Flow production methods for thin-walled concrete components with biaxially formed, load-adapted carbon reinforcement

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Martin Claßen
• Subject Area: Structural Engineering, Building Informatics and Construction Operation
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 573347003

The proposed transfer project is based on the preciding DFG project within SPP 2187 “Flow-production methods for adaptive material-minimized modular slabs”. The goal is to transfer a newly developed flow production methodology for carbon-reinforced concrete components to an industrial scale. The ribbed modular slabs developed in the previous project demonstrate the potential of a fully digitalized and automated manufacturing process in concrete construction by combining high load-bearing capacity with significant material and CO₂ savings. The proposed project focusses on further developing, integrating, and transferring of innovative methods for automated concrete flow production, process control, and structural design of carbon-reinforced concrete components. The project begins with an innovative thermal forming technique that, for the first time, enables the automated transformation of carbon fiber grids from roll material into complex, load-path-optimized 3D geometries. These reinforcement elements provide enhanced mechanical anchorage and can be accurately integrated into various concrete flow production processes – such as 3D printing, casting, or multimodal methods – via sensor-based detection and robotic positioning. This creates an adaptive, highly flexible manufacturing approach that combines industrial scalability with resource-efficient lightweight construction. However, the lack of validated engineering models to describe the structural behavior of such components under bending, shear, and punching loads currently limits their broad applicability. This project aims to address this issue by developing comprehensive methods along the entire process chain, from thermomechanical forming of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) grid reinforcement to sensor-based process control, real-time regulation, experimental testing, and mechanically grounded modeling. The goal is to create a transferable methodology for the hanalysis of this new class of structural components. The project is structured into four closely interlinked work packages: (1) Investigation of thermomechanical forming processes for CFRP grid reinforcement, (2) Construction of a robotic production prototype and its integration into concrete flow production, (3) Development and testing of digital process models and (4) Formulation of physically based design approaches, which are calibrated using experimental data from a systematic testing program (anchorage, bending, shear and punching tests) and validated using large scale demonstrators. Solidian Kelteks is an industry partner that brings extensive experience in developing and approving CFRP grid reinforcements, as well as expertise in structural design and mechanical engineering development, to the project.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants (Transfer Project)
• Application Partner: solidian GmbH