Smart Slab
2020
The Smart Slab is at the core of the DFAB House, an innovative residential space for researchers. Situated in Dübendorf, Switzerland, the DFAB House is a three-storey unit within the Next Evolution Sustainable Building Technologies (NEST) platform on the Empa and Eawag campus.
Andrei was part of the team that designed, engineered, and coordinated the fabrication of the Smart Slab, working within a multi-disciplinary team of specialists from three ETH Zürich chairs and industry partners.
The Smart Slab is a 78 m² prestressed concrete slab discretized into eleven 7.4-m-long segments. Each segment is unique and prefabricated with special interface features that facilitate on-site connection through post-tensioning tendons. We structurally optimised the geometry of the Smart Slab for its challenging load-case, involving cantilevers of up to 4.5 meters. The material is distributed in a hierarchical grid of free-form ribs, stabilised by interstitial surfaces of fibre-glass reinforced concrete only 1.5 cm thick.
With the Smart Slab, we aimed to enhance the excellent structural properties of concrete with a spectacular design, enabled by the use of 3D-printed formworks. We pioneered the use of 3D printing in construction to overcome the geometric limitations of traditional flat panels. With this digital fabrication technology, we enabled material-saving free-form structural ribs, efficient post/tensioning, integrated building systems, highly elaborate design features, and smart construction details for streamlined fabrication.
Credits:
ETH Zürich chairs
Digital Building Technologies (M Meibodi, M Bernhard, A Jipa, D Shammas, R Giesecke, J Medina, M Mezari, M Leschok, Prof. B Dillenburger); Physical Chemistry of Building Materials (T Wangler, N Ruffray, Prof. Robert Flatt); Structural Design (M Bahr, Prof. Joseph Schwartz)
Design and Project Management DFAB HOUSE
Konrad Graser (Lead), Marco Baur, Sarah Schneider
Photography and videography
Schwarz Pictures, Andrei Jipa, Demetris Shammas, Michael Lyrenmann, Catherine Leutenegger, and Tom Mundy
Industry Partners and sponsors
Bürgin Creations; Frutiger AG; Voxeljet AG; Georg Ackermann Gmbh; Stahlton AG; Christenguss AG; Fischer Rista AG; Rudolf Glauser AG; GOM International AG; Supported By; NCCR Digital Fabrication; Department of Archtitecture; Institute of Technology in Architecture
Smart Slab
2020
The Smart Slab is at the core of the DFAB House, an innovative residential space for researchers. Situated in Dübendorf, Switzerland, the DFAB House is a three-storey unit within the Next Evolution Sustainable Building Technologies (NEST) platform on the Empa and Eawag campus.
Andrei was part of the team that designed, engineered, and coordinated the fabrication of the Smart Slab, working within a multi-disciplinary team of specialists from three ETH Zürich chairs and industry partners.
The Smart Slab is a 78 m² prestressed concrete slab discretized into eleven 7.4-m-long segments. Each segment is unique and prefabricated with special interface features that facilitate on-site connection through post-tensioning tendons. We structurally optimised the geometry of the Smart Slab for its challenging load-case, involving cantilevers of up to 4.5 meters. The material is distributed in a hierarchical grid of free-form ribs, stabilised by interstitial surfaces of fibre-glass reinforced concrete only 1.5 cm thick.
With the Smart Slab, we aimed to enhance the excellent structural properties of concrete with a spectacular design, enabled by the use of 3D-printed formworks. We pioneered the use of 3D printing in construction to overcome the geometric limitations of traditional flat panels. With this digital fabrication technology, we enabled material-saving free-form structural ribs, efficient post/tensioning, integrated building systems, highly elaborate design features, and smart construction details for streamlined fabrication.
Credits:
ETH Zürich chairs
Digital Building Technologies (M Meibodi, M Bernhard, A Jipa, D Shammas, R Giesecke, J Medina, M Mezari, M Leschok, Prof. B Dillenburger); Physical Chemistry of Building Materials (T Wangler, N Ruffray, Prof. Robert Flatt); Structural Design (M Bahr, Prof. Joseph Schwartz)
Design and Project Management DFAB HOUSE
Konrad Graser (Lead), Marco Baur, Sarah Schneider
Photography and videography
Schwarz Pictures, Andrei Jipa, Demetris Shammas, Michael Lyrenmann, Catherine Leutenegger, and Tom Mundy
Industry Partners and sponsors
Bürgin Creations; Frutiger AG; Voxeljet AG; Georg Ackermann Gmbh; Stahlton AG; Christenguss AG; Fischer Rista AG; Rudolf Glauser AG; GOM International AG; Supported By; NCCR Digital Fabrication; Department of Archtitecture; Institute of Technology in Architecture