High-Resolution Formwork 3D Printing for concrete
High-Res Concrete © CREATE
research FOCUS
The project High-resolution Formwork 3D Printing for Concrete challenges the conventional methods of concrete construction by rethinking the manufacturing process of the formwork. Despite the large impact of digital fabrication, the construction industry still relies on archaic methods for producing formworks: very limited in terms of automation, demanding a large quantity of labour-force, geometrically constrained, mostly made of temporary timber or steel structures that are expensive to customize. Already impacting for more than half of the overall costs of construction, conventional formwork technologies are becoming more and more obsolete and inefficient with the increasing demand for non-standard and complex design solutions.
Starting from the simple principle that concrete in its liquid state can fit almost any container, unexplored potential can be found in shell design based on non-standard high-performance geometries. The rapid development of digital design tools is currently supporting modelling and analysis of complex architectural shapes, which are currently limited in use by the existing gap between the digital environment and the modes of production mentioned above. In our research, we focus on developing an approach where Additive Manufacturing (AM) is tested for sustainable realization of complex and highly detailed construction elements to be used in freeform shell structures.
The research encompasses design, manufacturing and material developments. A range of construction applications are currently tested through a design/making research approach.
research CREDITS
High-Res Formwork 3D Printing for Concrete is a research project by CREATE, University of Southern Denmark - Asst. Prof. Dr. Roberto Naboni
Development Team: Roberto Naboni, Luca Breseghello
Industry Partners: WASP (3D Printers), Eni Versalis (Polymeric Materials), Hi-Con (High Performance Concrete)