of the abovementioned investigations showed that the printed specimens exhibited
superior tensile performances to cast specimens, which was attributable to the strong fibre
alignment caused by the extrusion process. However, for a mixture with PVA fibres, Chaves
Figueiredo et al. [52] reported that the fibre orientation was not simply parallel to the
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longitudinal direction, but rather seemed to be influenced by differential flow between the inand outside of the filament, too. In order to address the lack of effectiveness across the
interfaces, it was shown by Li et al. [46] that a tongue-and-groove type of surface accentuation
to the printed filament can significantly improve the post-crack strength of a notched beam in
three-point bending, thereby suggesting the issue of lack of out-of-plane ductility might be
solved.
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2.3.7 Penetration reinforcement
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A few studies have introduced an ‘in-process’ reinforcement method in which nails, screws
and conventional steel bars are driven through a predefined number of freshly printed layers
of concrete. The aim of these methods is to provide reinforcement across the concrete layers.
Although in the available studies, as presented in the following, the reinforcements manually
penetrated the concrete layers, in practice the placement of reinforcement can and should be
automated. Penetration of the reinforcement causes different levels of disturbance to the
printed layers, depending on the penetration depth among other parameters, specifically, if
conventional steel bars are used. Obviously, the bond between reinforcement and printed
concrete should be adequate to ensure the composite action. Therefore, the number of layers
into which the reinforcement can be driven while yielding sufficient bond strength is limited.
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(b)
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Figure 9. Reinforcement approaches using penetration: a) penetration by steel nails with
different spacing and orientation through freshly printed concrete [53]; b) penetration of 350
mm long steel bars through printed concrete [54]; c) inserting screws by a combination of
translational and rotational movement into freshly printed concrete [55]; d) vision for
penetration of short reinforcement bars into Shotcrete-3D-Printing process using an
automated, robot-guided process [56].
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Perrot et al. [53] used nails of 30 mm length and 1.8 mm diameter with different spacing of 10,
15, 20 and 30 mm and various orientations, i.e., vertical, inclined and crossed, to the printed
concrete layers. Specimens consisted of three or ten layers; see Figure 9a. For the 3-layer
specimens tested perpendicular to the layer’s direction, the vertical nails did not contribute to
the bending capacity, while the inclined and crossed nails increased the bending capacity by
up to 50% as compared to the unreinforced specimens. For the 10-layer specimens tested
parallel to the layer’s direction, the nails, irrespective of their orientation (vertical or inclined),
increased the bending capacity by up to 50%. The comparison between the smooth and rusty
nails showed a negligible effect of the nails’ surface roughness on bending capacity but had a
significant effect on post-peak behaviour. For the smooth nails, the load post peak dropped to
zero due to slippage, while for the rusty nails the load did not drop to zero, but to a constant
residual value.
Recently, Marchment and Sanjayan [54] introduced a method in which a deformed steel bar
of 7 mm diameter was penetrated manually through a number of freshly printed layers; see
Figure 9b. Pullout tests were conducted to characterise the bond between the bar and the
printed concrete along the penetration depth. It was found that the bond was higher at the
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bottom of the penetrated depth and gradually decreased towards the top. The bond between
the bar and printed concrete specimen near the bottom of the penetrated depth was similar to
that of the cast specimen. A strong correlation was found between the penetration length and
reduction in bond strength.
Hass & Bos [55] presented a new reinforcement method in which screws are inserted into
freshly printed concrete. The combination of translational and rotational movement provided
very good bonding and few defects between the screw and the freshly printed concrete, which
is a major downside characteristic of merely translationally pressing any sort of element into
the relatively rigid mortar. This was confirmed by the results of pull-out and three-point bending
tests, in which premature pull-out failure of the screw was not recorded, but rather failure was
observed in the printed concrete itself. Although manually applied in this study, the technology
could be automated and can be effective in any direction except longitudinally to the print
filament. It requires an additional, intermittent sub-process during printing, of which it may
therefore influence efficiency negatively. There will be a time window in which the technology
can be applied and related to the setting rapidity of the print mortar in use.
Freund et al. [56] investigated three different methods for placement of a short bar, of diameter
12 mm and made of steel or carbon, into the Shotcrete-3D-Printing process; see Figure 9d.
These methods include a) direct insertion, b) insertion into a grouting mortar, and (c) screwing
the bar into the printed concrete. Pull-out test results and evaluation of computer tomography
images confirmed that method (a) resulted in a reduced bond as compared to the other two
methods due to a process-related cavity formed between the bar and the surrounding
concrete. On the other hand, methods (b) and (c) resulted in a significant enhancement of the
bond between the bar and concrete.
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2.4 Summary of the reviewed reinforcement approaches according to their
advantages and limitations
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Based on the above review, which is organised according to reinforcement types and
materials, reinforcement approaches and their key features can be identified. These
approaches are listed in Table 1 and some of their perceived advantages and limitations are
described. The concepts with similar advantages and limitations are listed together, based on
the process and the type of reinforcement that have been developed and demonstrated so
far. The directions in which the reinforcement can be provided are defined with regards to the
fabrication rather than the product. The fabrication direction u is defined as the direction of the
layer along the layer or print direction; v is the interlayer or layer stacking direction; and w is
the out-of-plane direction. See also the small sketch internal to the table. The product being
fabricated may have a different coordinate system such as x, y and z, e.g., x and y being
horizontal and z being vertical).
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Table 1. Approach listed according to their advantages and limitations
Reinforcement approach
Advantages
Limitations
Require post-processing.
Post-installed reinforcement
reinforcement bars placed and
grouted [57–64]
prestressed reinforcements [26]
external reinforcement [65]
Structural requirements such as
robustness, ductility and tensile strength,
shrinkage, creep, and crack width
limitations can be satisfied with these
reinforcements. These types of
reinforcements have been used in
reinforced concrete for many decades and
are technologically mature with regard to
design and implementation.
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Coordinates used in this table:
Pre-installed reinforcement
Print around the reinforcement
[66,67]
Mesh Mould [68,69]
Print over reinforcements [11,70]
These approaches can satisfy most of the
structural requirements mentioned above.
Pre-installing reinforcements before casting
concrete is a traditional method. However,
printing concrete is a relatively new
concept.
Require pre-processing.
Cable entrainment in the filament
[32,34–36,71,72]
Continuous fibre entrainment [35,71]
In-process reinforcement method.
Only in u-direction. Bars
cannot be used.
Overlapping mesh reinforcement [44]
In-process reinforcement method; u- and wdirections can be reinforced.
Penetrating reinforcement [53–
56,74–76]
In-process reinforcement method; crosslayer (w-) direction can be reinforced.
Dispersed short fibres [45,46,81–
84,48,49,51,52,77–80]
Easy to implement without additional
equipment; in-process method; effective for
preventing plastic shrinkage cracks,
reducing crack widths, and increase in
toughness.
Welded bars [10,14,15,20,85,86]
In-process method; u-, v- and w-directions
are possible.
Printed polymeric reinforcement [87–
89]
Complex shaped reinforcements in all u-, vand w-directions are possible; it can be
used for special arrangements of structural
reinforcements.
Not in v-direction; bars cannot
be used.
u and v directions have not
been attempted; in-process,
but two separate parallel
processes are required.
Mainly for non-structural
purposes, structural member
ductility and structural
robustness cannot be
achieved due to discontinuities
of the fibres.
Quality and steel property
control need to be monitored
carefully; process speed and
cost considerations may
outweigh the technical
benefits.
Non-structural reinforcement
only; limited tensile strengths.
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3. Previous reviews and classifications
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The great variety of approaches for integration of reinforcement in digital fabrication with
cement material calls for a classification. The available framework to build such a classification
on is fairly limited. Conventional structural concrete engineering guidelines hardly provide a
handhold. In the vast majority of concrete structures, reinforcement is provided by linear
elements, generally made of steel: normal strength steel for passive reinforcement, and highstrength steel for active reinforcement, i.e., prestressed. The use of other materials for such
bars, e.g. glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) and carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP),
is possible but remains limited to special cases, since these types of reinforcement are not
covered by major codes such as the Eurocode 2 [90]. In a limited number of applications, the
use of short fibres as reinforcement is allowed to obtain the required functional tensile strength
and hence a reduction in conventional reinforcement. In a few situations, such as industrial
floors, short fibre reinforcement can even be used without reinforcement bars. Occasionally,
alternative reinforcements such as textile fabrics are applied, but altogether the options in
conventional concrete are limited to such an extent that an explicit classification has not
emerged.
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Within the field of DFC itself, the attempts at classification have also been scarce. This is
mainly due to the sheer novelty of the reinforcement technologies; most of them have been
developed only in the last five years. Several review papers discuss the state of affairs with
regard to the development of reinforcement for DFC, but they usually do not provide more
than a list of more or less logically ordered methods. Wangler et al. [1], in Section 3.2, provide
an extensive state-of-the-art review of reinforcement strategies but do not present a specific
organising scheme. Similarly, several reinforcement solutions are discussed by Mechtcherine
and Nerella [43]. Menna et al. [91] extensively discuss structural engineering of DFC
structures, thereby inevitably touching on the issue of reinforcement. Amongst others, they
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discuss a number of realised DFC projects in depth, including the issue of reinforcement and
how that has been addressed in each project. While the article provides an interesting angle
from the perspective of actual use of reinforcement, it does not offer a comprehensive basis
for classification, especially not with respect to the manufacturing processes in the context of
DFC.
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The horizontal orientation of the matrix is reserved for an indication of the effective direction
of the proposed reinforcement solution: parallel, orthogonal, and inclined. So seen, this
classification addressed directional dependency although it ignores the orthogonal direction
in the horizontal plane. Furthermore, some categories are hard to distinguish; particularly, the
‘put down rods’ and the ‘insert short rods’ are very similar. An advantage might be that this
classification effort is less abstract than the one proposed by Asprone et al. [92] and that it
includes directionality of reinforcement’s effectiveness.
To date the most complete discussion can be found in Asprone et al. [92]. The authors present
a two-parameter classification based on the moment of application of the reinforcement
respective to the manufacturing process on the one hand, and the structural principle on the
other. In the manufacturing stage, they recognise the substages before, during, and after the
concrete deposition. ‘Before’ and ‘after’ should be understood as being at a moment in time
independent of the moment of deposition of the concrete; i.e., the time between the shaping
process of concrete and the placement of reinforcement exerts significant influence neither on
the performance nor on the manufacturing process.
As structural principles, ‘ductile material’, ‘DFC composite’, ‘compression loaded structures’,
and ‘hybrids’ are identified. The former generally translates into the application of short fibres,
as the intent is to provide a ductile material that for the purpose of structural calculation can
be treated as homogenous, albeit possibly anisotropic. The DFC composite is a combination
of distinguishable components to which distinct compressive and tensile properties can be
assigned for structural calculations of the constituted sections. Compression-loaded structures
such as arches or domes avoid the need for reinforcement by eliminating tensile stresses,
while hybrids could be a combination of any of the three previously described structural
principles.
Using the moment of application and the structural principle as two parameters, Asprone et
al. [92] classify a number of studied cases. Although this classification enables a clear
positioning of individual solutions, it does not cover more detailed aspects regarding
manufacturing processes or directional dependency.
Kloft et al. [18] also attempted an organization of reinforcement strategies for DFC; see Figure
11. Like Asprone et al. [92], they organise the various methods into a matrix, but one that is
based on quite different parameters. The columns represent the primary organisational
principle. Distinction is made between cases in which concrete supports reinforcement,
meaning that concrete is placed first, and those in which reinforcement supports concrete, i.e.,
the reinforcement is positioned first and acts as a (semi-open) formwork or scaffolding for
concrete. The further distinction within each of these two groups is made according to specific
processes: putdown rods, unrolled filaments/pressed-on textiles, interspersed fibres/inserted
short rods are identified in the concrete-supports-reinforcement group, while weaving rods,
winding filaments / rovings, and welding/gluing short rods/printing reinforcement are the subcategories of the other group.
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Figure 11. Organizational scheme of DFC reinforcement strategies, adapted from Kloft et al.
[18].
Taken in sum, these early attempts purport to show that there is a need within the field to
develop a solid basis to discern and position individual solutions within the wide variety of
options being developed. In doing so, however, it is not straightforward as many variables,
timing, application method, structural principle, directionality, and so forth, can be used as
organizing principles, but it is not yet clear which ones are the most suitable.
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4 The classification framework and process description
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The review of existing approaches on integration of reinforcement into digital fabrication with
concrete as presented in Section 2 as well as previous reviews and classification efforts as
outlined in Section 3 show a great range of relevant parameters and features to be considered
when designing both reinforced structures/elements and fabrication processes. The authors
of this article believe that it is neither possible nor necessary to accommodate all the
parameters in one classification. The classification framework suggested here focuses on the
processes for integration of reinforcement into DFC, and it is designed as an extension of the
RILEM process classification framework for DFC technologies [7]. The RILEM framework is
an over-arching scheme that helps to define, describe, and classify DFC processes using welldefined intersection terms in interdisciplinary field where construction meets manufacturing
and automation; see Figure 12.
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Figure 12. RILEM Process Classification Framework for DFC, adapted from Buswell et al. [7].
It is important to note that the RILEM framework in many instances provides description of a
single process step. While DFC uses many different manufacturing operations methods and
approaches to shape the material into the form it maintains in its hardened state, often more
than one process step is required to manufacture an end-use product such as a structural
element. It holds especially true with respect to the integration of reinforcement. Identifying
these steps helps to define boundaries and so helps in clearly defining the principal operations
involved in a process. Figure 13 depicts four cases that relate to the introduction of
reinforcement to the mortar/concrete: 1) where the reinforcement is created in one step, and
then the concrete is shaped in another; 2) where the concrete and reinforcement are added
as part of a combined process, typically Additive Manufacturing; 3) when post tensioning is
used on a hardened part; and 4) when post-tensioning is used to assemble multiple parts into
a structure.
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Figure 13. Combining mortar/concrete shaping and the placement of reinforcement.
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The classification suggested here considers the sequence of distinct processes according to
the manufacturing timeline of product as a starting point; see Figure 14. While building upon
the RILEM framework, the classification also provides a link to structural design issues by
naming corresponding options for the choice of reinforcement according to the following
primary categories: cage, mesh/textile, bar, cable/yarn, and short fibre. Indeed, the proposed
classification begins right there where the RILEM framework ends, i.e., at the level of the DFC
process subclass for shaping concrete either additively, i.e., particle bed binding, material
extrusion, material jetting, or formatively, i.e., solidification, deformation; cf. Figure 12.
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For Additive Manufacturing methods with concrete, reinforcement can be integrated within a
single process step as a sub-process occurring during concrete shaping. This is not feasible
for formative processes. However, the integration of reinforcement prior to or after concrete
shaping, i.e., in a separate step, can be performed both with additive and formative concrete
processes in a similar manner. These options are indicated in the classification as two-step
processes. Additionally, concrete mixing is defined as a pre-process preceding any concrete
shaping process. During mixing short fibre may be added as dispersed reinforcement to
produce either ready mix or dry mix for further use in both single-step and two-step DFC
processes. A prominent example for AM processes is material extrusion with SHCC; for
example, see Figure 8d. Here and further in this section references to the figures presented
in Section 2 will be made for the sake of clarity.
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There are four categories for integration of reinforcement during the concrete shaping process;
see Figure 14. The first is entrainment into concrete bulk before material deposition. For
extrusion-based processes entrainment of cables, in Figure 6a, and yarns, in Figure 6c, can
be realised as a part of printhead process. Short fibre and textile/fine mesh can be entrained
as well. Note that the dispersion of short fibre requires energy for intermixing with the concrete
matrix, which can be done both in the material extrusion process, mixing of fibre as a part of
the printhead process, and in the material jetting process, in- or outside the nozzle.
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The second category is the placement of reinforcement between layers of concrete. In contrast
to the entrainment where the deposition of concrete and the entrained reinforcement occur
simultaneously, the process is contiguous in this case. Examples are given in Figure 7b for
textile, in Figure 2a for bars, in Figure 8b for yarns, all positioned horizontally in the longitudinal
direction of concrete filaments arranged vertically one over another. However, other
arrangements are technically possible as well, e.g., deposition of a yarn or stripe of textile on
the vertical face of a concrete filament and depositing the next filament laterally onto the yarn
or textile and previously deposited concrete filament. This applies also for short fibre, which
can be sprinkled on both horizontal and vertical concrete surfaces. The deposition of
reinforcement between horizontal layers can be used in all three subclasses of AM incl.
particle-bed binding.
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Cross-layer encasement is also a contiguous process. Vertical or inclined fragments of
reinforcement as well as the attendant horizontal components are placed before the next
concrete layer is deposited. The concrete layer encases the fragments but still does not cover
their tops, since further reinforcement fragments will be attached there and / or in order to
establish cross-layer reinforcement. Vertical or inclined stripes of mesh/textile can be used in
this category as in Figure 7c as well as vertical or inclined bars or little cage fragments locally
assembled as in Figure 3d or additively produced as in Figure 3d. The fourth category also
addresses cross-layer arrangement of reinforcement; however, the key feature here is that
the reinforcement is induced by penetration while the concrete is still in the fresh/plastic state.
Typically, straight, one-dimensional pieces of reinforcement are used for the purpose, either
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pins (see Figure 9a) or screws (see Figure 9c). They can be placed perpendicular to the layers’
plane or inclined to it.
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Figure 14. The process classification framework for integration of reinforcement into DFC
technologies (PC4IR-DRC)
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The two-step processes are subdivided into two categories according to the time of the
reinforcement integration, i.e., prior to or after concrete shaping. The key feature of
reinforcement placed prior to concrete shaping is its support for the concrete or the absence
of such support. If reinforcement provides support to concrete, the concrete shaping process
is a formative one since the shape of the element is defined by the supporting reinforcement,
which acts as a mould or sheathing; cf. Figure 4c, -d. In the no-support-case, both formative
and additive concrete shaping approaches are applicable. Finally, in the category ‘after
concrete shaping’ we distinguish between 1) placement of reinforcement in or on hardened
concrete as a process step to complete a structural or non-structural element; see, for
example, Figure 3a or 4b and 2. Assembling elements/parts to a structure are illustrated in
Figure 5a. In the latter case, post-tensioned cables have been used efficiently.
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Note that the suggested classification for the integration of reinforcement does not cover the
step of assembling or shaping of reinforcement either in a conventional or digital manner.
Indeed, it would be a separate process step to be considered and described. However, this
can be done by using RILEM Classification Framework for DFC as basis. For example, the
manufacturing process of Mesh Mould reinforcement can be described by operation
assembly, with joining as the principal process step and welding as the primary process class.
Certainly, not in every case is the process allocation is so straight forward since the scheme
is very generic on purpose and does not exclude its extension in the future. For example, the
WAAM process for manufacturing of steel reinforcement can be classified as an additive
shaping process, a kind of extrusion as a process sub-class in which the printing nozzle
deposits moulded material on given coordinates upon which steel phase change occurs due
to cooling.
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Finally, some examples of applying the new classification to describe digital fabrication
processes with reinforced concrete should be provided in form of simple process flow charts;
see Figure 15. The first example is a single-step process in which reinforcing cable is entrained
into the concrete filament and thus deposited simultaneously with concrete shaped by
extrusion. The purely digital process continues until the printed part/element is finished, while
the sub-process of the cable entrainment able can be interrupted on demand by cutting the
cable and stopping its feed; and the entrainment can be eventually resumed by restarting the
feed. In such a way the segments of the bicycle bridge in Gemert were produced. Note that
for this single-step process the segment is the end product.
Example 2 shows the entire multi-step process of the bridge fabrication. The first process step
is equivalent to Example 1 with the difference that not a single part / segment is produced, but
a number n of segments are printed consequently. The second process is assembling of the
parts / segments. The final, third process is placing of prestressing strands and post-tensioning
them. Note that the second and third processes a) were performed in a conventional manner
in the given example but can in principle be digitised and automated, and b) do not depend
on the process of segment production, i.e., if it is additive or formative. The final product of the
process chain is the bridge itself.
Example 3 illustrates the single-step process which concrete is shaped additively by extrusion
and cross-layers reinforcement is introduced contiguously. First several layers of concrete are
deposited one upon the other followed by nailing layers of fresh concrete with steel pins. After
distinct number of pins is inserted, the concrete printing is resumed to deposit further several
layers before this procedure is interrupted again to give way to penetrating pins. Such
alteration can be repeated numerous times until the printed product is completed. In the given
example it is a wall-like demonstrator.
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Figure 15. Examples for application of the new classification (Photo references: example 1 –
[36], example 2 – [19], example 3 –[53], example 4 – [66]).
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Example 4 presents a relatively rare case, where reinforcement is produced first in a distinct
process step by assembling steel mats and bars. This step is followed by progressing
encasement of reinforcement mats or cage with concrete in an additive extrusion-based
shaping process. Since the printhead dimensions limit the height of the reinforcing elements,
which can be encased in the approach under consideration, several repetitions of this
sequence, i.e., assembling reinforcement/concrete printing, are required before the product,
here an in-situ printed wall is finished. In this way Huashang Tengda fabricated a two-story
villa in Beijing. Note that in the given example the assembling of reinforcement was performed
in conventional manner, but this process step can be potentially automated and digitised as
well.
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The ongoing development of digital fabrication with concrete has led to an increasing number
of projects appearing in practice over the course of the past few years. With the aim of realising
structural applications, the need for reinforcement integration in DFC is obvious and thus, is
increasingly being addressed by industry and academia across the globe. Although the
functional requirements for reinforcement in DFC are similar to those in conventional concrete
construction, the particular process characteristics of DFC render traditional reinforcement
solutions unsuitable. As such, a new range of reinforcement solutions is being developed,
targeting specifically the integration in DFC, presented in various stages of development.
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To facilitate comparison between solutions and indicate the performance and suitability of
each reinforcement method, a common language is desirable. To this end this paper presents
a classification framework for reinforcement in digital fabrication with concrete, focused on
additive digital concrete technologies.
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First, the state of the art in reinforcement strategies for extrusion- and jetting-based 3Dconcrete-printing methods has been presented and discussed. The review, organised by
reinforcement type, and differentiated by material, presents various reinforcement concepts
including their advantages and limitations. The following potentials and research requirements
can be summarised from the review according to the reinforcement approaches:
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5.
Conclusions and outlook
The application of straight or pre-bent reinforcement bars covers most of the structural
performance requirements but is challenging in terms of automation. In most of the
presented solutions, this type of reinforcement is still placed manually prior to concrete
shaping, or during in an alternating process. To address these issues, WAAM has been
proposed, although the alignment of the two AM processes is challenging.
Alternatively, prefabricated grids and mats provide the desired reinforcement in two
directions, and can be applied either before concrete shaping, or afterwards. These
reinforcement solutions can provide a support to the fresh concrete during shaping,
but full automation has yet to be proven. The geometric freedom is moreover limited
by the geometry of standard mats, unless more advanced reinforcement fabrication
(e.g. Mesh Mould) is adopted.
Pre-stressing 3D-printed elements provides continuous reinforcement along the entire
length of the object and has practically no limits in size or prestress force. This principle
obviously imposes additional process steps, which may be difficult to automate. In any
case, the location and shape of the pre-stress system should be incorporated in the
design process, for instance through the use of advanced optimization algorithms.
The entrainment of cables, yarns, or meshes directly into or in between filaments
allows for a fully automated processes of both concrete shaping and reinforcement.
The common challenge in these methods is that they provide reinforcement mainly in
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the printing direction, and thus, require additional attention in the direction
perpendicular to the printed layers.
The dispersion of short fibres, premixed into the dry mortar, added during mixing, or
introduced just prior to deposition, allow for an excellent integration into the automated
printing process. First results on fibre reinforced mixtures, including SHCC’s, are
promising although a strong fibre alignment may occur. Moreover, fibres generally do
not cross the filament interfaces.
To provide reinforcement in the interlayer direction, penetration reinforcement
strategies may provide a solution. Although presented examples are still based on
manual application, these solutions have the potential to be automated. The main
challenge for penetration reinforcement is to acquire sufficient bond across layers.
The review provides the basis for the process classification framework for integration of
reinforcement into DFC technologies. As such, it connects with a previous publication in which
DFC technologies themselves have been classified. Firstly, a distinction is made between
process type, i.e., a pre-process, a single step process or a two-step process.
For pre-process applications, reinforcement is typically integrated during mixing. This
concerns mainly short fibres, added into the ready mix or during dry mixing of the
printable composition.
In single-step processes, reinforcement is integrated during concrete shaping. Here,
reinforcement is either entrained simultaneously with concrete, or placed between or
across layers. For single-step processes, a wide variety of reinforcement types is
available, spanning from bars and meshes to cables and yarns.
Finally, for two-step processes a distinction can be made between reinforcement
placed prior to concrete shaping and after concrete shaping. In the first case, the
reinforcement solution can provide a support to the fresh concrete. In the latter, the
reinforcement is placed in or on the hardened concrete member or used to assemble
multiple parts into a reinforced structure.
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To support the ongoing growth of DFC and bring applications beyond merely showcase
character, reinforcement strategies will have to be addressed. The classification framework
presented in this manuscript provides the means effectively to compare solutions and can
form a basis for further development and standardization in this rapidly expanding field.
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Acknowledgements
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The authors from the TU Dresden thank the German Research Foundation (Deutsche
Forschungsgemeinschaft – DFG) for financial support in the framework of the projects TRR
280 „Design strategies for material-minimised carbon reinforced concrete structures –
Principles of a new approach to construction“, project number 417002380 and “Adaptive
Concrete Diamond Construction (ACDC)”, project number 424057211. Richard Buswell
acknowledges UK support from EPSRC Grant numbers EP/S031405/1 (Industrial Challenge
Fund) and EP/P031420/1. The authors from the TU Braunschweig express their gratitude to
the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft – DFG) for funding
the project TRR 277 “Additive Manufacturing in Construction (AMC) - The Challenge of Large
Scale”, project number 414265976.
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