CONCRETE SAMPLING
Location: Fargo, North Dakota
Typology: Seminar
Date: Spring 2019
Model Materials: Cork, Portland Cement, Sand, Screws, Steel Mesh, Vinyl, Wood, 3D Printed Material
Software Used: AutoCad, Illustrator, Photoshop, Rhino
Concrete sampling was a major assignment to the concrete seminar that NDSU offered in the spring semester of 2019. Taught by professor Regin Schwaen, a professor whom I worked for during the accreditation process in the springtime of 2018; he is known to be crazy for concrete. The sampling assignment was intended to experiment with concrete by making molds, laser cutting, and fabric forming within a strict dimension of 12 inches by 12 inches with a one-inch thickness. In the end, I created twelve concrete samples. All of them casted against different surfaces, such as cork, 3D printed structures, and vinyl. The fabric texture from the vinyl turned out the best, nearly appearing as if the concrete could warp with just a touch.
The first part of the sampling assignment was to create the wood frame to be used and reused throughout the class. A simple frame that allowed me to create two concrete samples at once. Creating the frame from leftover scraps from the wood shop, it was important that the frame was able to be disassembled. The construction of the mold is made up of a plywood base, the frame made of five wood boards screwed together, two layers of wire mesh to strengthen the concrete mixture, and two plywood covers. Since Renaissance Hall doesn’t allow us to cast in our studios, the majority of the class was on our own time. Using a friend’s garage, me and two other students collaborated on the sampling process. The three of us created over 20 concrete samples, allowing us to create a consistent ratio of water, sand, and cement as well as an understanding on how to create a successful mold.
