3DLIGHTSLAB

Project Description

3DLightSlab aims at revolutionizing construction practices through 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP). With a primary goal of reducing CO2 emissions in the built environment, our study employs stress-based design principles to create load-bearing slabs with high sustainable potential. These slabs feature isostatic ribs that adapt to various shapes, support arrangements, and load conditions, optimizing rib layout and material efficiency. A comprehensive case study showcases a load-bearing slab supported by two columns, demonstrating its capacity to withstand combined loads. Our streamlined pipeline incorporates Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to fine-tune rib dimensions and density, ensuring structural integrity that meets Eurocode standards for serviceability. The fabrication process employs rapid material deposition methods, and bending tests, simulated through a shell-based approach, affirm the slabs' ability to meet design loads. The design of 3DLightSlab, its successful fabrication, and structural testing prove the potential of 3DCP to overcome the manufacturing limitations that have limited the widespread adoption of isostatic ribbed slabs. Coupling the principles of the architectural precedents from Pierluigi Nervi and Hans-Dieter Hecker with computational design and the additive nature of 3DCP, a new aesthetic emerges for structurally-efficient horizontal structures of a reduced environmental impact.