Laboratoire LaMé –

Université d’Orléans

The LaMé gathers professors and researchers in mechanics from the universities of Orléans and Tours and from INSA Centre Val de Loire.

The main themes of the LaMé focus on the mechanical characterization of materials and structures for their modelling.

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Introducing LaMé laboratory – University of Orléans

The Gabriel Lamé Laboratory of Mechanics (LaMé) is a research laboratory under the triple supervision of the University of Orléans, the University of Tours and INSA Centre Val de Loire.

It is structured in 4 research teams, including the C2MP (Mechanical Behaviour of Materials and Processes) and C3M (Multi-scale, Multi-physics Characterization and Modelling) teams, which carry out their activities in particular in the fields of eco-friendly construction materials, additive manufacturing and advanced digital simulation.

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Significant experience in the characterization
of construction materials

The LaMé C2MP team has extensive experience in the formulation and characterization of construction materials.

It has particularly developed its expertise in the field of mixture proportioning of 3D-printable cementitious mortars containing substitute materials (recycled sands and/or low-carbon binders).

In particular, the team has developed :

Specific characterization and formulation methods for 3D-printable cementitious mortars, in which 100% of the natural sand is replaced by recycled sand without significantly affecting the rheological and mechanical properties of the material.

Original characterization protocols for the fresh behaviour of printable mortars have also been developed.

Skills in numerical simulation of geomaterials and in probabilistic modeling

LaMé, through the C3M team, also has proven skills in the field of digital simulation of geomaterials and in probabilistic modelling.

These skills have already been used in the field of 3D printing of concrete by developing digital simulation procedures for the 3D printing process in order to study the stability of printed structures during the production phase (in the fresh state).

Stability of printed forms

This work also allowed to take into account the influence of uncertainties (geometry uncertainties linked to the process and/or uncertainties linked to the properties of the printable materials) on the stability of the printed shapes by considering the different modes of failure that can occur during printing (buckling or plastic rupture).

Role of the partner in the project

LaMé laboratory will work in collaboration with IMT NE, INISMa and Buildwise, firstly in the formulation of low-carbon printable inks which will be composed of substitute materials, both for the granular skeleton (replacement of traditional aggregates with alternative or recycled materials) and for the binding phase (replacement of part of the cement with mineral additions).

It will then work, again in collaboration with Buildwise, IMT NE and INISMa, in particular on the characterization of the behaviour of printable inks in the fresh state, by modifying and/or supplementing existing protocols in order to have reliable tests to identify the relevant parameters of the “printable” behaviour of inks in the fresh state.

The experimental data identified previously will then be used to simulate the 3D printing process and study the stability of the freshly printed shapes. These simulations will first be compared to the prints made by the various project partners in order to validate the models. They will then be used to support the design of the demonstrator shapes in order to select/design stable shapes during printing depending on the process used. The printing campaigns carried out in controlled environments at the CRIStAL laboratory will also make it possible to take into account the temperature and relative humidity parameters in the developed models and to integrate them into the predictive stability calculations.

Finally, the LaMé laboratory will also be involved in the study of the properties of printed formwork in the hardened state. It will participate in the mechanical characterization of printed inks and will then be able to integrate the mechanical parameters in the hardened state into numerical simulations in order to predict/verify the mechanical resistance of the formwork (in particular during the lifting and pouring phases).

The project in action

Our partner's latest photos about the project

Contact LaMé - Université d’Orleans