Dynamic Robotic Slip-Form Casting and Eco-Friendly Building Façade Design

Abstract

Robot arm technology has been increasingly considered a future solution for the building industry, which is keen to develop eco-friendly and labor-efficient processes. The automobile industry provides a powerful reference for such a revolution. However, in contrast to the automobile industry, which mostly uses standard industrial materials, such as metal, the building industry still relies on a variety of traditional materials, including concrete cement, brick and clay. Although precast building components have been highly promoted, they present innate constraints, including limitations associated with transportation, storage, and installation capacity, which greatly impact the overall budget. In this paper, research on a dynamic slip-form concrete extrusion method based on a robot arm technique will be presented within the scope of laboratory experiments, on-site fabrication and a design-oriented installation that carefully considers energy efficiency and lighting optimization.