Beetle inspired 3D printed cement could lead to disaster proof buildings

The 3D printing technique, developed by a group at Purdue University in the US, takes its inspiration from nature to control how damage spreads between the printed layers of a material. "Nature has to deal with weaknesses to survive, so we are using the 'built-in' weaknesses of cement-based materials to increase their toughness," said Jan Olek, a professor in Purdue's Lyles School of Civil Engineering.

It is thought that the group’s work could lead to more damage and flaw-tolerant structural elements like beams or columns.

The idea is inspired by the crack-propagation and toughening mechanisms seen in the shells of arthropods, including the mantis shrimp which conquers its prey with a "dactyl club" appendage that grows tougher on impact through twisting cracks that dissipate energy and prevent the club from falling apart.

3D printed cement-based materials – such as cement paste, mortar and concrete – would give engineers more control over design and performance, but technicalities have stood in the way of scaling them up. "3D printing has removed the need for creating a mould for each type of design, so that we can achieve these unique properties of cement-based materials that were not possible before," said Jeffrey Youngblood, Purdue professor of materials engineering.