BINISHELLS IN NSW SCHOOLS

摘要

The post-war period was a time of considerable focus on the possibilities of concrete, with a number of architects experimenting with thin shells, geodesic domes and tensile structures. When Dr Dante Bini graduated from the University of Florence, Italy, in 1962, he was influenced by the experimental work of Heinz Isler, Felix Candela, Frei Otto and Buckminster Fuller. Although interested in domes as a built form, for Bini the expensive and complex formwork required was prohibitive. In trying to resolve this, Bini began exploring the potential of inflatable formwork, or what he would term 'Pneumoform'. His technique utilised an inflatable neoprene-coated nylon membrane overlaid with a network of steel springs and reinforcing bars. A thin layer of concrete was then poured over the membrane. In a process that took roughly one to three hours the membrane was then inflated, the entire mass of wet concrete, springs and reinforcement rising to the desired form. The Pneumoform used readily available materials, reduced waste, eliminated costly formwork and large site teams, and dramatically sped up the construction process.