MESH MOULD: ROBOTICALLY FABRICATED METAL MESHES AS CONCRETE FORMWORK AND REINFORCEMENT

Author(s): Norman Hack, Willi Lauer, Fabio Gramazio, Matthias Kohler
Book Title: FERRO-11 – 11th International Symposium on Ferrocement and 3rd ICTRC - International Conference on Textile Reinforced Concrete
Editor: Wolfgang Brameshuber
Print-ISBN: 978-2-35158-152-0
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-153-7
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2015
Pages: 347-358
Total Pages: 12
Language: English

Abstract: The research project Mesh Mould explores the unification of formwork and reinforcement into one single, robotically fabricated construction system. An industrial robot is used to spatially “weave” a three-dimensional mesh, which acts as porous formwork during the process of concrete pouring, and is activated as reinforcement after the concrete has cured. In a first project phase a three-dimensional polymer extrusion process was developed allowing quickly assessing a wide range of mesh patterns and subsequently establishing an appropriate relationship of mesh morphology and concrete rheology. Whereas in the first phase, the loadbearing capacity of the polymer meshes was only of minor concern, the sec-ond phase of the project deliberately focuses on the structural performance of the meshes. Therefor an automated robotic wire bending and welding tool for steel meshes was proto-typically developed, systematically tested and is currently undergoing further cycles of development. Concurrently a series of structurally differentiated metal meshes was fabricated semi-automatically and tested in destructive load tests. Particularly well performing mesh typologies subsequently inform the design of the next iteration of the robotic wire bending and welding manipulator. As such, the research aims to develop a fully automated in-situ robotic fabrication process for geometrically complex, loadbearing concrete constructions.

Online publication: 2015
Publication Type: full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00