Experimental study on large-scale 3D printed concrete walls under axial compression

This study investigated the structural mechanical properties and failure modes of large-scale three-dimensional (3D) printed concrete walls under axial compression loads. Eight large-scale 3D printed concrete wall specimens with varying ratios of height to thickness were tested under axial compression, including two specimens without horizontal steel reinforcement and six specimens with horizontal steel reinforcement. It can be concluded that the failure of 3D printed concrete walls under an axial compression load is brittle. The use of horizontal steel reinforcement reduces the ultimate bearing capacity of 3D printed concrete walls under axial compression. The layers in which the horizontal steel reinforcement is set are weak zones. Based on the stress state characteristics, the structural mechanical properties were further studied by modeling the test results of the strains of large-scale 3D printed concrete walls. The failure load was defined accordingly, and a formula for predicting the failure loads was proposed and validated.