Shan He (Smartincs project) printed the cover layer or (lost) formwork of a concrete beam which is fully loaded with functional properties. Actually this layer will be an essential part of the beams that will be later filled with a reinforcement cage and regular concrete. The printed cover zone contains fibres to provide strain hardening behaviour to ensure small cracks in the structure. Furthermore the material contains self healing agents which will be activated upon cracking and ingress of water, after which they will close the cracks and increase durability of the cover zone and with that of the entire structure. The beams will be tested in the coming months and the self healing ability behaviour will be investigated. Results will be shared later.
