Bio-Inspired Solutions for Jersey and Road Noise Barriers: Exploring 3D Printing As Alternative Precast Technology

Details

• Creators:
  Zavattieri, Pablo ; Olek, Jan ; Youngblood, Jeffrey P
• Corporate Creators:
  Purdue University. Lyles Department of Civil Engineering ; Sperra
• Corporate Contributors:
  Transportation Infrastructure Precast Innovation Center (TRANS-IPIC) Tier-1 University Transportation Center (UTC) ; United States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program ; United States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Architected Materials Bio-inspired Materials Bouligand Structure Computer Aided Manufacturing Energy Absorption Engineering Tolerances Fabrication Impact Impact Resistance Infrastructure Precast Concrete Roadside Roadside Barriers Robotic Fabrication Robots Safety Sinusoidal Helicoidal Testing Three Dimensional Printing Traffic Barriers

  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  PU-24-RP-03
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final Report: September 2023 – November 2025
• Corporate Publisher:
  Transportation Infrastructure Precast Innovation Center (TRANS-IPIC) Tier-1 University Transportation Center (UTC)
• Abstract:
  This research developed and validated a novel approach for creating high-performance roadside barriers by integrating bio-inspired Bouligand and sinusoidal Bouligand architectures with large-scale 3D concrete printing, demonstrating that these strategically designed structures achieve a 13.5% increase in compressive strength and a 35% increase in energy absorption compared to conventional concrete. The project successfully established a complete digital fabrication workflow for robotic manufacturing and a correlated testing framework, concluding that this methodology produces a superior, damage-tolerant material suitable for next-generation transportation infrastructure; the results can be immediately used by transportation agencies and precast manufacturers to initiate pilot-scale deployments and guide the development of advanced barrier systems that offer enhanced safety through improved impact resistance.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  69A3552348333
• Collection(s):
  University Transportation Centers
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e3c542d817136b570098657f9bc1a54f078102e9cc7750ca0f1268e5cc1108538bcdfe23bb8534aeeda2fa272a1e23dc7616f9ddcefb874ee92cb721639297bf
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/89205/dot_89205_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.16 MB ]