A process classification framework for defining and describing Digital Fabrication with Concrete

Digital Fabrication with Concrete (DFC) encompasses 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) and many other methods of production. DFC is emerging from an era of invention and demonstration to one where the merits of one principle over another needs to be quantified systematically. DFC technologies vary in characteristics, complexity and maturity which...

Transition from Fluid to Solid Concrete in the Flexible Mould Process

The transition period between the mixing of concrete and the begin of setting increasingly receives attention, as special production processes can be developed with tailor-made fresh state characteristics. In this publication the two processes of 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) and the production with the Flexible Mould Process (FMP) are...

3D Printing Concrete on temporary surfaces: The design and fabrication of a concrete shell structure

One of the geometrical restrictions associated with printed paste materials such as concrete, is that material must be self-supporting during printing. In this research paper a new methodology for 3D Printing Concrete onto a temporary freeform surface is presented. This is achieved by setting up a workflow for combining a Flexible Mould...

Double-curved panels produced in a flexible mould with selfcompacting fibre-reinforced concrete

The number of applications with thin flat, curved or double-curved elements often produced as architectural elements for façades is rising fast. If the repetition factor of the elements is limited, which is often the case in free-form architecture, the high number of unique moulds makes this type of architecture economically less viable....

Mapping double-curved surfaces for production of precast concrete shell elements

Practical implications of deforming a flat mould surface into a double-curved shape. Proposal for processing concrete elements with a complex double-curved geometry in an efficient and accurate manner using parametric, associative modelling.

Double-curved precast concrete elements: Research into technical viability of the flexible mould method

The production of precast, concrete elements with complex, double-curved geometry is expensive due to the high costcosts of the necessary moulds and the limited possibilities for mould reuse. Currently, CNC-milled foam moulds are the solution applied mostly in projects, offering good aesthetic performance, but also resulting in waste of material...

Shear-deforming textile reinforced concrete for the construction of double-curved structures

A composite textile reinforced concrete (TRC) material is developed to overcome the difficulties of constructing double-curved freeform structures. This is possible by shear-deformation of the woven reinforcement. It affects the direction of reinforcement and thickness, resulting in variable orthotropic properties over the surface. The research...

Kine-Mould: Manufacturing technology for curved architectural elements in concrete

The production of architectural elements with complex geometry is challenging for concrete manufacturers. Computer-numerically-controlled (CNC) milled foam moulds have been applied frequently in the last decades, resulting in good aesthetical performance. However, still the costs are high and a large volume of waste is produced. This paper...

Production of Curved Precast Concrete Elements for Shell Structures and Free-form Architecture using the Flexible Mould Method

Free-form buildings tend to be expensive. By optimizing the production process, economical and well-performing precast concrete structures can be manufactured. In this paper, a method is presented that allows producing highly accurate double curved-elements without the need for milling two expensive mould surfaces per single element. The...

Optimization of the flexible mould process for the production of double-curved concrete elements

Free-form buildings tend to be expensive. By optimizing the production process, economical and wellperforming concrete structures and elements can be manufactured. In this paper, an innovative method is presented that allows producing highly accurate double curved-elements without the need for milling two expensive mould surfaces per single...

The use of SCC and textile reinforcement

In an earlier article (CPI issue of August 2011 [1]) a method was presented for producing precast curved panels with a thickness of a few centimeters using the 'flexible mould method'. This method is the central theme in the PhD study of the first author on the realization of freeform architecture in concrete. The concrete panels manufactured...

Deliberate deformation of concrete after casting

This paper discusses the effect of intentional deformation of a flexible formwork after casting of the concrete and the influence of the characteristics of concrete in the fresh state on the quality of a concrete element. This deformation is intended to bring the concrete element in its desired final shape; the deformation typically takes place...

Curving Concrete: A Method for Manufacturing Double Curved Precast Concrete Panels using a Flexible Mould

Free form architecture with complex geometry brings along new challenges for manufacturers of building components. This paper describes the application of structural mechanics to predict the behaviour of an elastic mould surface, used as formwork for the manufacturing of double curved panels in precast concrete. Results are presented of...

Manufacturing Double Curved Precast Concrete Panels using a Flexible Mould

Free form architecture with complex geometry brings along new challenges for manufacturers of building components. This paper describes the application of structural mechanics to predict the behaviour of an elastic mould surface, used as formwork for the manufacturing of double curved panels in precast concrete. Results are presented of...

ПРОИЗВОДСТВО БЕТОННЫХ ЭЛЕМЕНТОВ С ДВУМЯ КРИВОЛИНЕЙНЫМИ КОНТУРАМИ - ПРИМЕНЕНИЕ ПЕРЕДОВЫХ ПРОИЗВОДСТВЕННЫХ МЕТОДОВ В СОЗДАНИИ СВОБОДНЫХ АРХИТЕКТУРНЫХ ФОРМ Manufacturing of Double-Curved Concrete Elements: Enabling free-form architecture through advanced manufacturing methods

В современных архитектурных решениях широко используется криволинейность свободных форм. Именно поэтому изогнутые элементы из сборного бетона могут быть потенциальным рын- ком для производителей. В прошлом не существовало просто- го способа для производства таких компонентов. Исследования, проводимые в докторантуре Дельфтского Технического...

Frei geformte Betonbauteile: Finden einer Fertigungsmethode

Due to the complexity of the freeform shapes it is often not possible to distinguish any repetitive elements in freeform buildings at all. Most freeform building designs consist of many single or double curved surfaces which require complex shapes for the mould and element edges. Since the costs of the moulds (formwork) for precast concrete make...

A flexible mold for double curved precast concrete elements

The manufacturing of double curved precast concrete elements is still expensive, due to the high costs and limited possibilities for repetitive use of the molds or formwork. The goal of a PhD project recently initiated at TU Delft is to develop a production method that overcomes these difficulties by enabling the mold to be used many times and...

Precast 2010: Assembling Freeform Buildings in Precast Concrete