Digital Fabrication Methods for Carbon Reinforced Shell-Like Concrete Structures (2026-02)¶

Low productivity and increasing labour shortages present major challenges in the traditional production of thin-walled structures. The CRC-Transregio 280 is therefore developing new design principles for carbon concrete that rely on robot-assisted, digitalised fabrication technologies and are complemented by customised material solutions. One example of this is the production of versatile, bionically inspired 3D textile reinforcements using a cooperative robotic system. In this process, the robot-assisted yarn placement is synchronised with the curing phase of the impregnation. The 3D textile reinforcement structure provides the general shape and support for the fresh concrete in a formwork-free construction method. This is applied to the textile in thin strips by extrusion from a robot-guided print head. The rheological properties are manipulated in such a way that both the textile is enclosed and the concrete stays in place. Comprehensive controls of material flow, spatial positioning of the textile reinforcement structure and the applied concrete layers are intended to enable real-time adjustments to be made. This innovative manufacturing method is intended to produce shell-like, self-penetrating lightweight components for a modular construction method using 3D printing. The combination of the precision and speed of robotics and the technological flexibility of advanced materials will pave the way for a more sustainable, resource-efficient future through carbon-reinforced concrete construction.