Numerical
Concrete
Finite Elements
Why it matters
3D-printed concrete (3DPC) is a fast-growing technology in construction, able to reduce time, material waste and costs compared to traditional casting — but layer-by-layer deposition introduces a marked mechanical anisotropy, governed by the cohesive behaviour of the interfaces between filaments (deposition and transition interfaces), which is hard to model and to calibrate against experimental data. The project tackles the problem with a finite element framework that includes a cohesive contact model dedicated to the interfaces, able to reproduce the strength, failure mechanisms and post-peak softening observed experimentally along the different printing directions.
What you'll do
- Develop or use nonlinear constitutive models for complex materials.
- Apply or extend cohesive contact mechanics algorithms.
- Get to know Abaqus user subroutines (UINTER) in depth.
- Compare the model predictions with experimental data from tensile, shear, compression and four-point bending tests, along the different printing directions.
Prerequisites
- Knowledge of FEM simulations from the Computational Mechanics course (or equivalent).
- Basic programming skills are useful but not essential: no specific FORTRAN experience is required, you will pick it up during the thesis.
Tools
- Abaqus, for the FEM simulations.
- FORTRAN, for developing the user subroutines.
Supervisor
Prof. Gianluca Mazzucco · gianluca.mazzucco@unipd.it