A database framework for 3D concrete printing

• A database framework has been developed for 3D concrete printing, systematically storing data obtained across process steps and time scales. • Structured and reproducible data records covering diverse process settings, material compositions, and measurement techniques, are available, along with open source software tools to acquire and analyse the data. • The presented framework for data collection and storage is showcased on a modular 3D concrete printing system. A database framework is designed and presented to store data from 3D concrete printing (3DCP) processes. By systematically collecting and storing cross-disciplinary information obtained from these processes across multiple time scales, quality control methods can be improved, materials and systems can be optimized, and the digital product passport can be enriched with data that describes the history of the constructed object. Additionally, data sharing can accelerate the development of 3DCP as a wide range of systems and materials are utilized that are not always readily accessible to others. Making the often unique experimental data publicly available can push and accelerate innovation in the field. The presented database framework can describe the wide range of materials and systems used, which plays a central role in the framework as the processing method that can have a significant influence on the material properties and constructed objects. The experimental data from both the processing and evolution phases are stored in systematic and structured formats, allowing the results to be reproducible, interpretable, and analyzed over extended periods. The use of the framework is showcased on a modular 3D concrete printing system, and case studies show how the processing and evolution phases can be linked. Besides, data records are presented that follow the introduced framework and open-source software tools are provided that were used to acquire and analyze the data.