Synergistic potential of topology optimization and lattice structures in concrete 3D printed beams

Abstract

This paper presents the integration of topology optimization and lattice structures in 3D-printed concrete beams to enhance structural performance and efficiency. Various beam designs, including solid, hexagon lattice, reentrant lattice, square lattice, and topology-optimized + Lattice hybrid configurations, are printed using the concrete 3D printing technique. The 3D-printed beams are tested under two-point loading to determine the load-bearing capacity, material efficiencies, and manufacturability. Results show that the topology-optimized square lattice beam achieved approximately 99.7 % of the solid beam's capacity with a 23 % reduction in material usage, while the topology-optimized reentrant lattice beam reached 95.9 % of the solid beam's capacity with an 81.1 % volume fraction. These findings demonstrate the superior performance of topology-optimized + Lattice hybrid designs in terms of load-bearing capacity and material efficiency compared to traditional solid and lattice beams. From the experimental investigation, it was also noted that no premature failure due to inter-layer delamination was observed during the testing phase.