A numerical investigation into the influence of design parameters on the seismic performance of 3D-printed concrete walls

3D-printed concrete (3DPC) walls are the primary load-bearing components of 3DPC building systems; however, due to the novelty of this technology, their seismic behavior remains insufficiently understood. This study develops a detailed nonlinear finite element modeling framework to simulate the cyclic response of 3DPC walls, explicitly accounting for interlayer behavior. The model is validated against experimental data from reinforced and unreinforced 3DPC walls exhibiting distinct structural responses, successfully reproducing hysteretic behavior and failure modes. Following validation, a comprehensive parametric study is conducted to examine the effects of various design parameters on hysteretic behavior, with a detailed evaluation of variations in key response measures over loading cycles. The results indicate that axial load, concrete compressive strength, vertical reinforcement, core columns, wall aspect ratio, internal webbing, and interlayer shear bond resistance strongly influence lateral capacity, stiffness, energy dissipation, and failure mode. In contrast, horizontal reinforcement and the filament-to-core column interface have only minor effects. Finally, the applicability of masonry-based analytical models to predict in-plane lateral strength of 3DPC walls is evaluated. The results show that these models underestimate lateral capacity and do not reliably capture the governing failure mechanisms. Based on these findings, a preliminary shear strength equation, calibrated using FE results and validated against wall specimens from the literature, is proposed to support future code development.