3D printing of curved concrete surfaces using Adaptable Membrane Formwork. (30th January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lim, Jian Hui; Weng, Yiwei; Pham, Quang-Cuong
• Is Part Of: Construction & building materials. Volume 232(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-01-30
• Subjects: 3D concrete printing -- Facade -- Non-developable surfaces -- Adaptable Membrane Formwork; Building materials -- Periodicals; 624.18
• DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.117075
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0950-0618

Abstract

Highlights: 3D printed a non-developable Dome and Saddle concrete panel. Proposed a method for the development of 3D printed curved concrete panels. Proposed a method to quantify the geometric fidelity of the printed panels. Abstract: In this paper, we study the printing of non-developable curved panels using existing 3D concrete printing technology combined with a novel Adaptable Membrane Formwork. The Adaptable Membrane Formwork consists of a grid of threaded rods, whose heights are adjustable and covered by a membrane sheet. Using this method, we were able to 3D-print, for the first time, Saddle and Dome-shaped concrete surfaces, which are non-developable. The printed specimens had good print quality and geometric fidelity, as shown by quantitative assessment. The proposed method thus demonstrates great potential for the 3D printing of freeform, curved and architectural facades.