Enhanced compressive properties of cementitious composites through <scp>3D</scp> ‐printed polymeric concave hexagonal honeycomb cylindrical structures

Abstract The incorporation of 3D‐printed structures into cement‐based composite materials has notably enhanced their ductility. The distinct characteristics of structures with a negative Poisson's ratio, which contract laterally when compressed vertically, have captivated researchers due to their exceptional deformation behaviors. By amalgamating these negative Poisson's ratio structures with three dimensional (3D) printing technology, cement‐based composites are imbued with remarkable mechanical properties and an elevated capacity for energy absorption. Thus, this study introduces three circular tube designs based on an expanded unit cell concept, incorporating negative Poisson's ratio structures with varying concave angles within the tubes, culminating in six cylindrical configurations. To thoroughly assess the compressive performance enhancement of cement‐based materials via 3D‐printed structures, a baseline group of plain cement mortar was established. This research primarily employs Digital Image Correlation technology to investigate the deformation and failure patterns of structurally reinforced cement‐based materials under uniaxial compression. The findings reveal that, although the compressive strength of the enhanced cement‐based materials decreased significantly in comparison to plain cement mortar, the mode of failure during compression exhibited improvement, the ductility of the materials was augmented, and their energy absorption capability was enhanced.