BRITE Pivot: Additively Manufactured Novel Reinforcement Topologies to Transform Construction and Structural Response of Complex Concrete Elements

About This Grant

Assembling reinforcing bar is one of the slowest and most labor-intensive tasks in reinforced concrete construction. Furthermore, when design requirements dictate complex and congested reinforcement for concrete elements, constructability and concrete quality can be compromised with potential implications on the capacity of a structure. The goal of this BRITE Pivot project is to understand the fundamental structural behavior and constructability of optimized and additively manufactured (also known as 3D printed) steel reinforcement for concrete structural elements that are prone to reinforcement congestion. This novel reinforcing steel will lead to automation, high construction quality, speed, reduced reliance on manual labor, elimination of reinforcing bar congestion, and structural efficiency. The findings of this project will enable engineers to think beyond grid-like reinforcement layouts and re-imagine reinforcement as a freeform structure tailored to function. The project will allow the principal investigator to gain knowledge on mechanical properties and processes of additively manufactured steel to transfer it to structural engineering for advancing reinforced concrete design, construction, and response. The project will study topologically optimized, free-form, additively manufactured steel reinforcement for concrete lateral load resisting elements that undergo load reversals. Shear wall coupling beams that often require challenging-to-build reinforcement in diagonal patterns are selected as the application to demonstrate the concept. The research scope includes nonlinear analyses and topology optimization to identify viable reinforcement shapes, understanding of processes that are suitable for manufacturing optimized steel for reinforced concrete applications, characterization of mechanical properties of additively manufactured steel, quantification of bond between additively manufactured steel and concrete considering inherent surface undulations of additively manufactured steel, understanding the cyclic response of shear wall coupling beams reinforced with topologically optimized steel through laboratory testing, and documenting the tradeoff between the higher cost of additive manufacturing and construction/structural efficiency. The project will initiate collaborations with engineers and researchers leading the metal additive manufacturing field in Europe and the US. In addition to training a PhD student, the project will enhance classes related to concrete structures and deliver interactive outreach activities for middle and high school students. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.