Fast Complexity (2020)
article⁄Fast Complexity (2020)
abstract⁄The concrete industry is responsible for 8 of the global CO2 emissions. Therefore, using concrete in more complex and optimized shapes can have a significant benefit to the environment. Digital fabrication with concrete aims to overcome the geometric limitations of standardized formworks and thereby reduce the ecological footprint of the building industry. One of the most significant material economy potentials is in structural slabs because they represent 85 of the weight of multistory concrete structures. To address this opportunity, Fast Complexity proposes an automated fabrication process for highly optimized slabs with ornamented soffits. The method combines reusable 3Dprinted formwork 3DPF and 3D concrete printing 3DCP. 3DPF uses binderjetting, a process with submillimetre resolution. A polyester coating is applied to ensure reusability and smooth concrete surfaces otherwise not achievable with 3DCP alone. 3DPF is selectively used only where highquality finishing is necessary, while all other surfaces are fabricated formworkfree with 3DCP. The 3DCP process was developed interdisciplinary at ETH Zurich and employs a twocomponent material system consisting of Portland cement mortar and calcium aluminate cement accelerator paste. This fabrication process provides a seamless transition from digital casting to 3DCP in a continuous automated process. Fast Complexity selectively uses two complementary additive manufacturing methods, optimizing the fabrication speed. In this regard, the prototype exhibits two different surface qualities, reflecting the specific resolutions of the two digital processes. 3DCP inherits the fine resolution of the 3DPF strictly for the smooth, visible surfaces of the soffit, for which aesthetics are essential. In contrast, the hidden parts of the slab use the coarse resolution specific to the 3DCP process, not requiring any formwork and implicitly achieving faster fabrication. In the context of an increased interest in construction additive manufacturing, Fast Complexity explicitly addresses the low resolution, lack of geometric freedom, and limited reinforcement options typical to layered extrusion 3DCP, as well as the limited customizability in concrete technology.
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| Year |
2020 |
| Authors |
Anton, Ana; Jipa, Andrei; Reiter, Lex; Dillenburger, Benjamin. |
| Issue |
ACADIA 2020: Distributed Proximities / Volume II: Projects |
| Pages |
236-241 |
| Library link |
N/A |
| Entry filename |
fast-complexity |
