Reinforced Concrete: The Latest Architecture and News

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• Architects

  Padovani Arquitetos Associados

• Location

  Campinas, Brazil

• Category

  Houses

• Architect in Charge

  Lucas Padovani

• Area

  550.0 m2

• Project Year

  2011

• Photographs

  Evelyn Müller

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• Architects

  NV Arquitetura

• Location

  Brazil

• Category

  Houses

• Lead Architects

  Nivia Vittore, Emilia Bagesteiro Riegel

• Project Team

  NV Arquitetura

• Area

  6243.07 ft2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Lio Simas, Rpdois Imagens

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• Architects

  OTP arquitetura

• Location

  Araçoiaba da Serra, Brazil

• Category

  Houses

• Arquitetos responsáveis

  Arthur Oishi, Pedro Prado, Raphael Takano

• Area

  220.0 m2

• Project Year

  2018

• Photographs

  Guilherme Pucci

The use of concrete in construction is probably one of the main trademarks of 20th century architecture. Concrete is composed of a combination of materials which when mixed with water solidify into the shape of the container where it is poured in. In this sense, it is the container or the ‘moulds’ who rule the outcome. The reuse of molds for casting concrete is a technique used to replicate and control the production of concrete elements or buildings. Architects and designers have used/created diverse types of molds and casting techniques to explore the limits of the material.

Complex designs often require bulky structural systems to support imaginative forms. But 3D printing technology has begun to provide unlimited architectural potential without compromising design or structural durability. Researchers at ETH Zurich, under the leadership of Benjamin Dillenburger, have now developed an innovative 3D sand printing technique that allows for quick molding and material reuse.

They have used this technique to create a formwork to fabricate an 80 square meter lightweight concrete slab at the DFAB House, the first and largest construction of its kind. The “Smart Slab,” which carries a two-story timber unit above it, merges the structural durability and strength of concrete with the design liberation of 3D printing.

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It's fundamental that architects know about structures, not only to bring their designs to reality but also to be able to discuss their projects with engineers in order to find the best solutions for construction. Structural pre-dimensioning is crucial to the initial design of the structural components, revealing the restrictions and the possibilities of the spaces.

One of the main loads that a structure must support is its own weight, so it's essential to know this information so that the different parts of the building can be dimensioned. When starting a structural project, the engineer doesn't yet know the dimensions of the different pieces that make up the structure, and therefore, can't know their own weight. A paradox appears without a solution: to know the weight it's necessary to know the dimensions, but, to know the dimensions, it's necessary to know the weight.

During the development of the project the architect finds himself in the curious situation of having to design without necessarily knowing the size of each of the parts of the building (such as the size of the pillars, for example). These important elements directly affect functionality and aesthetics of the project.

Cracks, which could be classified according to their thickness as fissures or fractures, are serious problems in the construction industry that can negatively affect aesthetics, durability and, most importantly, the structural characteristics of a project. They can happen anywhere, but occur especially in walls, beams, columns, and slabs, and usually, are caused by strains not considered in the design.