Self-deploying reinforced concrete structures

Formwork for concrete construction remains one of the most resource-intensive, polluting, and constraining components of the construction sector, relying on prefabricated molds that demand extensive material, labor, and on-site preparation. We introduce a self-deploying formwork system based on multistable tubes that transform from a compact configuration to a full-scale structural mold with integrated steel reinforcement. We demonstrate this concept by deploying a steel-reinforced 2.36 m high structure within 14 seconds. We further observed that the polymer shell of the multistable tubes increases the structural strength by a factor of three, significantly enhancing their load-bearing capacity. The demonstrated concept paves the way for the creation of concrete castings with minimal on-site intervention, enabling a scalable pathway toward rapid, low-carbon construction methods.