Flexural Performance of Cement Mortars Reinforced With 3d Printed Rebars

This experimental study evaluates the flexural performance of cement mortars reinforced with rebar-type 3D printed polymer reinforcements with rebar geometry directly comparable to conventional steel rebars unlike most existing studies focusing on lattice polymer reinforcements. For this purpose, traditional steel rebar and two types of 3D printed polymer rebars produced from Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene and Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol filaments were used in the experimental studies. The 3D printed rebars were designed with dimensions equivalent to Ø12 traditional steel reinforcement. They produced with 100% infill density using 45º printing orientation to ensure that each printed layer contributes to the strength. Three-point flexural tests were performed on prismatic specimens. The flexural strength, deflection capacity and toughness values were determined using flexural load – mid-span deflection curves and results were discussed, comparatively. Steel reinforced mortars exhibited the highest flexural strength (24.45±2.08 MPa) with a limited deflection capacity (1.25±0.08 mm). PETG reinforced mortars achieved lower flexural strength with an enhanced deflection capacity compared to steel reinforced mortars (19.45±2.00 MPa and 2.17±0.69 mm). 3D printed ABS rebar reinforced mortars provided lower strength but the highest deflection capacity (16.78±2.36 MPa and 2.68±0.48 mm). Toughness analyses revealed that both the 3D printed PETG and ABS rebars remarkably improved the total toughness compared to traditional steel (by 102.12% when the PETG rebar was used and by 982.64% when the ABS rebar was used). In conclusion, this study highlights the potential use of 3D printed rebars as lightweight and corrosion resistant alternative with improved deflection and toughness in cementitious composites.