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concrete

Concrete is all around us, everywhere you look. It


is one of the most abundant and economical struc-
tural materials in the world. Concrete is a masonry
product composed of cement, sand and gravel or
other coarse aggregate. When water is mixed in
with concrete, it activates the cement component,
which is the element responsible for binding the mix
together to form one solid object.

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history
The ancient Romans first used lime and pozzolana, a volca-
nic ash, to create a hard setting mortar. By adding rubble and
other aggregate, the Romans created opus caementitium.
The most famous example of this early form of concrete is the
Pantheon in Rome, Italy.

Modern concrete was invented by the British engineer John


Smeaton in 18th century, alongside the rapidly growing use
of iron and steel for building construction. Portland Cement,
the main ingredient in modern concrete, was patented in 1824
by Joseph Aspdin. In the 1867 Frenchman Joseph Monier
combined the tensile strength of steel and the compressional
strength of concrete to create the composite building mate-
rial known as reinforced concrete. Today, nearly all concrete
construction is reinforced concrete.

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http://www.znanje.org/i/i27/07iv03/07iv0321/pantheon.jpg

1. Roman Pantheon, early example of concrete


2. Concrete slab showing basic steel reinforcement
3. Portland Cement, key ingredient in concrete 3 2
http://www.momahoney.com/M.O%27MahoneyCo%20File/Images/MOMSupplies/Ce- http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/884/5019427.JPG
types
Concrete is available in 3 main types. The most common
is ready-mix concrete, which accounts for more than three-
fourths of all concrete construction. Ready mix concrete is
mixed off site at a central plant and shipped to the construc-
tion site in large trucks. Another type is Pre-cast concrete,
which has become widely popular especially in hotels and
apartments where repetitive elements are common. Pre-cast
concrete is mixed and cured at the factory under ideal condi-
tions, producing a higher quality concrete. The last form of
concrete is the concrete masonry unit, which in best known
for its standard 8x8x16 inch block. Because they are cured in
the factory, they can be mass produced and designed to suit
any architectural need.

1 2
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Concrete_pouring_0020.jpg http://www.prestasi-concrete.com/images/M2(small).JPG

1. concstruction crew pouring cast in place foundation


2. prefabricated concrete beams
3. concrete masonry units, curing in the factory yard 3
http://www.wizzard.com/bm2004/Images/event_jill/big/07390016.jpg
thin shell design
Some of the most innovative uses of concrete appear when
architects and engineers are able employ complex geometric
shapes in their building design.
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http://www.fundacioncac.es/cas/artesyciencias/mediateca/download/20049913856o-2178dig_jft.jpg

http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/678558.jpg
dulles international airport
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thin shell cave
Our first large scale plaster model was inspired by the Ameri-
can Air Museum in Duxford, England (page X). This model
is approx. 30” x 24” x 12”. We encountered several problems
with this project. Despite being only 1/8” thick at the top, this
model required nearly half a gallon of plaster. Managing large
quantities of wet plaster proved to be challenging, and we
were forced to pour several batches. Creating accurate form-
work for complex geometric shapes also proved to be quite a
challenge. The American Air Museum is based off a tourus,
or 3D doughnut, producing a non-deformable section that is
curved in two directions, which we were unable to replicate.
Despite this setback, our “cave” is remarkably strong, so long
as the outward thrusts of the abbutments are resisted.

3 4

1. Thin shell cave with plexiglass formwork half removed.


2. Perspective image of the cave.
3. Detail of cave abbutment and wire screen reinforcement.
4. Side elevation, showing straight edge instead of doubly
curved shell.
precast "tee" beams
An important structural feature of the American Air Museum
is the precast concrete "tee" beams that form the curved roof.
Despite the complex geometry of the building, the concrete
manufacturers were able to cast the 200+ beams required
with only six different sets of steel formwork. We were able to
approximate one of these sets of formwork and use it to cast
two identical tee beams at 1:50 scale (8" x 2" x 1"). Instead of
steel, we used wood faced with plexiglass to make our molds.
Once assembled with masking tape, plaster was poured into
one end of the mold and allowed to cure fully before striking
the mold and repeating the process.

1 2

1. Formwork pieces laid out


2. Formwork partially assembled
3. Detail of lateral reinforcing wires.
4. Finished "tee" beams. 4
1 part sand aggregate 2 part sand aggregate

3 part sand aggregate 4 part sand aggregate


reinforced plaster
We tried several methods of reinforcing our plaster. In our
first attempt, we used medical guaze. The plaster seemed
to have a negative reaction to it, perhaps due to some coat-
ing on the gauze. It was difficult to make the plaster adhear
well to the fibers, although once it cured, the gauze was able
to hold the plaster together even after complete failure. The
randomly oriented fiber strands produced a very strong slab,
due mostly to the thickness and density of the fibers. This
thickness however prevented us from producing a slab less
than a quarter inch thick. In our third experiment, we used
a wire screen to reinforce the plaster on our thin shell cave.
The metal screen prevents tensile forces from cracking the
thin plaster.

1. Medical gauze
2.. Randomly orriented fiber strands
3. Wire screen 3

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