May 2026 High-Profile Focus: Advanced Technology and AI 25
Shape Optimization Is Ready for the Precast Production Line
By Kiley Feickert and Alexander Curth
Global cement production accounts for approximately 10 % of annual carbon emissions, yet up to 70 % of the reinforced concrete( RC) in a typical building is structurally unnecessary. That gap represents both a significant environmental cost and an economic opportunity.
At Forma Systems, we’ re working to close that gap. Our team of architects, structural engineers, and computational designers spun the company out of the lab at MIT to reduce the cost and carbon footprint of concrete construction without compromising structural performance.
Conventional RC elements are designed with uniform cross-sections— material is distributed evenly, whether it’ s structurally needed or not. Shape optimization challenges that approach, allocating RC and steel only where structurally required. The result is a lighter, shallower element that uses significantly less cement and steel.
To move this from theory to practice, we developed CIMBRA, a generative optimization software for RC. CIMBRA evaluates tens of thousands of design
Forma Systems’ shape-optimized prestressed floor slab, developed in collaboration with J. P. Carrara, saves 33 % weight and 31 % embodied carbon compared to a PCI standard 8 inch hollowcore plank. / Photo courtesy of Sandy Curth
combinations in seconds, varying section geometry, reinforcing layouts, and material properties against code requirements and real manufacturing constraints. The output is fabrication-ready, ACI 318-19 verified designs, optimized for whichever objective matters most on a given project: cost, weight, carbon, or structural depth.
We put CIMBRA to the test with a full-scale shape-optimized prestressed floor slab designed and fabricated in collaboration with J. P. Carrara & Sons, Inc., a leading precast producer in the Northeast. The slab achieved 33 % weight savings and 31 % embodied carbon savings compared to a PCI standard 8-inch hollowcore plank, with a structural depth of only 6¾-inches. As Joe Carrara noted,“ the cross-sectional area was much leaner than expected for the given span and loads,” and“ the section performance during load testing was outstanding, proving its robustness by carrying full loads without any signs of distress.”
The implications extend beyond the individual element. Lighter precast floors mean smaller foundations, lower transportation costs, and faster installation. A shallower structural depth reduces perimeter curtain wall costs and can allow for additional floors within the same building height. For owners and developers, that translates directly to more leasable area and stronger project economics.
In April, the slab was exhibited at the 2026 Structures Congress in Boston as part of Reframing the Future, a pavilion demonstrating that the goals of the SEI’ s SE 2050 Commitment are achievable with technologies available today. Combined with a reused steel frame and glulam benches, the exhibit showcases how shape optimization, circularity, and biomaterials can work together as practical strategies for reducing the climate impact of the built environment. Developed and constructed with Buro Happold, Cambium Carbon, Digital Structures, J. P. Carrara & Sons, Inc., Prime Steel Erecting, Inc., Second Structure, Tridome Structures, and Turner. Supported by SEI SE2050, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, and the American Institute of Steel Construction.
We’ ve seen strong interest from precast producers across the Northeast and are currently running a pilot program with manufacturers and structural engineers exploring what this technology can do on their projects. The research phase is over. The question is no longer whether shapeoptimized concrete works— it’ s how fast the industry adopts it. Learn more at cimbra. ai.
Kiley Feickert, PhD is CPO and cofounder, and Alexander( Sandy) Curth, PhD is CEO and co-founder, at Forma Systems. www. high-profile. com