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Summary

paper

Project Description

Objectives

Can a fabric be utilized in a flexible formwork to form a concrete member in a manner that has certain distinct advantages over the currently predominant method of forming concrete with a rigid formwork?

Can efficiencies using a flexible formwork be realized significantly enough to reduce our impact on the built environment in terms of materials and energy usage – is it sustainable?

Can a flexible fabric formwork be used to design concrete members in a manner that would be practical and useful to the design community?

Goals

efficient and sustainable

Background

Concrete International

Array

sustainable

Proposed Research

Phases I and II

distinct

Phase III

sustainable

Phase I – Proof of Concept

– Fabric as a Load Carrying Component

PhotoModeler 6

Array Array Array Array

reused

ADINA

Phase I – Test Series 1

Panel size – 24 inches x 36 inches x 6 inches thick (609.6 mm x 914.4 mm x 152.4 mm thick)

Six (6) fabric panels stretched to just a taut state

Water loading

Measurements taken

deflection at geometric center

fabric strain at selected locations

load cell at each corner of test frame

Panels loaded and unloaded for three (3) cycles

Phase I – Test Series 2

Panel size – 24 inches x 36 inches x 6 inches thick (609.6 mm x 914.4 mm x 152.4 mm thick)

Six (6) fabric panels prestressed 1% in the 24 inch (609.6 mm) machine direction (warp) and just taut in the 36 inch (914.4 mm) cross machine direction (fill)

Water loading

Measurements taken

initial prestress in fabric

deflection at geometric center

fabric strain at selected locations

load cell at each corner of test frame

Panels loaded and unloaded for three (3) cycles

Phase I – Test Series 3

Panel size – 24 inches x 36 inches x 6 inches thick (609.6 mm x 914.4 mm x 152.4 mm thick)

Six (6) fabric panels prestressed 1.5% in the 24 inch (609.6 mm) machine direction (warp) and just taut in the 36 inch (914.4 mm) cross machine direction (fill)

Water loading

Measurements taken

initial prestress in fabric

deflection at geometric center

fabric strain at selected locations

load cell at each corner of test frame

Panels loaded and unloaded for three (3) cycles

Phase I – Test Series 4

Panel size – 24 inches x 36 inches x 6 inches thick (609.6 mm x 914.4 mm x 152.4 mm thick)

Six (6) fabric panels prestressed 2% in the 24 inch (609.6 mm) machine direction (warp) and just taut in the 36 inch (914.4 mm) cross machine direction (fill)

Water loading

Measurements taken

initial prestress in fabric

deflection at geometric center

fabric strain at selected locations

load cell at each corner of test frame

Panels loaded and unloaded for three (3) cycles

Phase II – Proof of Concept

– Fabric as a Concrete Load Carrying Component

cleaned and reused

ADINA

Phase II – Test Series 1

Panel size – 36 inches x 48 inches x 6 inches thick (914.4 mm x 1,219.4 mm x 152.4 mm thick)

Six (6) fabric panels stretched to just a taut state

Plain concrete loading

Measurements taken

deflection at selected locations

fabric strain at selected locations

thermal couples in concrete

load cell at each corner of test frame

Panels loaded and unloaded (fabric stripped) for three (3) cycles

Phase II – Test Series 2

Panel size – 36 inches x 48 inches x 6 inches thick (914.4 mm x 1,219.4 mm x 152.4 mm thick)

Six (6) fabric panels prestressed 1% in the 36 inch (914.4 mm) machine direction (warp) and just taut in the 48 inch (1,219.4 mm) cross machine direction (fill)

Plain concrete loading

Measurements taken

initial prestress in fabric

deflection at selected locations

fabric strain at selected locations

thermal couples in concrete

load cell at each corner of test frame

load cell at each corner of test frame

Panels loaded and unloaded (fabric stripped) for three (3) cycles

Phase II – Test Series 3

Panel size – 36 inches x 48 inches x 6 inches thick (914.4 mm x 1,219.4 mm x 152.4 mm thick)

Six (6) fabric panels prestressed 1.5% in the 36 inch (914.4 mm) machine direction (warp) and just taut in the 48 inch (1,219.4 mm) cross machine direction (fill)

Plain concrete loading

Measurements taken

initial prestress in fabric

deflection at selected locations

fabric strain at selected locations

thermal couples in concrete

load cell at each corner of test frame

Panels loaded and unloaded (fabric stripped) for three (3) cycles

Phase II – Test Series 4

Panel size – 36 inches x 48 inches x 6 inches thick (914.4 mm x 1,219.4 mm x 152.4 mm thick)

Six (6) fabric panels prestressed 2% in the 36 inch (914.4 mm) machine direction (warp) and just taut in the 48 inch (1,219.4 mm) cross machine direction (fill)

Plain concrete loading

Measurements taken

initial prestress in fabric

deflection at selected locations

fabric strain at selected locations

thermal couples in concrete

load cell at each corner of test frame

Panels loaded and unloaded (fabric stripped) for three (3) cycles

Phase III – Proof of Concept

– Fabric Used to Form a Practical Load Carrying Component

ADINA

ADINA

Array Array

Phase III – Test Series 1 (Control Panel)

Panel size – 12’-0” x 8’-0” x 3½”-thick (3.7 m x 2.4 m x 88.9 mm thick)

Six (6) fabric panels prestressed 2% in the 8’-0” (2.4m) machine direction (warp) and just taut in the 12’-0” (3.7 m) cross machine direction (fill), three (3) panels for positive loads and three (3) panels for negative loads

Plain concrete mix

Measurements taken during forming

initial prestress in fabric

deflection at selected locations

thermal couples in concrete

fabric strain at selected locations

load cell at each corner of test frame

Panels stripped from fabric and loaded laterally to simulate positive and negative wind loads (uniform load applied using vacuum chamber)

Measurements taken during lateral loading

deflection at selected locations

concrete strain at selected locations

load cell at panel reaction points

Phase III – Test Series 2 (Reinforced Panel)

Panel size – 12’-0” x 8’-0” x 3½”-thick (3.7 m x 2.4 m x 88.9 mm thick)

Six (6) fabric panels prestressed 2% in the 8’-0” (2.4 m) machine direction (warp) and just taut in the 12’-0” (3.7 m) cross machine direction (fill), three (3) panels for positive loads and three (3) panels for negative loads

FRP or steel reinforced concrete panel

Measurements taken during forming

initial prestress in fabric

deflection at selected locations

thermal couples in concrete

fabric strain at selected locations

load cell at each corner of test frame

Panels stripped from fabric and loaded laterally to simulate positive and negative wind loads (uniform load applied using vacuum chamber)

Measurements taken during lateral loading

deflection at selected locations

concrete strain at selected locations

load cell at panel reaction points

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See Also

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References

Concrete International
http://www.umanitoba.ca/cast_building/
Concrete International
PhotoModelerAvailable
ADINAAvailable

External Links

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