MECHANICAL AND ENERGY ABSORPTION PROPERTIES OF 3D-PRINTED HONEYCOMB STRUCTURES WITH VORONOI TESSELLATIONS

Abstract

3D printing is the new frontier in building construction. It is especially useful for building small houses within a short period of time. Complete construction including the interior partitions and exterior facade can be achieved with 3D printing. In this thesis, a parametric Voronnoi model is proposed for quickly generating and fabricating 3D printed partitions for interior design. Parametric design allows rapid customization and enables manufacturing of unique structures with 3D printing. This technique allows for the fabrication of complex designs that would be difficult to fabricate with traditional manufacturing methods. Furthermore, the fabricated Voronoi structures are aesthetically pleasing and exhibits artistic expressions while maintaining structural integrity. Modular design allows different type of structural designs as needed with easy assembly using magnetic coupling. This study introduces a parametric design of a hexagonal block with an enclosed surface of relaxed Voronoi cells. A number of those blocks have been manufactured through a 3D printing process to be puzzle-like assemblage, producing a large-scale cohesive artistic wall. This study provides comprehensive and comparative testing to ensure the validity of the mechanical properties of the design and investigating the energy absorption characteristics for the proposed 3D printed hexagonal block. The best Voronoi structures exhibit superior mechanical and energy absorption properties compared to their non-Voronoi counterparts with energy absorption values ranging from 350 J to 435 J and crash force efficiency being 1.42 to 1.65.