Formwork is a type of mould used to assemble structures by pouring in concrete or other materials before letting them set. The formwork can be either temporary or permanent. Some materials also enable the formwork to be reusable.
Concrete remains the most common material used in formwork due to its durable, safe, cheap, and sustainable qualities. Formwork is an essential feature of concrete construction and consists of many variations, such as:
The reason there are so many types of formwork systems is down to the fact that various concrete structures all require different purposes. The most popular type of formwork used in concrete construction is known as shuttering.
Shuttering is typically constructed on-site using a special grade of water-resistant plywood. It’s easy to produce but can be time-consuming when building larger structures. Shuttering presents an alternative to reusable formwork materials, such as plastic or steel.
The type of concrete and temperature of pour are significant factors to consider when working with formwork. The sides of the formwork must withstand the hydrostatic pressure before the base resists the dead load of the wet concrete.
When the concrete sets enough to be sufficiently self-supporting, the formwork can be removed, and depending on if it is a reusable material, can be applied again. It’s important that when removing the formwork, you don’t damage the concrete. All formwork types should meet certain standards, including:
Before selecting your type of formwork, you must choose the correct type of concrete and pour it into the specific mould within the right conditions to achieve the ideal result for your structure.
The formwork is something being used in concrete constructions as a “mould”, where concrete is poured in. Formwork types vary in materials, for instance, or elements to be built.
Thus, they can also be named after the type of construction of structural elements such as the ones for walls, slabs, formworks for beams, for pillars for beams and columns, etc.
Once dismantled they can always be reused. Reusable formworks are known as panel forms, whereas disposable formworks are known as stationary forms.
Here is what makes a formwork perfect:
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Formwork timber must meet some requirements, and it has to be:
After a resin-based treatment, the plywood sheets are fixed to the wooden frames in order to obtain a variety of sizes.
This type of formwork is not very costly in comparison with wood, if not even cheaper sometimes. Although it is more efficient than wood in some ways – it features a smoother finishing and can cover larger areas.
It can be reutilised far more times than the wooden formworks thus can be used even 20-25 times.
Both plywood and wooden formworks are nearly off the market for they are being replaced by formworks in other materials, more performing and reusable, such as steel. Some plywood might still be found on sites where a lighter structure is required.
These panels are made of thin steel plates stiffened along the edge by tiny steel angles.
The panels can be manufactured in large amounts, in any desired modular shape or size. The steel formwork is widely used in large projects or where a large number of formwork reuses is necessary. This type of formwork is considered the most suitable for circular or curved structures.
One of our steel formwork systems is Comax.
Features:
With such large panels and just a few accessories, the COMAX system is the ideal solution to facilitate and accelerate formwork operations. It can withstand high pressures and easly adapts to any type of geometry (large-sized walls, pillars of different sections, elevator shafts).
Following a supply of over 5000sqm to an Algerian company, Comax was used for the construction of infrastructural works (motorways, bridges, metro network), specifically for the construction of piers, pulvins (bolsters), bridges and walls.
The key step for the correct reuse of the formwork is a perfect dismantling. Therefore, it cannot occur without precautions:
For more information, please visit climbing formwork.