Cimbra

Precast concrete optimization for early design stages

Cimbra saves you time and money by exploring thousands of designs in seconds within your existing mold and material inventory. Rather than checking for compliance, Cimbra finds the optimal product configurations for you.

Proven in production

Forma Systems partnered with J.P. Carrara, a leading precast producer, to design, cast, and load-test a shape-optimized multi-stemmed precast slab. The full-scale prototype was demonstrated at Structures Congress Boston in April 2026 and was supported by a MassCEC InnovateMass grant. Learn more here.

55%
lower weight + embodied carbon
vs. conventional non-prestressed flat slab
33%
lower weight
vs. 8″ hollowcore plank
1.25″
shallower section
vs. 8″ hollowcore plank

“We were particularly impressed by the multi-stemmed deck slab their software designed; the cross-sectional area was much leaner than expected for the given span and loads, resulting in a section half the weight of a standard hollow core plank. The section performance during load testing was outstanding, proving its robustness by carrying full loads without any signs of distress.”

— Joe Carrara, President, J.P. Carrara & Sons, Inc.

“What stood out in this project was how readily the shape-optimized precast floors integrated into standard construction practices. From a construction perspective, lighter elements can support simpler logistics, reduced lifting requirements, and faster installation timelines. Coupled with the embodied carbon reduction potential, this type of innovation reflects the kind of practical, scalable advancement that aligns with Turner’s focus on safety, constructability, and driving lower-carbon solutions across the built environment.”

— Caroline Murray, Regional Sustainability Manager, Turner Construction Company

Our partners and customers

Turner Construction Company
J.P. Carrara & Sons, Inc.
Buro Happold
LeMessurier
PSE
Sandbox
PKG / IDEAS
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
MIT delta v
MIT Climate & Energy Prize
SEI
Turner Construction Company
J.P. Carrara & Sons, Inc.
Buro Happold
LeMessurier
PSE
Sandbox
PKG / IDEAS
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
MIT delta v
MIT Climate & Energy Prize
SEI

How Cimbra works

1

Create Your Mold Inventory

Create your custom molds library and decide which features (such as flange thickness or strand layout) can vary during the optimization process.

Mold definition interface showing variable geometry parameters
2

Define Your Project Objectives

Import your project data or enter spans and loading conditions directly, then choose your preferred objective — whether that's weight, cost, depth, or carbon.

Project data screen showing spans, loads, and objectives
3

Optimize Across Products

Let Cimbra explore tens of thousands of configurations for you and find the optimal product configuration and concrete mix for each load case.

Design matrix comparing optimized designs across load cases and molds

What Cimbra offers

Catalog-Based Optimization

Optimize against your actual mold inventory. Cimbra finds the best design within each mold's geometry constraints — so results map directly to what you can cast

Multi-Span Projects

Thanks to its advanced optimization capabilities, Cimbra generates optimized designs for multiple spans and load cases in a single run, enabling a faster decision-making at early design stages.

Full ACI 318-19 Verification

Every design is verified for flexure, shear, deflection, and serviceability stress. Full structural diagrams and code check tables included — no separate hand calcs needed.

Evaluate Across Objectives

Optimize for the objective that matters most — material weight, estimated cost, embodied carbon, or depth - and evaluate trade-offs across them all in the results dashboard.

Professional Reports

Export PDF structural reports with section drawings, reinforcement details, and verification tables. Ready for engineer review or client submission.

Eurocode 2 SupportComing soon

ACI 318-19 today, with Eurocode 2 coming soon. Design to the code your market requires.

Ready to optimize your next precast concrete project?

Request access to get started with a 30-day free trial.

Try for Free

Watch the walkthrough

Getting started with Cimbra

A five-minute walkthrough with co-founder Sandy Curth — from logging in to reading optimized results.