# Design process for a prototype concrete shells using a hybrid cable-net and fabric formwork

Veenendaal D. and Block P.
Engineering Structures
2014
doi: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2014.05.036

By combining a cable net with a fabric, it is possible to scale the concept of flexible formworks to the size of large-span roofs and bridges, especially when applying a thin coat of concrete or mortar to form a shell structure. By carefully designing the cable net and its topology, and calculating and controlling the prestressing forces, it is possible to form a wide range of anticlastic shapes, beyond those of the hyperbolic paraboloid. A complete workflow for the computational design and optimization of a shell shape and its corresponding flexible formwork are presented as a proof-of-concept for future work. A prototype shell structure was built based on this workflow to validate the overall approach, and identify further challenges. In addition, a first comprehensive overview of flexible formworks for anticlastic shells is presented to frame the present research.

BibTeX

@article{Veenendaal2014,
author  = "Veenendaal, D. and Block, P.",
title   = "Design process for a prototype concrete shells using a hybrid cable-net and fabric formwork",
journal = "Engineering Structures",
year    = "2014",
volume  = "75",
number  = "",
pages   = "39-50",
month   = "",
doi     = "10.1016/j.engstruct.2014.05.036",
note    = "",
}

Related publications

Proceedings of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) Symposium,Amsterdam,2015 (August).
Proceedings of the IASS-SLTE 2014 Symposium,Brasilia, Brazil,2014.

ETH Zurich
Institute of Technology in Architecture
Block Research Group
Stefano-Franscini-Platz 1, HIB E 45
8093 Zurich, Switzerland
paulson@arch.ethz.ch
block.arch.ethz.ch

+41 44 633 38 35  phone
+41 44 633 10 53  fax