High-efficiency Concrete Formwork Technology, Zurich, Switzerland

Prof. Fabio Gramazio, Prof. Matthias Kohler, Ammar Mirjan, Silvan Oesterle, Axel Vansteenkiste
Architecture & Digital Fabrication, ETH Zurich

Waste less Free-form Formwork Process Prototype: Double Sided Free-form Concrete Cast with Wax Formwork

The characteristics of concrete make it an ideal material for
complex, double-curved structures. However, the state of the art
in free-form formwork fabrication still consists of labor intensive
or wasteful technologies. The research project presented here
addresses the increasing use of free-form geometry in architectural
design and proposes a completely waste less fabrication method
of formwork for free-form, cast-on-site concrete structures. The
process consists of wax formwork elements, cast on a robotically
controlled adjustable mold, which can be assembled on site on
standard scaffolding, ready for concrete casting (for further details
please see the first phase competition poster).
Since the first phase, the wax formwork technology has been
developed further through material research, the development
of an adjustable mold and the development of a comprehensive
software tool for the design and fabrication of free-form concrete
formwork.
A 3m high concrete prototype was built in order to test all
material properties of the wax formwork (pressure, temperature,
toughness, surface quality) as well as assembly procedures in a 1:1,
on site situation.
Detailing of the wax elements such as a weight saving structure,
fixation details and fusing of joints was also developed to be
compatible with existing construction industry working methods.
adjustable mold was developed. A specifically developed top A custom flexible mold was developed specifically for the provides a fast and efficient way of forming wax formwork. elements are placed against a standard back structure and
surface is formed in to a double curved surface, interpolating forming of the re-useable wax formwork elements. The The process cycle is as follows: heated wax is poured into concrete is cast in the cavity. After striking the wax elements
between supports, based on information from a digital model. This mold allows for double curvature, with radii down to 0.5m. It the formed mold. After cooling and hardening the wax are melted and can be reused for further elements.
mold allows higher precision, faster processing times and smoother
surfaces than the earlier developed sand forming method. The top
surface is interchangeable according to the desired surface finish
of the concrete.
The developed software tools embed technical information about
the formwork system into the design process, allowing an architect
to make construction aware decisions in initial design phases. The
software also allows the direct export of fabrication information
to the robotic wax mold.
A full scale demonstrator project is planned to be executed later
this year, showcasing the architectural potential of using wax
formwork for cast-on-site concrete structures.
This research has developed in the scope of the European Union Framework Program 7
Tailorcrete Project. EU FP7 Tailorcrete partners: Bekaert, Chalmers, Czech Technical University,
Danish Technological Institute, designtoproduction, Dragados, El Caleyo, Gibotech, Grace,
Paschal, Superpool, Unicon, University of Southern Denmark.
Wax material has been provided by Paramelt. Support regarding concrete technology has
been provided by ETH, Institute for Physical Chemistry of Building Materials, Prof. Flatt.
Certain technical details have been omitted due to a patent application for this technology.

In order to form the wax elements, a robotically controlled

State of the Art: Bending Wood (l) & Milling EPS (r) Cyclical Concept: Fabrication of Re-Formable Formwork

Inexpensive formwork on site

Final result: two-sided free-form (double curved) concrete cast with corresponding wax formwork

Placement on site Re-use in next

project(-phase)

Image: designtoproduction Image: Nedcam Prefabrication on site

Waste less Fabrication of Formwork for Free-form Cast-on-site Concrete

Wax Re-use

Step 1: adjustable mold actuation Step 2: wax formwork cast on adjustable mold

Step 5: re-melting broken wax for new elements

Adjustable Mold Wax Pouring Wax Formwork On Site Concrete

New Digital Design and Planning Tools

With concrete construction spanning a broad range of expertise,
collaboration through an effective digital workflow is vital
to the successful execution of free-form concrete structures.
The new wax formwork fabrication process is thus integrated
with the development of new design software for concrete
structures that spans the whole development process from
architectural design, through planning to fabrication. The new
software provides the architect, already in preliminary design
stages, with design relevant formwork information such as Step 3: wax formwork ready Step 4: wax formwork on site Step 6: casting a new wax element on adjustable mold
maximum curvature radii and gap patterns. It also enables a
file to factory flow of planning data from the architect through
the formwork planner to the fabricator.

Concrete Pressure Prototype: 3m Column, Testing Formwork Performance and Assembly

A 3m high column was cast with very liquid self break or deform and was released without traces on the deformation, surface quality and release, but also on site
Concrete surface shape
compacting concrete, testing a worst case scenario for concrete surface. The primary purpose of this column assembly and handling methods.
Formwork layout Detailed fabrication
Gap pattern layout process information the wax formwork with high concrete pressure. As a prototype was the testing and evaluation in 1:1 scale of all The wax elements were cast on a robotically formed sand
remarkable result of the test, the wax formwork did not technical properties of the wax formwork such as strength, mold and were assembled in a standard back structure.

Design Planning Fabrication

Custom settings defined Formwork geometry

by the planner Formwork layout data
e.g. formwork sizes

$BASE=BASE_DATA[1]:{X 0, Y 0, Z 0, A 0, B 0,
C 0}
PTP {A1 72.286, A2 -63.818, A3 110.816, A4
180.687, A5 -42.674, A6 -197.423, E1 -1000,
E2 0}

$APO.CDIS=25

LIN {X -2072.0, Y 814.1, Z 523.5} C_DIS

LIN {X -2072.0, Y 814.1, Z 412.0}
LIN {X -2072.0, Y 814.1, Z 523.5} C_DIS
LIN {X -2022.0, Y 814.1, Z 523.5} C_DIS
LIN {X -2022.0, Y 814.1, Z 410.9}
LIN {X -2022.0, Y 814.1, Z 523.5} C_DIS
LIN
LIN
{X
{X
-2047.0,
-2047.0,
Y
Y
789.1,
789.1,
Z
Z
523.5}
410.4}
C_DIS
Setup: sand mold and robot Sand mold: loose and formed Creating the weight saving structure Uncasting wax formwork elements Setting up standard steel back structure
LIN {X -2047.0, Y 789.1, Z 523.5} C_DIS
LIN {X -2097.0, Y 789.1, Z 523.5} C_DIS

Design tool assisting architect with Formwork planning tool G-code generated by the formwork
real-time approximate information generating formwork geometry fabrication tool

Design system developed in collaboration with designtoproduction

On Site Assembly: Compatible with Conventional Methods

The wax formwork elements were designed to be compatible fixed on the back structure. Rebar and form ties are placed.
with existing formwork systems and assembly methods. After After fixing a second side of wax elements to a back structure,
erecting one side of a back structure, the wax elements are this is lifted in place and form ties are closed.

Placing wax formwork in back structure Removing back structure Removing wax formwork Final result
Form-tie anchor plate
Wood formwork
back structure

Research & Development: Material Properties, Weight Saving Structure, Strength, Assembly, Joints
Wood formwork Wax formwork elements Form tie, Angle-
back structure
cone Besides 1:1 scale prototyping, the wax formwork technology testing. Furthermore, detailing of the system and handling methods and tools. New, system-specific details have also
rotation 0-45 was developed through research on material properties procedures are designed in such a way to be low-tech and been developed such as fusing seams of wax elements on
(temperature, shrinkage, strength, deformation) and readily compatible with conventional on-site working site, producing quasi-seamless concrete surfaces.
Side A

Side A

Side A

Rebar with spacers

Holes for
from ties
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3
Concrete
Side A
Side B

Side B

Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 First prototype of 1x1m double curved wax element and concrete cast Front and back of wax element Testing strength Testing shrinkage Assembly details Fusing edges of wax panels