ACORN

OPS have been an industry partner of the ‘Automating Concrete Construction’ (ACORN) project since its inception, with our team supporting researchers from the Universities of Bath, Cambridge and Dundee.

The use of planar formwork in concrete construction means that up to half of the concrete used is unnecessary, a major driver of embodied emissions in construction.

The aim of the project is to use cutting-edge technologies and automated processes to design and fabricate concrete elements with shapes optimised to resist the loads they are carrying.

By using parametric design, off-site robotic fabrication and modular construction, a dramatic and extremely light-weight floor plate demonstrator has been produced.

The team state that their long term vision is to:

“To dramatically improve whole life construction sector sustainability and productivity by creating a culture that takes a fresh, holistic approach to the manufacture, assembly, reuse, and deconstruction of concrete buildings, leading to a healthier, safer, built environment.”

Read more about ACORN on its website.