Earthworks // Pre-Fab Beam
2022
EarthWorks explores the potential for excavation waste or other soils sourced directly from the construction site to be 3D printed into large-scale cast-in-place, prefab, or tilt-up formwork for reinforced concrete. Applications include carbon saving shape optimized structural systems, thermal and acoustically performative surface conditions, and radical geometric design freedom. Here EarthWorks is used to generate zero waste molds for 3D shape optimized spanning elements like reinforced concrete beams.
Project team: Sandy Curth, Oliver Moldow, Natalie Pearl, Emily Wissemann, Latifa Alkhayat, Tim Cousin, Vincent Jackow, Moh Ismail, Caitlin Mueller
Open Access Publication here.
Citation: A. Curth et al., “EarthWorks: Zero waste 3D printed earthen formwork for shape-optimized, reinforced concrete construction,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 449, p. 138387, Oct. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2024.138387.
