4D printing for crack trapping and adaptive damage-tolerant structures
Morteza Sayah Irani, Mohammad Lakhi, Sadegh Ranjbar, Ali Zolfagharian · Emerald · 2025
A review synthesizes how 4D printing can enable crack trapping and damage-tolerant behavior through smart, metamaterial-based self-sensing and time-dependent shape change.
Plain English summary
Why this matters
Key findings
- 4D-printed structures can better handle damage when smart materials (notably metamaterials) and time-changing designs are used.
- Self-sensing and shape-morphing capabilities are highlighted as effective for detecting and mitigating damage under cyclic loading and fatigue.
- Layer-by-layer control and stimulus-responsive behaviors are associated with improved crack deflection, energy dissipation, and structural recovery.
Limitations
As a review, it does not present new experimental results in the abstract; it summarizes and compares existing experimental and computational studies. The abstract does not specify quantitative performance metrics, specific material systems, or which designs are most effective.
Publication
- Publisher
- Emerald
- Publication date
- October 14, 2025
- Research type
- Paper
- License
- https://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/
Tags
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