TENSILE FORMWORK EXPLORATIONS

Plaster and Concrete

Spring 2016

Instructor: Tristan Al-Haddad

Partners: Maggie McDowell, Shamiah Grant and Thomas Antonacci

These formwork explorations used tensile structures, to create organic curves, taking advantage of the structural properties of Ultra-High Performance Concrete. UHPC is viscous and, at this scale, does not require re-bar reinforcing, when used with added steel fibers. 

Process models using plaster helped in understanding how flow and weight influence tensile formworks. Various materials were used as formworks, including trash bags, stretched surgical gloves and high strength rubber.

Ultimately, high strength rubber was used to make the final concrete form, due to its elasticity, allowing for variable forms , and its ability to support the weight of the 3’ by 3’ concrete tile. The design is a porous, folding structure.