Potential of 3D-printed steel-fiber-reinforced concrete components for the protection of critical infrastructure - impact and free-fall tests

The use of innovative production technologies in the construction industry supports the realization of fully automated manufacturing processes with the aim of improving the construction time, the individuality, and the quality of components. The production of reinforced concrete components using the selective cement activation process, which enables the three-dimensional printing of shape-optimized components, can achieve the mentioned goals. To investigate these regarding their behaviour under highly dynamic impact, a total of ten steel fibre-reinforced concrete test specimens were printed in different construction methods and subjected to highly dynamic loads by impact and free-fall tests. Such loads lead to complex internal stresses and corresponding damage patterns. A representation of the damage still presents after the impact, in particular the correct alignment of the steel fibres in the component, indicate possibilities for improvement and optimization of future protective components, which have not yet been sufficiently researched according to the current state of the technology.