A (p)review: Adhesion of printcrete for tunnel structures

The construction of tunnel structures is a labor-intensive and challenging process, particularly in extreme environments such as high geothermal zones or cold regions, where human presence is often unsuitable or even hazardous. These conditions call for innovative construction techniques that can mi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yaxin Tao, Li Wang, Timothy Wangler, Karel Lesage, Geert De Schutter, Kim Van Tittelboom, Yong Yuan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Case Studies in Construction Materials
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525006515
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849434750083661824
author Yaxin Tao
Li Wang
Timothy Wangler
Karel Lesage
Geert De Schutter
Kim Van Tittelboom
Yong Yuan
author_facet Yaxin Tao
Li Wang
Timothy Wangler
Karel Lesage
Geert De Schutter
Kim Van Tittelboom
Yong Yuan
author_sort Yaxin Tao
collection DOAJ
description The construction of tunnel structures is a labor-intensive and challenging process, particularly in extreme environments such as high geothermal zones or cold regions, where human presence is often unsuitable or even hazardous. These conditions call for innovative construction techniques that can minimize on-site human intervention. Digital fabrication with concrete, particularly through 3D concrete printing, presents a transformative potential for automating the construction of tunnel structures. Unlike conventional methods such as mold-casting or shotcrete, which inherently ensure good adhesion between the material and the rock substrate, extrusion-based printable concrete (printcrete) faces significant challenges in achieving satisfactory adhesion, especially during its fresh and early hardening stages. Adhesion performance is critical for the structural integrity of printed tunnel structures, and a deeper understanding of this aspect is necessary. To this end, this paper consolidates prior research, focusing on three interacting components influencing the adhesion: the substrate, the printcrete, and any bonding agent at the interface. Based on these studies, the paper further discusses the unique adhesion challenges encountered in tunnel construction using printcrete and presents potential solutions.
format Article
id doaj-art-3d404ba2f5784a958708c1e4f77e2011
institution Kabale University
issn 2214-5095
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Case Studies in Construction Materials
spelling doaj-art-3d404ba2f5784a958708c1e4f77e20112025-08-20T03:26:31ZengElsevierCase Studies in Construction Materials2214-50952025-07-0122e0485310.1016/j.cscm.2025.e04853A (p)review: Adhesion of printcrete for tunnel structuresYaxin Tao0Li Wang1Timothy Wangler2Karel Lesage3Geert De Schutter4Kim Van Tittelboom5Yong Yuan6Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China; Department of Structural Engineering and Building Materials, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Institute for Building Materials, ETH Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandSchool of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China; Corresponding authors.Institute for Building Materials, ETH Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandDepartment of Structural Engineering and Building Materials, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumDepartment of Structural Engineering and Building Materials, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumDepartment of Structural Engineering and Building Materials, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumDepartment of Geotechnical Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China; Corresponding authors.The construction of tunnel structures is a labor-intensive and challenging process, particularly in extreme environments such as high geothermal zones or cold regions, where human presence is often unsuitable or even hazardous. These conditions call for innovative construction techniques that can minimize on-site human intervention. Digital fabrication with concrete, particularly through 3D concrete printing, presents a transformative potential for automating the construction of tunnel structures. Unlike conventional methods such as mold-casting or shotcrete, which inherently ensure good adhesion between the material and the rock substrate, extrusion-based printable concrete (printcrete) faces significant challenges in achieving satisfactory adhesion, especially during its fresh and early hardening stages. Adhesion performance is critical for the structural integrity of printed tunnel structures, and a deeper understanding of this aspect is necessary. To this end, this paper consolidates prior research, focusing on three interacting components influencing the adhesion: the substrate, the printcrete, and any bonding agent at the interface. Based on these studies, the paper further discusses the unique adhesion challenges encountered in tunnel construction using printcrete and presents potential solutions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525006515Extrusion-based 3D concrete printingPrintcreteAutomated constructionTunnel structuresAdhesionInterface
spellingShingle Yaxin Tao
Li Wang
Timothy Wangler
Karel Lesage
Geert De Schutter
Kim Van Tittelboom
Yong Yuan
A (p)review: Adhesion of printcrete for tunnel structures
Case Studies in Construction Materials
Extrusion-based 3D concrete printing
Printcrete
Automated construction
Tunnel structures
Adhesion
Interface
title A (p)review: Adhesion of printcrete for tunnel structures
title_full A (p)review: Adhesion of printcrete for tunnel structures
title_fullStr A (p)review: Adhesion of printcrete for tunnel structures
title_full_unstemmed A (p)review: Adhesion of printcrete for tunnel structures
title_short A (p)review: Adhesion of printcrete for tunnel structures
title_sort p review adhesion of printcrete for tunnel structures
topic Extrusion-based 3D concrete printing
Printcrete
Automated construction
Tunnel structures
Adhesion
Interface
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525006515
work_keys_str_mv AT yaxintao apreviewadhesionofprintcretefortunnelstructures
AT liwang apreviewadhesionofprintcretefortunnelstructures
AT timothywangler apreviewadhesionofprintcretefortunnelstructures
AT karellesage apreviewadhesionofprintcretefortunnelstructures
AT geertdeschutter apreviewadhesionofprintcretefortunnelstructures
AT kimvantittelboom apreviewadhesionofprintcretefortunnelstructures
AT yongyuan apreviewadhesionofprintcretefortunnelstructures
AT yaxintao previewadhesionofprintcretefortunnelstructures
AT liwang previewadhesionofprintcretefortunnelstructures
AT timothywangler previewadhesionofprintcretefortunnelstructures
AT karellesage previewadhesionofprintcretefortunnelstructures
AT geertdeschutter previewadhesionofprintcretefortunnelstructures
AT kimvantittelboom previewadhesionofprintcretefortunnelstructures
AT yongyuan previewadhesionofprintcretefortunnelstructures