JERUSALEM, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Researchers have developed a self-deploying concrete system that could significantly speed up construction while cutting costs and carbon emissions, the Israeli Institute of Technology said in a statement on Sunday.
Published in Communications Engineering, the study described a new type of construction formwork that arrives at building sites in a compact shape and automatically unfolds as concrete is poured into it.
In a demonstration, the researchers built a reinforced concrete structure 2.36 meters high with a base diameter of 2.4 meters, fully deployed in just 14 seconds.
The system uses flexible tubes containing steel cables that reinforce the concrete. Pressure from the poured concrete causes the tubes to unfold into their designed shape, eliminating much of the manual work normally required to assemble and remove large formwork systems.
Tests showed that the polymer shell surrounding the tubes increased the load-bearing capacity of concrete columns by about threefold.
The researchers estimated that producing the new formwork could cut related carbon emissions by about 50 percent, while its material costs could be about 94 percent lower than conventional wooden formwork.
The technology could eventually be used for buildings, infrastructure, emergency housing and construction in remote areas, the researchers said. ■
