New structural frameworks
An inflatable concrete dome
It is very expensive to use currently available construction methods to build free-form concrete shells. As a result, many designs are not implemented due to shortage of funds, but replaced with conventional solid structures. In principle, concrete shells come with the advantage of being very thin whilst also providing exceedingly wide spans. Past projects include shells with a span-to-thickness ratio of 1:1,000, whereas conventional beam or precast floors only achieve a ratio of up to 1:50 for very slender elements.
The new “Pneumatic Forming of Hardened Concrete” construction method developed...
