Strategies for the Reinforcement for 3D-Concrete-Printing (2020-07)¶

In its beginnings, reinforced concrete construction was associated with ingenious, material-saving constructions, designed from the understanding of the congenial interaction of the two materials concrete and steel. Today, reinforced concrete is the most widely used material in the construction industry. The use of system formwork and easy-to-install surface reinforcement promotes building structures that are optimized in terms of labour costs but often make inefficient use of materials. In this context, Stefan Polónyi has repeatedly criticized engineers' lack of understanding of the interaction between concrete and reinforcement. With concrete 3D printing, a digital production technology is available that enables new design freedom in concrete construction while at the same time using materials in a resource-efficient manner. For the integration of reinforcement, there is an opportunity for force flow-controlled guidance in the areas subject to tensile stress. This requires new strategies for the combined additive manufacturing of concrete and reinforcement.