As architectural teams continue to push the limit of building design with ever more complex geometries, engineering and construction firms must develop clever solutions to execute these daring schemes on time and within budget.
During the course of several recent projects, engineers with Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) and fabricator CW Keller have created an integrated approach to model, design, and off-site fabricate formwork for complex concrete geometries. The process combines SGH’s expertise with concrete materials, construction, and analysis of intricate assemblies, with CW Keller’s advanced modeling and computer numerically controlled (CNC) fabrication capabilities, to create geometrically complex, prefabricated formwork systems.
“The combination of advanced CNC machining and emerging technologies in construction materials is pushing the bounds of what can be cost-effectively constructed in concrete,” says Matthew Johnson, Principal with SGH. Johnson says the two disciplines—structural engineering and formwork fabrication—work hand in hand since the fabrication model can serve as the basis of analysis models. As a result, “teams can assess many options early and rapidly,” he says.
On the team’s most recent project, the new Gulf Stream Tank at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science in Miami (pictured above), the prefab process saved roughly nine weeks of the project schedule compared with conventional site-constructed formwork. The elevated tank structure is 125-foot-diameter, conical, cast-in-place concrete construction. It will hold more than 500,000 gallons of seawater, and will feature an acrylic oculus to offer museum visitors views into the tank from below.
Also on the Building Team: Grimshaw (architect), Baker Concrete Construction (concrete subcontractor), Peri (shoring contractor), and Skanska (GC).
Photo: CW Keller
Photo: CW Keller
Rendering: Grimshaw
Related Stories
Design Innovation Report | Apr 27, 2023
BD+C's 2023 Design Innovation Report
Building Design+Construction’s Design Innovation Report presents projects, spaces, and initiatives—and the AEC professionals behind them—that push the boundaries of building design. This year, we feature four novel projects and one building science innovation.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023
Reinforced concrete walls and fins stiffen and shade the National Bank of Kuwait skyscraper
When the National Bank of Kuwait first conceived its new headquarters more than a decade ago, it wanted to make a statement about passive design with a soaring tower that could withstand the extreme heat of Kuwait City, the country’s desert capital.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023
HDR uses artificial intelligence tools to help design a vital health clinic in India
Architects from HDR worked pro bono with iKure, a technology-centric healthcare provider, to build a healthcare clinic in rural India.
3D Printing | Apr 11, 2023
University of Michigan’s DART Laboratory unveils Shell Wall—a concrete wall that’s lightweight and freeform 3D printed
The University of Michigan’s DART Laboratory has unveiled a new product called Shell Wall—which the organization describes as the first lightweight, freeform 3D printed and structurally reinforced concrete wall. The innovative product leverages DART Laboratory’s research and development on the use of 3D-printing technology to build structures that require less concrete.
Cladding and Facade Systems | Apr 5, 2023
Façade innovation: University of Stuttgart tests a ‘saturated building skin’ for lessening heat islands
HydroSKIN is a façade made with textiles that stores rainwater and uses it later to cool hot building exteriors. The façade innovation consists of an external, multilayered 3D textile that acts as a water collector and evaporator.
Transportation & Parking Facilities | Mar 23, 2023
Amsterdam debuts underwater bicycle parking facility that can accommodate over 4,000 bikes
In February, Amsterdam saw the opening of a new underwater bicycle parking facility. Located in the heart of the city—next to Amsterdam Central Station and under the river IJ (Amsterdam’s waterfront)—the facility, dubbed IJboulevard, has parking spots for over 4,000 bicycles, freeing up space on the street.
Concrete | Jan 24, 2023
Researchers investigate ancient Roman concrete to make durable, lower carbon mortar
Researchers have turned to an ancient Roman concrete recipe to develop more durable concrete that lasts for centuries and can potentially reduce the carbon impact of the built environment.
Sponsored | Resiliency | Dec 14, 2022
Flood protection: What building owners need to know to protect their properties
This course from Walter P Moore examines numerous flood protection approaches and building owner needs before delving into the flood protection process. Determining the flood resilience of a property can provide a good understanding of risk associated costs.
Giants 400 | Nov 14, 2022
4 emerging trends from BD+C's 2022 Giants 400 Report
Regenerative design, cognitive health, and jobsite robotics highlight the top trends from the 519 design and construction firms that participated in BD+C's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
AEC Tech | Apr 13, 2022
A robot automates elevator installation
Schindler—which manufactures and installs elevators, escalators, and moving walkways—has created a robot called R.I.S.E. (robotic installation system for elevators) to help install lifts in high-rise buildings.
