Holistic evaluation of formwork materials for low-carbon concrete

This paper presents a framework for quantifying and comparing the embodied carbon and labor involved in concrete formwork and casting through several lab-scale prototypes of shape-optimized concrete built using various form materials and digital fabrication methods. Formwork options include materials that fall under traditional practice, emerging practice, and organic formwork. Procedures combine casting experiments of an optimized beam design with an embodied carbon evaluation for both formwork and concrete, comparing the strengths and weaknesses of each material. By testing and documenting a range of formwork materials, this research attempts to develop a detailed understanding of the labor and carbon associated with formwork options. Formwork materials are qualitatively and quantitatively compared for their precision, accessibility, ease of construction, and embodied carbon. After analyzing formwork materials from this casting process, key materials will be selected to scale up for full-scale prototyping and stress testing. While the outcomes of this study are highly specific, a framework of quantifiable formwork material comparisons will guide future research into scalable and accessible methods for low-carbon construction.