A path towards the off-site automated fabrication of segmented concrete shells for building floors

Oval, Robin; Costa, Eduardo; Nuh, Mishael; Thomas-McEwen, Diana; Orr, John; Shepherd, Paul

Abstract

Concrete shells are a more sustainable alternative than plates as building fl oors, thanks to their eff ective use of concrete in compression. Although the construction of these geometrically complex structures becomes more challenging, off -site automated fabrication off ers solutions to effi ciently produce a shell in segments before assembling it on site. The segmentation of the shell provides the opportunity for deconstruction, reuse and reconfi guration for a circular economy of construction. This paper presents a path towards the realisation of this vision, highlighting the dialogue between the structural objectives and the construction technologies, informing the development of the structural system and its production. Actuated reconfi gurable moulds, robotic concrete spraying and robotic fi lament winding are explored to automate the prefabrication of segmented concrete shells. The production systems and some prototype samples are shown to present the current state of development.

• Presentation Conference Type: Edited Proceedings
• Conference Name: International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures
• Start Date: Aug 23, 2021
• End Date: Aug 27, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Aug 27, 2021
• Publication Date: Aug 27, 2021
• Deposit Date: Jan 14, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 14, 2025
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 26-36
• Book Title: Proceedings of the IASS Annual Symposium 2020/21 and the 7th International Conference on Spatial Structures: Inspiring the Next Generation
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/13612038
• Publisher URL: https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iass/piass/2020/00002020/00000001/art00003#