Robotic Spraying System Ideal for Curved Forms

Brief 

A recent study demonstrated the adaptability and efficiency of an automated robotic concrete spraying process that involved applying glass fiber-reinforced concrete to curved formworks with different levels of rib thickness. Researchers believe the process can be scaled up to reach efficient levels of industrial production.

Insight

In an article recently published in the journal Additive Manufacturing, researchers discussed the utility of automated robotic concrete spraying in the digital manufacturing of ribbed concrete shells.

Background

Concrete stands out among other frequently used construction materials because of its adaptability. Designers can produce highly efficient designs that reduce overall material costs and associated carbon emissions by making use of the material’s fluidity. The thin-shell concrete structure is one such design that has been widely employed to span large areas.

Engineers and architects devised techniques to make the formwork manufacturing of concrete shells more straightforward after realizing the difficulties in producing curved concrete shapes. However, the use of thin-shell concrete structures subsequently decreased as labor prices increased globally. Thin-shell concrete structures have recently attracted renewed interest, in part due to the form’s potential to save material.

It has taken a lot of effort to assess the possibilities of thin-shell concrete structures. However, the process of building these thin-shell concrete flooring still requires a lot of manual labor. Curved ribbed shells are not compatible with this technique, even though 3D printing of concrete may produce precise geometries. As an alternative to concrete 3D printing, several attempts have been undertaken to combine sprayed concrete with a robotic assembly.

Robotic concrete spraying has largely been used to produce thin architectural features. To assess the possibility of robotic concrete spraying for creating curved load-bearing structural parts, more research is needed. There are various difficulties in creating ribbed concrete shells for structural application.