Hollow core concrete slabs from ETH Zürich. Save up to 70% in concrete and reduce carbon emissions

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zürich) has developed a special 3D foam formwork system that allows concrete slabs to be made with hollow cells.

The system is called "FoamWork", which uses an ordinary rectangular form and 24 foam elements of different shapes and sizes printed on a 3D printer. Concrete is then poured into it and left to cure, after which the foam elements can be pulled out and recycled, reused or left inside as insulation.

The resulting shape of the internal stiffeners is designed to allow the slab to remain very strong. Concrete is poured in the places where the most tension is applied, which gives the slab maximum compressive strength with the minimum use of material.

Another benefit of such a slab is its lower weight, which will further reduce the effort, for transportation and work at the construction site.

The World Association of Cement and Concrete Manufacturers has issued a statement of intent to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050, and FoamWork could be one of the many solutions they will be using.