Geomorphic Concrete : Material and fabrication strategies for heterogeneous concrete morphology

Abstract

Given evidence of climate change and the global supply chain crisis, it is no longer viable to continuously exploit nature and expect the global industrial system to remain perpetually dependable. We have to prepare for a world that is not entirely controllable or measurable, which is an inevitable architectural condition of the future. This thesis introduces geomorphic concrete, an alternative design approach and construction methodology closely aligned with geological formation process by incorporating natural forces as collaborators in concrete fabrication.

Geomorphic concrete is an alternate paradigm of material-based design and construction methodology achieved by exploiting the variation in material properties respond to elemental forces. Nature shapes geological formations through a diverse array of materials and natural forces. For example, sedimentary rock’s stratified planes have varied grain, strength, and other characteristics, resulting in unique shapes and patterns through natural processes such as weathering, erosion, and sedimentation. A series of experiments in this thesis demonstrates how to design and construct concrete structures by mimicking the natural geological formation process, instead of relying solely on modernistic geometry-driven design.

This methodology utilizes an injection-printing fabrication technique, inserting reinforcement and suspension materials in liquid concrete to produce cast objects with varying material properties that erode, break, reconfigure, and recover through engagement with natural agents. The thesis showcases three designs that exemplify geomorphic concrete: a material-based structure design by fabricating heterogeneous concrete; a concrete structure printed into granular formwork that erodes due to gravity; and a concrete object that evolves over time by dissolving the injected suspension material.

This thesis contributes to acknowledging geological formation as a ecological process and developing an architectural fabrication concept that embraces elemental forces and material changes as agents in the building process.