PSI - Issue 78

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ScienceDirect

Procedia Structural Integrity 78 (2026) 1759–1766

© 2025 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of XX ANIDIS Conference organizers Keywords: Structural health monitoring; 3D printing; smart-materials; strain sensing; resistor; self-monitoring; carbon-based fillers; carbon microfiber Abstract The automation of concrete constructions through 3D printing has garnered considerable attention in civil engineering due to significant advantages over conventional methods. Nevertheless, the widespread adoption of this technology faces substantial chal lenges stemming from inherent uncertainties associated with the additive manufacturing process. A solution is to functionalize the 3D printed components with self-sensing capabilities to monitor performance during construction and operation and thus assess quality in real-time. Here, we study the local functionalization of 3D printed components through a hybrid 3D printing process. To do so, we build on prior work in self-sensing cementitious composites by integrating graphite powder and carbon microfibers as conductive fillers into cement-based mixtures to generate substantial piezoresistive capabilities. The technology is demonstrated on a 3D printed reinforced concrete beam. The smart beam is fabricated using a self-sensing composite at the bottom, followed by a continuous transition to a traditional cementitious mix. The printed self-sensing layers serve as strain-responsive interfaces capable of mapping strain field evolution by continuously monitoring changes in electrical resistance. A series of quasi-static and dynamic tests were performed to characterize the strain-sensing performance of the developed composite specimens. Results demonstrate the successful integration of self-sensing cementitious materials into the 3DP fabrication process, highlighting their potential for real-time monitoring of construction quality, detection of load-path alterations, and early identification of structural defects. XX ANIDIS Conference 3D-Printed Smart Reinforced Beam for Strain Monitoring HanLiu a , Israel Nilton Lopes Sousa a , Simon Laflamme a,b , Shelby E. Doyle c , Antonella D’Alessandro d , Filippo Ubertini d a Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50010, USA b Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50010, USA c Department of Architecture, Iowa State University, Ames, 50010, IA, USA d Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Perugia, via G. Duranti, 93, 06125, Perugia, Italy

1. INTRODUCTION

Additive manufacturing, particularly three-dimensional printing (3DP) of cementitious materials, has introduced transformative possibilities to the field of civil engineering due to its advantages over traditional construction methods.

∗ Han Liu. Tel.: + 1-515-294-2140 E-mail address: liuhan@iastate.edu

2452-3216 © 2025 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of XX ANIDIS Conference organizers 10.1016/j.prostr.2025.12.224