The production of ultra-thin and functional concrete roofs

the> >Swiss Federal University of Applied Sciences Zurich<<has developed a process to create ultra-thin, functional and at the same time stable concrete roofs.

> > Swiss Federal University of Applied Sciences Zurich<<“ETH Zurich scientists have built a prototype for an ultra-thin and heavily corrugated concrete roof with new design and manufacturing methods. … The self-supporting and double curved shell roof consists of several layers. The heating and cooling coils are located on the inner concrete layer and an insulating layer. Another concrete layer closes to the outsidethe roof on which thin-film solar cells are attached. Thanks to this technology and an adaptive solar facade, the residential unit should one day generate more energy than it consumes.”> >Neuer Zürcher Zeitung<<“ETH researchers have developed a revolutionary construction method for self-supporting lightweight roofs. A first prototype has already been built, and in the coming spring an identically concrete roof will be installed on the Nest research building Nest and Empa in Dübendorf. … The roof is an element of the so-called Hilo residential unit integrated into the nest. Hilo can for “highEfficiency – Low Energy”, “High Performance – Low Impact” or “Hightech – Low Weight” stand. … The Hilo unit on the Nest is intended to generate more energy than the residents consume as a plus-energy penthouse with an adaptive solar facade and thin-film solar cells integrated in the roof. The insulation layer and the heating coils are under the concrete shell with the solar cellsFor the water heating, to the inside, a layer of fair-faced concrete closes the shell. Thanks to this sandwich construction, the roof meets today’s energy standards; It is well insulated and there are no cold bridges. What is really revolutionary, however, is the shell’s construction method at the interface of architecture and construction technology, which Block and its group developed in several years of work:Instead of curved wood or plastic formwork, which is associated with enormous material consumption, the ETH researchers rely on textile formwork. This rests on a steel cable net, which is stretched between peripheral edge beams installed on supports.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=binbAaaOzkU