Investigation of the Structural and Thermal Behaviour of 3D Printed Concrete Walls

The recent development of 3D Concrete Printing (3DPC) has introduced new possibilities for the construction of more efficient and sustainable buildings. However, despite the fact that some building prototypes have been already realized in recent years, only few specific studies have been directed to the study of structural behaviour of such elements. Accordingly, this paper deals with the experimental investigation of the role of hardened state properties of concrete on the structural response of 3DPC walls. Two full-scale walls, one without reinforcement and the other with vertical steel bars, have been printed and are going to be tested at the University of Brescia. This report focuses on the design of these walls with the identification of the main geometrical, mechanical and thermal parameters to optimize their structural and thermal behaviour.