Researchers from Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology are working on a method of using textile-reinforced concrete for the creation of vaulted structures.
The team’s work builds on existing work in which carbon fibre is cast into concrete as an alternative to steel reinforcement.
The resulting material is lighter and has less embodied energy than conventional methods.
The University of Cambridge has produced a study showing textile reinforcement can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 65% compared with traditional solid floors.
Karin Lundgren, the university’s head of engineering and architecture, said: “What we have done is to develop a method that facilitates the calculation work of complex structures and reduces the need for testing of the load-bearing capacity.”
More information is available in an academic paper: Textile reinforced concrete members subjected to tension, bending, and in-plane loads, available here.
