Innovative constructions using carbon concrete and AS-Interface
Picture: Stephan Flad, HTWK Leipzig
Carbon concrete, also known as carbon fiber-reinforced concrete (CFRC), is regarded as the construction material of the future. It is recyclable and significantly more sustainable, ecological, durable, and efficient than steel-reinforced concrete. Carbon concrete saves resources such as sand and cement and has a substantially better carbon footprint. Buildings made of carbon concrete have much thinner walls while retaining the same strength. These innovative walls contain integrated heating and electricity installations. The electricity installation – 230 V supply and building communications – is integrated into the carbon concrete during the production of the prefabricated modules. AS-Interface is used for the communication and building automation systems. The various sensors and actuators in the building communicate via the yellow cable, which also supplies their power. AS-Interface technology impresses with its ingenious connection system, which allows easy connecting, replacing, moving, or adding devices. The prefabricated modules are manufactured in the globally unique test factory Carbonbetontechnikum (Carbon Concrete Technology Center, HTWK Leipzig – Leipzig University of Applied Sciences). AS-Interface was also implemented in the production facilities of the Carbonbetontechnikum for both plant and safety technology. Evidently, AS-Interface stands out in every aspect of industrial communications and building automation. Innovative carbon concrete provides architects with new opportunities to implement their ideas and building automation engineers with more freedom using AS-Interface technology.
The extraordinary carbon concrete is predestined to permanently change the future of serial and individual construction. Through prefabricated modules, serial construction provides affordable living space, therefore regaining focus. Architects can create individual buildings with uniquely expressive designs. The composite material carbon concrete demonstrates its advantages in serial and individual construction.
Carbon concrete is a combination of materials that allows slimmer construction and, therefore, new design styles and space-efficient and economical construction. For this purpose, prefabricated modules are produced in the factory. These modules are reinforced with carbon instead of steel, creating carbon concrete. Carbon fibers are chemically inert and, therefore, corrosion-free. This ensures the buildings’ durability and creates technically and economically reliable constructions. In addition, this reinforcement technique allows for a much more unrestricted construction. Compared to steel-enforced concrete, carbon concrete saves up to 80% of material while offering the same performance. This results in significantly thinner and lighter walls. These walls require less energy for production, transport, and logistics.
Picture: filmaton®: Compared to steel-enforced concrete (large cube on the left),
carbon concrete (small cube and plate) saves up to 80% of material while offering the
same performance.
Compared to steel-enforced concrete, this new material saves resources such as sand and cement and presents a significantly better carbon footprint.
Carbon concrete, the basis of ingenious wall construction with integrated electrical and communication technology
The HTWK Leipzig develops and researches multi-functional, standardized carbon concrete modules for residential and industrial constructions. The Carbonbetontechnikum performs the automated production of carbon concrete modules. The goal is to test production processes for the future construction industry. The researching development partners plan to add additional functions to the carbon concrete modules, relying, for instance, on the communication standard AS-Interface.
Buildings made from carbon concrete have very thin walls. There is little space for the numerous regular installation wires. Cables, cable ducts, distributors, and sub-distributors must be reduced during the construction and installation. This is where AS-Interface communication technology fits perfectly. The yellow cable comes off a reel and can be cut to the exact length required for the application. It can then be added directly to the carbon braiding using a plastic connector and, therefore, omitting additional installation conduits. Currently, there is no more straightforward, space-saving, flexible, and safer way to wire a production facility for carbon concrete modules. Another advantage is AS-Interface‘s ingenious connection system, enabling easy connecting, replacing, moving, or adding devices – safely, quickly, and cost-effectively. The yellow cable is simply inserted into the communication box and contacted via the two piercing pins.
In building automation, numerous sensors and actuators communicate via the yellow profile cable. This cable also supplies them with power, saves material, and makes the system robust and fail-safe. Installation work on the construction side can be significantly minimized. Another advantage is the much greater design flexibility for connected components, such as switches, dimmers, LED lighting, temperature sensors, air quality sensors, and brightness sensors.
The joint project "WallConnEct—Development of resource-efficient wall constructions with integrated electrical and data technology based on AS-Interface" (KKZ.: 03LB2037C), funded by the BMWi (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy), deals precisely with this topic. The following partners share this project: Sondermaschinenbau Engelsdorf, Bihl+Wiedemann, and HTWK Leipzig. Part of the project is the automated production of thermal double layer wall elements with integrated AS-Interface. Specially developed housings are automatedly inserted into the formwork, and robots install the AS-Interface and 230 V supply cables. This process is entirely performed in the factory. Chiseling slots and drilling socket holes at the construction site are no longer necessary. Only the connection of the Schuko sockets (in Europe) and clipping in the AS-Interface bus coupling modules remains.
Picture: Tobias Rudloff, HTWK Leipzig
At this point, the joint project has already developed switchable socket prototypes. These also enable targeted energy monitoring of each individual socket.
The Carbonbetontechnikum – the test factory for prefabricated carbon concrete modules
HTWK Leipzig’s Carbonbetontechnikum in Leipzig-Engelsdorf is a globally unique test factory. Here, efficient processes for the automated production of carbon concrete modules are researched, developed, and tested. The aim is to develop manufacturing processes for the future construction industry.
Picture: Kirsten Nijhof, HTWK Leipzig: The Carbon Concrete Technology Center in Leipzig-Engelsdorf, a unique model factory of the HTWK Leipzig.
Although carbon and steel-enforced concrete have similar applications, the production phases and machines must be adapted to the new building material and, in some cases, entirely rethought. The Carbonbetontechnikum shows construction companies how to design production facilities to produce carbon concrete modules.
Automated production saves resources and costs
At the Carbonbetontechnikum, three industrial robots and 64 meters of tables on rolls ensure the automated production of modules up to 3.125 meters wide and 1.25 meters long. A crane lifts the finished modules from a customized tilting table.
In the Carbonbetontechnikum, a robot produces the carbon reinforcement individually on-site by arranging carbon threads in a grid shape defined by the geometrics required for the specific module. This only takes a few minutes and is a significant step forward; until now, prefabricated carbon mats had been used and cut to a specific size. The direct carbon thread placement saves on transportation and up to 40% of the expensive and energy-intensive carbon. Direct carbon thread placement is a key technology as it directly integrates additional functions, such as heating elements and electrical installations, into the module.
Picture: Stephan Flad, HTWK Leipzig
The ideal automation technology: AS-Interface in the Carbonbetontechnikum
AS-Interface is an essential part of Carbonbetontechnikum’s automation strategy and represents the perfect automation solution for production. AS-Interface is an industrial communication system with secure data transmission and simultaneous power supply. System operation is easy, fast, and flexible. The production segments drying oven, mixing plant, handling system, robot stations, concrete casting portal, and wax press are operated through AS-Interface. AS-Interface provides almost the complete plant and safety technology while completely controlling the transportation circuit. AS-Interface technology enables a precise, reliable production process, guaranteeing the production of consistently high-quality carbon concrete modules.
AS-Interface impresses with its manufacturer-independent compatibility of certified products. This advantage is used by the Carbonbetontechnikum to centrally control the system through an AS-Interface gateway from Bihl+Wiedemann GmbH. This control system operates process control and visualization systems of the entire plant. The system was developed in-house using Python and is connected via OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA). OPC UA is a standard for data exchange as a platform-independent, service-oriented architecture.
The following companies provided additional AS-Interface system components: Bihl+Wiedemann GmbH, SIEMENS AG, ifm electronic GmbH, Pepperl+Fuchs, SEW-Eurodrive, FESTO, Euchner, and Murrelektronic GmbH.
The system also includes several IO-Link sensors. They are connected to the gateway via AS-Interface. This represents the perfect symbiosis in terms of performance and low wiring effort.
The individual robot cells are encapsulated. Their program sequences are initiated and, after the completion of a processing step, acknowledged via AS-Interface. Therefore, the entire system can be controlled via AS-Interface while handling individual production steps encapsulated in their respective environment.
In conclusion, AS-Interface stands out in industrial communications and building automation because AS-Interface technology has great potential, as the applications prove. The use of AS-Interface in thin carbon concrete walls is an entirely new concept. This ingenious wall construction uses electrical and communication technology integrated during production. AS-Interface convinces inside the carbon concrete prefabricated modules as much as in the production systems where these innovative modules are accurately manufactured. Also impressive is the cross-manufacturer compatibility, guaranteeing flawless production processes. AS-Interface technology is the perfect foundation in both worlds.