FABRIC FORMWORK CONFERENCE SPEAKERS (order from left)

 

Openning lecture, Fabric Formwork Conference. (watch video)

 

David South, Founder,  Monolithic Dome Institute, Italy, Texas, USA. (watch video)

Over one thousand Monolithic domes have been constructed over the past 30 years using inflatable fabric forms. Many of these constructions are large insulat­ed buildings with diameters reaching 90 m. (300 ft.) or more. Others are smaller structures built as low-cost housing. Mr. South will review the work of his company and describe his construction methods.

 

Sandy Lawton Builder, Teacher, ArroDesign Waitsfield, Vermont, USA. (watch video)

ArroDesign Fabric Forming Techniques have been developed for the design and construction of rectilinear and curvilinear Concrete walls. The practical, commer­cial, application of fabric forming has allowed economical constructions of com­plex shapes and wall form configurations.  This work demonstrates the simplicity and variety of fabric forming, including the use of the fabric membrane as a “skin” over the form skeleton to produce efficient details derived using simple techniques. Practical techniques of fabric forming, bracing and placement will be discussed, as well as methods of integrat­ing fabric forming with composite wall technology to produce unique, efficiently constructed, and durable structures.

 

David Jolly Architect, Professor, Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile. (watch video)

Professor Jolly with Prof. Miguel Equyem and other colleagues at UCV and the Open City Group of Architects, has been constructing fabric-formed architectural experiments in South America since 2003. These include sculptural installations, stiff composite columns, bending moment-shaped beams, and a sculptural cast-in-place wall.

 

Fariborz Hashemian PhD Eng. Candidate U. of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. (watch video)

Curved, variable-section, moment-shaped beams distribute materials to most efficiently channel the compression and tension stresses to the sup­ports. Allowing stresses to follow their naturally desired paths reduces re­gions where the beams forces cross paths called “disturbed regions”. Reduc­ing or eliminating disturbed regions will result in considerable simplification in design and steel fabrication. Moment-shaped beams require 30% less concrete and 40% less reinforc­ing steel. Ductile mode of failure is assured by the flexibility of the moment­shaped beams. Moment-shaped beams remain intact and able to sustain self­weight even after serviceability failure. Although further research will make more applications possible, at this time, moment-shaped beams are suited for high dead-load or fixed loading conditions resulting in fixed moment envelope.

 

Arno Pronk Architect, Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands. (watch video)

Innovative technologies developed at the Technical University of Eindhoven use inflatable forms to shape thin-shell spray concrete and FRP (fibre reinforced Polymer) structures. These innovative construction methods can be used to build new, complex, architectural forms and lightweight, efficient, structures. This work includes engineering analysis, modeling and calculations for these de­signs.

 

Mark West   Profesor, Director  CAST, Winnipeg, Canada. (watch video)

The central focus of research at the Centre for Architectural Structures and Tech­nology (CAST) is the search for a new architectural ‘language’ of sensual fluid forms that can simultaneously provide efficient and sustainable structures. This work has developed techniques for constructing fabric-formed columns, walls, beams, trusses, panels, and thin-shell vaults using plain flat sheets of fab­ric and standard construction tools.

 

Farhood Delijani MSc-Eng. Student, U. of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. (watch video)

Current, ongoing, research demonstrates how permeable fabric formwork can improve concrete strength and surface hardness. Previous research on this sub­ject was limited to relatively high water-cement ration mix designs. Our current research is examining a lower water-cement ratio mix as well as a flyash con­crete. Formwork fabrics used in these tests are two standard geotextiles with different levels of permeability.

 

Kenzo Unno Architect, Tokyo,  Japan. (watch video)

The Umi Architectural Atelier in Tokyo, Japan, has developed methods of form­ing cast-in-place concrete walls formed in fabric molds. This presentation will describe how these techniques, named URC (Unno Reinforced Concrete) were invented and developed. The basic configuration of URC formworks will be described in detail, and built works using URC will be shown. Finally, the future of URC will be discussed through drawings and a sample model.

 

Daniel Lee PhD Architecture Candidate, University of Edingurgh, Scotland. (watch video)

Fabric formwork technology has made it possible to cast concrete beams to more complex and materially efficient forms. Yet the construction methodology and behaviour of such beams are rather new and thus require extensive stud­ies. In total, thirteen fabric-formed beams have been built, physically tested, and studied at the structural lab of Edinburgh University. The design and structural behaviour of these beams will be discussed based on our test results.Specifically, failure modes, ultimate limit state (bending and shear), and serviceability limit state (deflection and crack) of the beams will be discussed.

 

Remo Pedreschi Engineer,Professor, University of Edinburgh, Scotland. (watch video)

A series of projects undertaken by architecture students at the University of Edin­burgh explore the creative and pragmatic opportunities of fabric formwork. Constructions include, stacked columns, perforated and hollow columns, wall panels, shaped beams and arch structures. This work has led to the first practical application of the fabric formwork in the UK as screens for a housing develop­ment near Edinburgh.

 

Alan Chandler Architect, Professor, University of East London, England. (watch video)

In parallel to fabric-casting conventional and ‘super’ concretes, full scale carbon neutral casting with rammed earth and lime/hemp has been underway with Row­land Keable at the University of East London since 2004. We are developing in-situ fabric earth walling, a traveling fabric formwork system, and fabric formwork earth columns. Carbon neutral casting is the substance of the presentation.

 

Richard Fearn President & CEO, Fab-Form Industries, Surrey, B.C. Canada. (watch video)

The Fab-Form company is the first manufacturer of fabric forming products for building construction. This presentation will discuss the challenges of introduc­ing paradigm-shifting technologies into a construction market that is tradition­ally very slow to adopt new technologies. Other paradigm-shifting technolo­gies, such as gypsum wall board and engineered lumber, and the forces that eventually lead to their mass adoption, will be analyzed.