Electronic controlled adaptive formwork for freeform concrete walls and shells

摘要

Concrete walls in general require two form work sides that are exposed to considerable rheological concrete pressure during casting process and the initial curing phases. For realization of complex geometry i.e. double curvature, additional technological complexity is the consequence. Free form wall formwork is nowadays dominated by the use of rigid milled foam blocks or router cut wooden rib and bulkhead style systems, resulting in a considerable amount of technical and financial effort in realization. A reusable formwork with the ability to change its topology multiple times according to a given geometry has the potential to reduce the economic and ecologic impact of free formed concrete walls thus allowing an extended formal freedom in architectural design. While adjustable form work tables for horizontally cast shells are presently researched on be at various places, the researcher's objective is a reusable two surface system that engages electronically controlled hydraulic or mechanic actuators to change the topology of its two upright formwork surfaces in a defined curvature range.