Henn and Dresden University of Technology completed the world's first carbon fiber concrete building

German construction company Henn and the Technical University of Dresden have completed the world's first building made of carbon fiber concrete - a type of concrete reinforced with carbon fiber instead of steel.

This 243 square meter building, known as a cube, was built for testing new materials and will provide laboratory and activity space for the university campus.

Its distinctive feature is a thin and twisted facade, visually referencing the textile quality of carbon fiber, and formally made of lighter and stronger materials than traditional concrete.

Henn stated that in this design, walls and ceilings are not independent components, but rather are integrated into an organic continuum. Architects hope to embody their vision for the future through design, using new materials to achieve a free architectural form while reflecting environmental responsibility. According to Giovanni Betti, head of sustainable development at Henn, the slender lines of the cube facade are achieved by using carbon fiber reinforced materials, which prevent rust and therefore do not need to be covered with too much concrete.

"Carbon fiber is four times lighter than steel, six times stronger than steel, and less prone to corrosion," Betti told Dezeen. "This means that it is not necessary to encapsulate steel reinforcement in as much concrete as possible to ensure that it is waterproof, and materials of the same size will be able to withstand higher loads." "Components and structures can be designed to be thinner, saving 50% or more of the material. This can reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the consumption of other valuable resources, such as water and sand."

After the design of the cube is completed, there is sufficient glass on both sides and on the top of the entire building, and the skylight runs diagonally through the building volume. The undulating shape of the glass reflects the distorted form of the building, while providing a framed view of the surrounding gardens. The cube also takes advantage of another property of carbon fibers: electrical conductivity. The concrete walls of the building are equipped with insulating pads, heating elements, and interactive touch surfaces. "Carbon fibers are electrically conductive and allowing light to flow through them generates heat. This can even be used to monitor structural integrity," Betti said

The concrete components of the cube are manufactured using two methods: a light colored twisted facade made of shotcrete, sprayed on carbon fiber sheets covered with plywood formwork, while the smaller dark gray boxes are made of prefabricated concrete slabs and also contain carbon sheet layers. The cube was announced in 2021 and was developed as part of the Carbon Concrete Composite (CCC) research project, a government funded research project that is currently the largest project in the German construction sector. This is the origin of the name of a building - CCC can also be considered as C 3， Or the cube of C.

Carbon fiber reinforced concrete was developed by Dresden University of Technology together with several other universities around the world. According to researchers, studies have shown that for similar bridge designs, the global warming potential (GWP) of carbon fiber reinforced concrete is about 30% lower than that of traditional buildings. Although carbon fiber itself has a high carbon footprint, its carbon strength per unit weight is approximately eight times that of steel. However, due to its strength, fewer materials are needed for reinforcement. The rust preventive properties of carbon fiber will also make the service life of concrete "significantly increase" compared to traditional concrete buildings, further reducing carbon costs over time. There are also studies aimed at the recycling and potential of biological based carbon fibers. Concrete is one of the most carbon consuming materials in the world, second only to water, and is estimated to account for about 4% to 8% of global carbon emissions. In order to meet climate goals while meeting building needs, people are competing to propose mass produced environmentally friendly concrete solutions, including Seratech's carbon neutral concrete, made from carbon dioxide captured directly from factory flues, and the University of Colorado's algae concrete.