This research explores fabric-lined tensile formwork systems for casting structural concrete walls with an architectural finish. To mitigate the prohibitive cost of cast-in-place architectural concrete formwork, this research aims to minimize the materials consumed by the falsework and the specialty equipment required for its installation. Following a survey of contemporary tensile formwork, investigations into two fabric-lined tensile systems are presented: System-A, a scaffolding based system and System-B which incorporates an internal, tensile structure. This design-build research is conducted through a series of physical models in which each system culminates in full-scale prototypes for cast-in-place concrete walls. In addition to the unique architectural finish of the fabric formwork, the full-scale prototypes of System-A and System-B and are assessed for their ability to maintain select industry standards for structural integrity.
