Fabric-Lined Tensile Formwork for Cast-in-Place Concrete Walls

Abstract

This research explores fabric-lined tensile formwork systems for casting structural concrete walls with an architectural finish. To mitigate the prohibitive cost of cast-in-place architectural concrete formwork, this research aims to minimize the materials consumed by the falsework and the specialty equipment required for its installation. Following a survey of contemporary tensile formwork, investigations into two fabric-lined tensile systems are presented: System-A, a scaffolding based system and System-B which incorporates an internal, tensile structure. This design-build research is conducted through a series of physical models in which each system culminates in full-scale prototypes for cast-in-place concrete walls. In addition to the unique architectural finish of the fabric formwork, the full-scale prototypes of System-A and System-B and are assessed for their ability to maintain select industry standards for structural integrity. The paper concludes with identifying future areas of research and questioning the role of specialty equipment and falsework in the construction of complex concrete forms.