Experimental exploration of digitally fabricated connections for structural concrete

Connections are a persistent challenge for traditional reinforced concrete construction and even more digital fabrication with (DFC). The latter, on the other hand, opens up new possibilities producing connections tailored geometries surface roughness. Based findings of an exploratory, experimental campaign, this paper discusses design, structural testing digitally fabricated joints using DFC technology Eggshell to 3D print formwork joint surfaces in additive manufacturing process. programme includes (i) unreinforced whose texture was varied control roughness (ii) dry keyed varying geometry. Both, as well joints, were produced set-on-demand relatively small maximum aggregate size 0 4 mm – i.e., strictly speaking, mortar rather than typically applied DFC. campaign included thorough instrumentation: scan before high-resolution image correlation (DIC) combined distributed fibre optical sensing (DFOS) during testing. deviations from targeted geometry, determined scans, below 2 mm, standard deviation between 0.4 0.7 joints. DIC allowed measuring compressive strains locally at corrugation or key chamfer and, hence, studying strain variations over height efficiency different keys dimensions. Finally, shear transfer capacity, evaluated push-off test setup, showed that all met outperformed requirements defined pertinent design codes despite smaller size.