Professional Documents
Culture Documents
What is Formwork
Formwork is a die or a mould including all supporting structures, used to shape and
support the concrete until it attains sufficient strength to carry its own weight. It should
be capable of carrying all imposed dead and live loads apart from its own weight.
INTRODUCTION TO FORMWORK
New materials such as steel, plastics and fiberglass are used in formwork.
DEFENITION:
As a structure,
The term formwork includes the actual material contact with the concrete, known as
form face, and all the necessary associated supporting structure.
In order to successfully carry out its function, formwork must achieve a balance of
following requirements:
Containment
Strength
Resistance To Leakage
Accuracy
Ease Of Handling
Economy
Containment: formwork must be capable of shaping and supporting the fluid concrete
until it cures.
Strength: formwork must be capable of safely withstanding without distortion or danger
the dead weight of the fluid concrete is placed on it, labour weight, equipment weight and
any environmental loadings.
Resistance to leakage: all joints in form work must be either close fitting of covered with
form tape to make them grout tight. If grout leakage occurs the concrete Will leak at that
point. Leakages cause honeycombing of the surface.
Accuracy: formwork must be accurately set out so that the resulting concrete product is in
a right place and is of correct shape and dimensions.
Ease of handling: form panels and units should be designed so that their maximum size
does not exceed that which can be easily handled by hand or mechanical means. In
addition all formwork must also be designed and constructed to include facilities for
adjustments, leveling, easing and striking without damage to the form work or concrete.
Finish and reuse potential: the form face material must be selected to be capable of
consistently imparting the desired concrete finish (smooth, textured, featured or exposed
aggregate etc.) At the same time it should also achieve the required number of reuse.
Access for concrete: any formwork arrangement must be provide access for placing of
the concrete. The extent of this provision will be dependent on the ease of carrying out
the concrete operations.
Economy: all the formwork is very expensive. On average about 35% of the total cost of
any finished concrete unit or element can be attributed to its formwork; of this just over
40% can be taken for material for formwork and 60% for labour. The formwork designer
must therefore not only consider the maximum number of times that any form can be
reused, but also produce a design that will minimize the time taken for erection and
striking.
The material most commonly being used to date is timber. However, due
to the depleting forest reserves and increasing cost of timber the use of
alternate materials such as plywood and steel has become prominent.
More recently, materials such as plastics and fiberglass are also being
used for pre-fabricating formwork.
TIMBER FORMS
Timber is required for practically all jobs of formwork. The timber bring used for
formwork must satisfy the following requirements:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
II.
III.
Iv.
The plywood is built up of odd number of layers with grain of adjacent layers
perpendicular to each other.
Plywood is used extensively for formwork for concrete, especially for sheathing,
decking and form linings.
The interior type is bonded with water resistant glue and exterior type is bonded
with water proof glue.
Hardboard forms
The tempered one being used for formwork. Tempered hardboard is solid
or perforated hardboard panels impregnated with resin under high pressure
to make them stronger and more resistant to moisture and abrasion.
The boards available in large sheets have a hard, smooth surface that
produces a concrete whose surface is relatively free of blemishes and joint
marks.
The thin sheets can be bent to small radii, which is an advantage when
casting concrete members with curved surfaces.
ALUMINIUM FORMS
Forms made from aluminum are in many respects similar to those made
of steel.
However, because of their lower density, aluminum forms are lighter than
steel forms, and this is their primary advantage when compared to steel.
PLASTICS
These forms have become increasingly popular for casting unique shapes and patterns
being designed in concrete because of the excellent finish obtained requiring minimum or
no surface treatment and repairs.
Different types of plastic forms are available like glass reinforced plastic, fiber
reinforced plastic and thermoplastics etc.
Fiberglass-reinforced plastic is the most common and has several advantages such as
I.
II.
III.
Simultaneously
IV.
Because sections can be joined on the job site in such a way so as to eliminate
joints, there is no size limitation
fabrication Hence, the design and planning of this form must be carefully carried out.
Also care must take not to damage the plastic by the heat applied for accelerated curing
of the concrete. Trough and waffle units in fiberglass are used in construction of large
floor areas and multistoried office buildings.
STEEL FORMWORK:
Mostly used in large construction projects or in situations where large number of
re-uses of the same shuttering is possible. Suitable for circular or curved shaped
structures such as tanks, columns, chimneys. Etc. & for structures like sewer tunnel and
retaining wall.
Advantages of steel formwork over timber form:
I.
II.
III.
Steel can be installed & dismantled with greater ease & speed resulting in
saving in labour cost.
IV.
V.
CONSTRUCTION OF FORMWORK:
shuttering
provision of camber
Before laying conc. the face of formwork in contact with conc. shall be
cleaned & treated with release agent like raw linseed oil or soft soap
solution as to prevent the conc. getting struck to the formwork.
Shuttering forming vertical faces of walls, beams & column sides should
be removed first. Shuttering forming sofit to slab should be removed next.
1-2 DAY
SLABS
3 DAYS
BEAM SOFFIT
7 DAYS
7 DAYS
14 DAYS
14 DAYS
21 DAYS
TYPES OF FORMWORK
There are different types of formwork available for different purposes.
Generally, the formworks for vertical concreting are called wall forms and those for
horizontal concreting are called slab or floor forms. The various types of formwork
available today in the market are discussed in detail.
TRADITIONAL FORMWORK
This usually consists of standard framed panels tied together over their
backs with horizontal members called waling.
The waling is provided with the basic function of resisting the horizontal
force of wet concrete.
The steel reinforcement cage is then placed and positioned before the
other side of the formwork is erected and fixed.
The usual method is to make up wall forms as framed panels with the
plywood facing sheet screwed on to studs on a timber frame. This allows
for the plywood to be easily removed and reversed and used on both sides
so as to increase the number of reuses.
The wall forms are susceptible to edge and corner damage and must be
carefully handled.
Special attention must be given to comers and attached piers since the
increased pressures applied by wet concrete could cause the abutments to
open up, giving rise to unacceptable grout escape and a poor finish to the
cast wall.
CLIMBING FORMWORK
After each casting the forms are removed and raised to form the next lift
until the required height has been reached.
Anchor accessories can be reused after each pour, reducing material costs
on current and future construction programs.
In case of trolley mounted formwork, the panel retracts from the face,
providing space for cleaning and fixing of concrete.
slip form means a continuously moving form, moving with such a speed
that concrete when exposed has already achieved enough strength to
support the vertical pressure from concrete still in the form as well as to
withstand lateral pressure caused by wind etc.
The concrete surfaces can be treated and finished while concrete is green,
Form climbs.
PERMANENT FORMWORK
The material used for these forms must be durable and of sufficient
strength. Commonly used materials include polyvinyl chloride (pvc),
galvanized coiled sheet steel, fabricated steel, carbon/epoxy thin shell.
The high initial cost of design and installation, lack of familiarity for
installation and maintenance and more specified form design are some of
the barriers to the use of this form.
SPECIAL FORMS
These are those forms that are specially designed and manufactured for a
particular kind of construction. The need for a special formwork may arise due to several
factors such as
when the contract demands the highest class of dimensional tolerance to be followed
Where the form work shape required becomes uneconomical or impracticable for site
fabrication
Where rate of concreting, admixtures or types of concrete are such that concrete pressure
developed within forms and stresses in the forms demand special attention where a
substantial number of re-uses is envisaged
TABLE FORM
The main objective of reducing the time required re-erecting, striking and
re-erecting slab formwork.
TUNNEL FORM
The tunnel formwork is a room sized structural steel fabricated form which is
used to cast the rcc walls and floor slabs of a building as a monolithic structure in a
continuous pour. The forms are then heated using hot air blowers for accelerated curing
of the concrete. This system is most economical when the structure consists of large
number of identical units. There exist two versions of this type of formwork. They are:
A.
The half tunnel formwork used to cast only one wall and slab simultaneously
B.
The full tunnel formwork used to cast two walls and a slab simultaneously
The sequence of construction involves placing of reinforcement, electrical and
sanitary conduits along with the tunnel forms. Concrete is then poured and the open side
of the forms is covered and hot air blowers placed inside. The forms are removed the next
day and placed on the next site using cranes. The optimum use of tunnel form is in
multiunit shear wall structure with identical floor layout at each level.
The core of the system lies in the usage of an Engineered timber component, the
H-Beam.
The H-beams are manufactured in a modern automated plant at Pondicherry under strict
quality control the flanges are made of seasoned chemically treated timber. The web is
made of boiling water proof ply wood and joined with the flange by the unique finger
jointing method. The H-beams thus manufactured are light, dimensionally stable and
retains its structural properties over a period of time even after repeated usage. It is more
predictable, easy to design and use, The number of reuses of H-Beams is more than 100
times (8 times that of conventional timber) and it consumes only 40% of timber volume
required.
The H-beams are available in two size namely in H-16 - 16 cms depth & H-20 - 20 cms
depth, length varying between 1m to 6m.
Salient Feature
Max. Bending
EI
Moment
11 KN
4 KN/M
Ensures uniformly high quality and load-bearing strength for safe and dependable
usage
Is the basis for the reliability of the Doka beam formwork and Dokaflex floor
formwork
Ends of beams bevelled for more strength but has no end reinforcement.
Doka has an extensive range of formwork sheets for the most varied areas of application.
All sheets are made of glue-bonded layered wood and are extremely strong and
dimensionally stable.
Surface: Synthetic melamine resin glue with PU sealant and light corundum sanding on
one side
Bonding: Boilproof and weatherproof
Edges:
Impregnating
emulsion,
Doka yellow
Thicknesses: 21 and 27 mm
Formwork sheet 3-SO
Three-ply concrete-formwork sheet, made of European spruce. Produces a uniform
concrete surface.
Surface: Synthetic melamine resin glue
Bonding: Boilproof and weatherproof
Edges: Impregnating emulsion,
Doka yellow
Thicknesses: 21 and 27 mm
Edges: Dispersion
Thickness: 21 mm
3. Dokadur panels
Dokadur panels are the state of the art for floor-slab panels. All-round edge and surface
sealing dependably protects the panel against the wear and tear of everyday construction
work.
Maximised number of reuses and best-quality concrete surfaces.
From special surface sealing by means of PUR varnish and melamine resin
coating with precision-metered corundum sanding
From easy cleaning of the surfaces, ready for the next use
For low costs on account of easy and fast reconditioning of the edge
The props are available in various sizes viz. CT-250,CT-300,CT-340 & CT-410.
The number indicates the extended length of props in cms.
The tripods make the props self standing for easier and faster erection of the
shuttering system. The adjustments in height are obtained by operating the prop
nut. The required dimension in plan is obtained by side-lapping of the H-Beams in
the primary or secondary layer.
A very accurate and convenient shutter is ready for tying of reinforcement and
concreting.
6. Multi-trip packaging
Multi-trip packaging such as containers, stacking pallets and skeleton transport boxes
keep everything in place on the site, minimise time wasted searching for parts, and
streamline the storage and transport of system components, small items and accessories.
Savings on material overheads and labour costs.
Through faster loading and unloading of system components, small items and
accessories
Through easy relocation to the next point where the parts are needed
Stacking pallets 150 and 120 simplify the storage and transport of floor props, removable
folding tripods, formwork beams and Dokadur panels. The clamp-on wheels make the
stacking pallets mobile, so they can easily be steered through standard door-size openings
in residential accommodation projects.
Dokaflex 1-2-4
Dokaflex 1-2-4 is the fast, versatile floor formwork for floorplans of any shape,
for beams, slab overhangs and semifinished floor elements and the ready reckoner is
ideal for calculating the quantities of materials, so there's no need for formwork planning.
The free choice of formwork sheets leaves nothing to be desired when it comes to the
finished structure of the fair-face concrete.
The L&T-Doka Fex system is suitable for RC-floors upto 4.40 m high.
For quick erection of the formwork, because the positioning points are clear
With high-grade Eurex floor props with consecutively numbered pegging holes
and low release forces
With high-grade Eurex floor props with consecutively numbered pegging holes
and low release forces
Because the ready reckoner makes it easy to calculate the quantities needed
Because the maximum pitches for longitudinal and transverse beams and props
are marked on the beams - for floor-slab thicknesses up to 30 cm
With high-grade Eurex floor props with consecutively numbered pegging holes
and low release forces
With the new, much-improved longitudinal and transverse beams for significantly
reduced post-use costs
Dokamatic table
The innovative design of the Dokamatic table makes for even faster formwork handling
whenever large floor slabs have to be cast. Standard functional components can be
installed for straightforward, speedy adaptation to changing requirements on the
construction site.
Fast repositioning reduces labour costs
Because fully assembled units are manoeuvred quickly into place - no laborious
carrying of individual components from one location to the next
The Dokamatic table helps save on labour and on crane time: One man using the shifting
trolley with attachable drive unit can move the tables to the next casting location on the
same level. The system is optimised for minimal forming times on large-area projects and
deals easily with varying requirements in terms of statics and geometry.
Comes in 4 rentable standard sizes with grid logic: 4.0 x 2.0 m, 4.0 x 2.5 m, 5.0 x
2.0 m and 5.0 x 2.5 m
tower system comprises only a few individual parts and is extremely versatile. A
comprehensive range of safety accessories completes the system.
Staxo frame
Frame spacing with diagonal crosses from 1.00 to 2.50 m adjustable in 50 cm grid
Integrated next-lift frame adapters for ergonomic handling even high above the
ground - no tools required
Integrated climbing rungs and drop-in assembly battens support safe assembly
and disassembly
Diagonal cross
Setting the next lift is always quick and safe: no time is lost looking for parts, because the
locking springs (1),
(3) and connecting sleeves (2) are captive, integrated into the frames.
No additional parts or loose parts, so even high above the ground handling is still
straightforward.
Height adjustment
Height adjustment accurate to the millimetre, even under load. By means of screw-jack
U-spindle at the top, screw-jack foot or heavy-duty screw jack at the bottom. The heavyduty screw jack 130 has an extension height of 130 cm and is available for jobs requiring
maximum versatility.
The L&T-Doka Beam Forming Support system is suitable for RC-Beams of depth
between 30 cm to 120 cm.
Beam bottom
The plywood sheathing is supported by a layer of secondary H-20 Beams at the designed
spacing to form the beam bottom. The primary H-Beams in turn support the secondary
layer.
Beam sides
The plywood sheathing is supported by H-Beams at the designed spacing running along
the length of the RC-beam to form the beam sides. The H-beams are supported by the
beam forming support which are clamped onto the H-20 beams provided for the Beam
bottom. The beam forming support ensures the right angle between the beam bottom and
sides. The BFS extn. provides the necessary adjustment in depth.
The beam forming support with extension are available in three sizes viz.BFS with
extn.600mm long, 900mm long & 1200mm long.
The plywood sheathing is supported by H-Beams which are in turn supported by the steel
walers. The wall formwork facilitates fixing of working platforms for access, checking of
reinforcement, concreting etc., the panels also have provision for fixing for alignment
system which ensure verticality. The pressure due to concrete are sustained by High
strength tie system.
The walers are available in sizes of 0.8m, 1.2m, 1.6m, 1.8m, 2m & 2.4m the inside
corners are formed by universal inside corner and the outside by universal outside
fixing or angle plates. The high strength tie system can be through tie system or lost
anchor system depending on the structure. The H-Beams can be butt jointed to form
larger size of panels.
The formwork panel along with the working platform and alignment systems can be
lifted as a single unit using a crane thus the labour involved in each operation of erection
and deshuttering is reduced to a minimum. The panels are formed in the carpentry
workshop at site and the number of operations/assembly of components at each location
is minimal and hence accuracy is maintained. Since large panels are handled as a single
unit, the damage/loss of small components is eliminated contributing to very high
material productivity. In the absence of a crane the panels can be dismantled and handled
separately. The wall formwork system can handle very large pressures generated due to
pumping of concrete.
The planners place the Doka formwork beams H 20 (1) and the bracing, which consists of
steel waling (2) to suit the anticipated load. The sheeting (3) is freely selectable your
choice of smooth fair-faced concrete, wood-textured surface, and so on.
Reduces quantities in stock and costs for rental, because of effortless adaptation to
any floor plan
Makes for compact lifting units for fast positioning and short crane times
In the Column formwork system the H-Beams along with steel walers and accessories
makeup the assembly. The Column formwork facilitates fixing of working platforms for
access, checking of reinforcement, concreting etc., The formwork panel along with the
working platform and alignment systems can be lifted as a single unit using a crane thus
the labour involved in each operation of erection and deshuttering is reduced to a
minimum. The panels are formed in the carpentry workshop at site and the number of
operations/assembly of components at each location is minimal and hence accuracy is
maintained. Since large panels are handled as a single unit, the damage/loss of small
components is eliminated contributing to very high material productivity. In the absence
of a crane the panels can be dismantled and handled separately. The column formwork
system can handle very large pressures generated due to pumping of concrete.
For column cross-sections up to 120 x 120 cm with only one splice plate
The L&T-Doka Climbing System are used for tall structures like cooling towers, etc
where it is very uneconomical to provide staging or scaffolding for supporting the
external or internal wall formwork.
In this system a bracket is hooked on to anchors called lost anchors provided in the
already cast wall and supports/alignments are taken from these brackets. The brackets are
suitably braced to prevent any sway and are provided with walkways/working platforms /
handrails etc for safety and ease of working.
CB - 150 A - Simple Climbing, Crane handled - platform width 1.50 m. The brackets &
wall formwork are to be handled separately.
CB - 150 F- Traveling Climbing, Crane handled - platform width 1.50 m. roll back
arrangement for deshuttering & cleaning of shutters. The wall formwork and climbing
bracket are lifted as one unit.
Automatic climbing formwork, the wall formwork along with the climbing brackets slide
along the wall using motors, thus eliminating the need for crane. This system is very
often used for natural draught cooling towers.
MF - 240 - Simple Climbing, Crane handled - platform width 2.40 m. these brackets can
also be fitted with automatic climbers SKE-50 which is a hydraulic system with 5T
carrying capacity or SKE-100 with 10T carrying capacity.
The MF 240 system
SKE 50
SKE 100