Design of Formwork System For A Single Curved Structure Made of Rammed Earth

SIGraDi 2024 - XXVI International Conference of the Ibero-American Society of Digital Graphics, Barcelona, Spain, November 13-15, 2024.

Keywords: Digital fabrication, Computational design, Rammed earth, Formwork design, Single curved structure.

This study explores the potential of the rammed earth technique through contemporary design and making practices. The focus is on the design of a formwork for a single-curved structure to understand earth structures with complex geometries. The process includes three steps: (I) designing a single-curved structure in a digital environment, (II) designing and fabricating a formwork system, and (III) constructing the structure by compacting a soil mixture into the formwork system. The study’s findings emphasize that the formwork system must be designed to be incrementally elevated and disassembled into sections. By integrating rammed earth with contemporary design and construction practices, the study aims to uncover new potentials beyond standard methods and to enhance the recognition of earth as a viable material.

Ramming of the soil mixture using a rammer and pneumatic hammer.

A single curved rammed earth structure.

Cite: Uçkan, B., Yazıcı, S., & Işbilir, C. (2024). Design of formwork system for a single-curved structure made of rammed earth. In P. C. Herrera, P. Gómez, A. T. Estevez, & D. Torreblanca-Díaz (Eds.), Biodigital intelligent systems – Proceedings of the XXVIII Conference of the Iberoamerican Society of Digital Graphics (SIGraDi 2024) (pp. 971–982). iBAG-UIC. https://papers.cumincad.org/cgi-bin/works/paper/sigradi2024_111