Microstructural characterization of a 3D-printed soil

Abstract

Transversal applications of 3D-printing (or Additive Manufacturing) have been recently implemented in the field of Geomechanics. In a 3D-printing process, the printed volume is obtained from successive layering of adjacent soil filaments. In this work, the fabric of an as-printed soil has been carried out by combining Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MIP) tests and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) observations, with the aim to highlight how the particle arrangements and the orientation and shape of pores are linked to the printing operation. The microstructural analyses showed that macropores are the result of the relative position of the filaments and their initial distortion in quasi-undrained conditions. Particle arrangement within the soil filament is strongly anisotropic, due to the rotative movement of the soil in the extruder.