The Fabric Formwork Book

Concrete is the most used man-made material in the world and is the fundamental physical medium for most of the world’s architecture and construction. The character of concrete is largely the product of the rigid moulds that have shaped it since its invention in antiquity. The advent of flexible moulds, however, marks a radical break from conventional practice – and conventional concrete architecture. The Fabric Formwork Book provides the first comprehensive handbook on the emerging technology of flexible moulds for reinforced concrete architecture. Written by the foremost expert in the field, this book takes a comprehensive and generous approach that includes technical, historical and theoretical aspects of the subject. The book: concentrates on simple flat-sheet formworks contains detailed technical descriptions of how to construct a wide range of formworks for various applications features case studies from around the world critiques the difficulties and advantages in each case it covers provides instruction and guidance on how to model and design fabric-formed structures includes the most comprehensive history of fabric formwork yet published features essays from guest expert authors, which explore the theoretical, historical, and poetic significance of flexibly formed architecture and structures discusses fabric formwork as an exemplary approach to sustainable construction through its simplicity and efficiency. Beautifully designed and illustrated with a superb range of images, diagrams and technical drawings, the book both informs and inspires. Speaking directly and plainly to professionals, students and academics, the language used is both clear and precise, and care is taken to avoid opaque technical or academic jargon. Technical terms, when used, are clearly described and a special glossary is included to make the book as widely accessible as possible.

Fabric-cast concrete involves casting concrete in forms made with flexible formwork. This provides the potential to produce forms that are both structurally efficient and architecturally exciting in a relatively inexpensive and practical manner. By careful shaping of the fabric it is possible to produce complex shapes that would otherwise be difficult and expensive to produce using conventional formwork systems. This book contains six essays that describe the collaboration between the Universities of Edinburgh and East London, together with the Centre for Architectural and Structural Technology (CAST) at the University of Manitoba, in their detailed and practical research into concrete casting and formwork. Richly illustrated with photographs and diagrams and containing new and innovative research this book offers the architect, engineer and student inspiration and technical guidance in this re-emerging material.

Concrete is the most used man-made material in the world and is the fundamental physical medium for most of the world's architecture and construction. The character of concrete is largely the product of the rigid moulds that have shaped it since its invention in antiquity. The advent of flexible moulds, however, marks a radical break from conventional practice - and conventional concrete architecture. The Fabric Formwork Book provides the first comprehensive handbook on the emerging technology of flexible moulds for reinforced concrete architecture. Written by the foremost expert in the field, this book takes a comprehensive and generous approach that includes technical, historical and theoretical aspects of the subject. The book: concentrates on simple flat-sheet formworks contains detailed technical descriptions of how to construct a wide range of formworks for various applications features case studies from around the world critiques the difficulties and advantages in each case it covers provides instruction and guidance on how to model and design fabric-formed structures includes the most comprehensive history of fabric formwork yet published features essays from guest expert authors, which explore the theoretical, historical, and poetic significance of flexibly formed architecture and structures discusses fabric formwork as an exemplary approach to sustainable construction through its simplicity and efficiency. Beautifully designed and illustrated with a superb range of images, diagrams and technical drawings, the book both informs and inspires. Speaking directly and plainly to professionals, students and academics, the language used is both clear and precise, and care is taken to avoid opaque technical or academic jargon. Technical terms, when used, are clearly described and a special glossary is included to make the book as widely accessible as possible.

In many war torn and poverty stricken regions, the indigenous architecture has been heavy mud and wattle roofs on thick mud walls. These structures, while cool in the summer, are of very low strength, are maintenance intensive, are time consuming to build, and are largely in massive disrepair. Replacing these mud structures with the light weight roofs of latex concrete produces a permanent architecture significantly more safe and strong, of very low maintenance, and of remarkably low cost, as the roofs can be built by available unskilled labor. The time required for reconstruction is considerably shorter than the time required to replace the older heavy construction, and the self-help characteristic of this new form of construction leads to more rapid recovery from disaster. This how-to-do-it manual teaches people how to build these new roofs.

Offers insights on currently-used concrete formwork structures, from classification, system components and materials' properties to selection and construction requirements and procedures, while considering product quality, labour, safety and economic factors throughout. The text details hand-set, crane-dependent and crane-independent systems.

How do we design in a climate emergency? A new social and ecological prerogative demands appropriate material choices, a re-invention of construction and evolving building programmes that look at lifecycle, embodied energy and energy use. Highly illustrated with practical information and simple explanations for design ideas, this book is the perfect introduction to sustainable design for architecture students. It presents key concepts in relation to the embodied energy of construction, material properties and environmental performance of buildings in an accessible way. In explaining the principles and technologies by which we heat, cool, moderate and mitigate, it demystifies environmental design as a technical exercise and enables students to create sustainable buildings with impact. Keep this sourcebook with you. Features: Amphibious House (Baca Architects), Ashen Cabin (HANNAH), Bunhill 2 Energy Centre (Ramboll, Cullinan Studio, McGurk Architects and Colloide), Cork House (Matthew Barnett Howland, Oliver Wilton and Dido Milne), Dymaxion House (Richard Buckminster Fuller), Eastgate Centre (Mick Pearce), Neuron Pod (Will Alsop – aLL Design and AKT II), Quik House (Adam Kalkin) and Tension Pavilion (StructureMode and Weber Industries). Covers: Acoustics, bamboo construction, biopolymer, bioremediation, CLT, climatic envelope, computational fluid dynamics, earthen architecture, fabric formwork, hempcrete, insulation, mycelium biofabrication, paper construction, passive solar heating, pneumatic structures, solar geometry, tensegrity structures, thermal mass and more.

In this important book, the authors unpack the theoretical and practical issues around the development of heritage sites, critically dissecting key conservation benchmarks such as the ICOMOS guidelines, BS 7913 and the RIBA Conservation Plan of Work to reveal the mechanics of heritage guidance, its advantages and conceptual limitations. Underpinned by an active understanding of the conservation philosophy of William Morris, the book presents five case studies from the UK and North and South America that speak about different facets of heritage value, such as urban identity, commodification, authenticity, materiality and heritage as an intellectual and ethical framework. Heritage is never neutral; its definition is privileged yet its influence is political. Art, landscape and archaeology all offer examples of how the operational ideas of adjacent disciplines can influence an integrated idea of heritage conservation, and how this is communicated in order to determine significance and share in its custodianship. This book provides insights into how to identify and challenge these limitations, expanding inclusion by describing tactics for changing how people can relate to and build on the past. Clearly written for all levels of readership within the conservation professions and community custodians of heritage buildings and places, the book provides strategies and tactics for understanding the heritage significance of materials, their fabrication, detail and use. The narratives that historic fabric contains can help shape the meaningful involvement of local people, providing a roadmap for those navigating the double-bind of using the past to underpin the future.