Preliminary study on tensile performance of 3D-printed geogrids- effects of various geometrical configurations

This study aims to evaluate the tensile performance of additively manufactured polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) geogrids 3d printed using the material extrusion technique. The ‘Creality Ender-3 V-2‘ 3D printer was employed for this purpose. Subsequently, specimens were subjected to loading at a rate of 1 mm/min until failure occurred. The geometrical parameters investigated in this study included: (1) shape of the aperture (square, triangular, hexagonal), (2) aperture size, (3) rib thickness, and (4) type of junction. The results revealed that the failure of specimens was primarily brittle and independent of any specific geometrical configuration or modifications. The initiation of failure consistently originated from the junctions. Among specimens with typical junctions, the triaxial geogrids exhibited the highest tensile capacity, while among geogrids with modified junctions, the square geogrids performed the best. Additionally, the load capacity of geogrids was primarily governed by linear behaviour in terms of rib width, regardless of aperture size or shape whereas nonlinear regression model characterized the load-displacement curves. Finally, it is important to account for geometrical nonlinearity in specimens with hexagonal apertures.