Changing the shape of floors could cut concrete usage by 75 percent

A new vaulted style of floor uses 75% less concrete than a traditional flat slab floor and could help the construction industry reduce its carbon footprint.

An interdisciplinary team of structural engineers, mathematicians and manufacturing experts from the Universities of Bath, Cambridge and Dundee has unveiled a full-scale demonstration of a thin-shell floor, which uses 60% less carbon in its consruction than an equivalent flat slab that could carry the same load.

The curved vault-shaped structure is covered by standard raised floor panels to create a level surface.

Created by the UKRI-funded ACORN (Automating Concrete Construction) research project, the innovative vault-shaped floor design takes advantage of concrete’s inherent natural properties and strengths.