Dry and Liquid clay mix drone spraying for Bioshotcrete

Stephanie Chaltiel, Maite Bravo, Sebastien Goessens, Pierre Latteur, Masoumeh Mansouri, Ismail Ahmad

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

“Bioshotcrete” is a new technology being developed by a team of robotic experts, architects, engineers, and drones’ specialists, aiming at using drones in the construction industry to spray natural materials over a temporary light formwork until a self-standing shell is completed. This technique consists in projecting paste-like matter composed of clay mixes following precise and customized deposition sequences over a temporary formwork, incorporating computational techniques in the design and fabrication stages, therefore proposing a more sustainable version of shotcrete. In particular, this paper features experiments using drones for spraying wet and dry ranges of clay mixes over a reusable inflatable formwork with the purpose to build monolithic earthen shells. The featured case studies propose specific protocols to control different deposition sequences, describing the proper formulation of clay mixes, the design and production of customized spraying devices, and fitting options in the drone allowing to vary pressure and other drone spraying parameters. The development of Bioshotcrete using robotic fabrication strategies could help expand and transform existing construction methods and processes to be applied at large scale, therefore incorporating innovative digital fabrication protocols towards a more sustainable building construction realm.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures Annual Symposium (IASS 2018)
Subtitle of host publicationReimaging material and design
PublisherInternational Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS)
Number of pages8
Publication statusPublished - 16 Jul 2018
EventInternational Association for Shell and Spatial Structures Annual Symposium (IASS 2018) - Boston, United States
Duration: 16 Jul 201820 Jul 2018

Publication series

NameProceedings of IASS Annual Symposia
PublisherIASS
ISSN (Electronic)2518-6582

Conference

ConferenceInternational Association for Shell and Spatial Structures Annual Symposium (IASS 2018)
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityBoston
Period16/07/1820/07/18

Keywords

  • Shotcrete
  • digital fabrication
  • drones in construction
  • earth architecture
  • on site fabrication
  • prefabrication

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