Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: There is no reason why concrete elements should be prismatic. Concrete is mouldable and can be cast in efficient forms which follow the stresses varying along the length of a concrete element. One option to achieve this is to use fabric as flexible formwork. Fabric deforms under the hydrostatic pressure exerted by wet concrete during construction, creating the shape of hardened concrete. The final shape needs to be known in advance to be able to perform the analysis and design of structural elements. This paper presents a form-finding approach capable of predicting the shape in cross-section of flexibly formed concrete elements. The approach is shown to predict geometry appropriately, based on the results of an experimental investigation, particularly when applied to complex shapes. The influence of construction tolerances, practical aspects and limitations of the approach are also discussed.
Institutions: Tony Gee and Partners, University of Bath
Language: English
Subfield: Architecture
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: Leverhulme Trust, University of Bath
OpenAlex ID: W2964286172