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by Martin Bolton 2011
This
is a sculpture I made out of Steel and Concrete, with added waste
rubber crumbs. I chose to title it "Badass Rocket". Below is a write-up
on the design/sculpture, as well as a collection of images. When one thinks of
the words concrete, and cement, the initial thoughts are that of rigidity,
strength, weight, and being grounded. This is a logical assumption due to the many
walkways, bridges, and other ‘bulky’ items of the built environment. I wanted
to create a sculptural piece which raises question, initiates thought and
stimulates the observer. I chose to do this by approaching this competition
with the question ‘what doesn’t come to your mind when you think about concrete’…
One of the answers which came to my mind was a rocket, ascending into the
heavens. This, coupled with the challenge of having to build a rocket, seemed
like a stimulating and enjoyable task. As I worked more and more on the concept development, I found an
interesting link which is as follows: The word concrete comes from the Latin
word "concretus" meaning compact or condensed, which upon further
inspection one may link to the advanced technology, composite materials and
utilitarian design utilised in aeronautical engineering. This concerns itself
with the design, development and science of spacecraft and space travel. Although
the Badass Rocket may seem far removed from the material utilised within its
construction, in essence it isnt. My sculpture incorporates within the concrete
mix, addition of waste rubber crumbs from the automotive industry. This
material was used as a filler, increasing the bulk of the cement without
drastically increasing the weight. This is a waste material which may have more
use in further applications, and incorporating it into this sculpture
illustrates this. 
Initially the design was planned out with sketching on
paper. These were rough sketches to attempt to grasp the realisation of
form. I wanted to use standard building
materials, as well as incorporate waste material in the construction. The form
was to be standard rebar sections which are utilised in the building industry.
Upon interacting with the materials I observed that the metal rebar would flex
into a suitable form for the body of the rocket. This is only possible if it is
spread around a central ‘spreader block’. I created moulds for the different
components, our of waste 2mm ABS off-cuts of plastic which I obtained from a
signage company. The
concrete mix I used was a pre-mix concrete, with an addition of waste rubber
crumbs. I made a
mould and cast the central ‘spreader block’ which allowed for proceeding to the
next step. Six rebar
support bars were arranged around the spreader block and tensioned to form the
central body form of the rocket. The rebar pieces were tensioned and held in
place with wire.
I then
designed and made a mould which would fit closely to the rebar supports,
allowing me to cast the one tip of the rocket. After the concrete set, I
removed the mould and repeated with the other end of the central support. I
created three separate moulds, and cast the three legs in once process. This
allowed for an even concrete mix, with a uniform surface finish. I included
structural support within these moulds, in the form of m6 threaded rod. The
ends of which, were used to attach the fins to the central body. Once the fins
were set, I removed them from the mould and attached them to the central body
rocket with small metal brackets and m6 nuts.
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