Knitting Bespoke Reinforcement for New Concrete Structures

Technical Lecture Series 2018
To achieve low carbon concrete design, two major challenges exist:
- reinforce structures with complex geometries
- provide a durable and resilient infrastructure
Meeting both challenges would allow us to capitalise on the fluidity of concrete to meet long-term emission reductions targets. This will require an entirely new approach to design and construction of concrete structures.
This presentation will describe results of an EPSRC funded research project which aimed to completely replace internal steel reinforcement with a knitted composite reinforcement cage made from carbon fibre.
By fabricating this reinforcement in exactly the right geometry, it will provide exactly the right strength exactly where it is needed. This is potentially transformative for concrete construction, and will greatly simplify the reinforcing of complex shapes.
Speaker: Dr John Orr, University of Cambridge
Dr John Orr is University Lecturer in Concrete Structures and EPSRC Early Career Fellow in the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge.