CB 523

Methods and Equipment for Construction 1

Lecture 2:
Concrete Formworks Overview

Instructor: Dr. Ahmed Elyamany

Courtesy of Dr. Ahmed Alhady

Agenda

• Introduction to concrete Formwork

• Materials Used

• Categories of formwork

• Failure of formwork

• Safety precautions

• DE shuttering

• Construction Practices 2
 Concrete Formwork
Introduction
• What is Formwork?
• Formwork in construction is the use of an
ancillary support structures and molds to create
structures out of concrete which is poured into
the molds to harden subsequently.
• The construction of formwork takes time and
involves expenditure up to 20 to 25% of the cost
of the structure or even more.
• The operation of removing the formwork is
known as stripping. Stripped formwork can be
reused.
• Reusable forms are known as panel forms and
non-usable are called stationary forms.

• Formwork is designed according to The ACI

document SP-4.

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 Concrete Formwork
Introduction
• A good formwork should satisfy the following requirements:

Strong enough to withstand all types of dead and live loads.

Rigidly constructed and efficiently propped and braced both horizontally and
vertically, so as to retain its shape.

The joints in the formwork should be tight against leakage of cement grout.

Construction of formwork should permit removal of various parts in desired
sequences without damage to the concrete

Material of the formwork should be cheap, easily available and should be
suitable for reuse

The formwork should be set accurately to the desired line and levels should
have plane surface.

As light as possible

Material of the formwork should not warp or get distorted when exposed to
the elements

Should rest on firm base.
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 Concrete Formwork
Introduction
Minimizing Cost of Formwork
• Since formwork may account for 40 to 60% of the cost of concrete
construction, it is essential that the formwork plan be carefully developed and
thoroughly evaluated.
• A cost comparison should be made of all feasible forming systems and
methods of operation.
• The formwork plan that provides the required safety, construction quality, and
repetitive use of forms at the minimum overall cost should be selected for
implementation.
• Flying forms, large sections of formwork moved by crane from one position to
another, are often economical in repetitive types of concrete construction.
• Where appropriate, the use of slip forms can greatly reduce forming costs.

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Flying Forms

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Slip Forms

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 Concrete Formwork
Introduction
• The following points are to be kept in view to affect economy in
the cost of formwork:

The plan of the building should imply minimum number of
variations in the size of rooms, floor area etc. so as to permit
reuse of the formwork repeatedly.

Design should be perfect to use slender sections only in a

most economical way.

Minimum sawing and cutting of wooden pieces should be

made to enable reuse of the material a number of times. The
quality of surface finish depends on the quality of the
formwork.
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 Concrete Formwork
Materials Used
• Formwork are mainly of two types
o Steel formwork
o Wooden formwork

• Steel formwork is made of

o Steel sheets
o Angle Iron
o Tee Iron

• Wooden formwork consists of

o Props
o Planks battens
o Ledgers “horizontal timber fastened to the vertical uprights
of a formwork, to support the sheeting.”

o Sheeting 9
 Concrete Formwork
Materials Used (cont’d)
• Timber :
• Most common material used for bracing
the member, hence called as the
traditional formwork.

• can easily be cut to size on site.

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 Concrete Formwork
Materials Used (cont’d)
• Plywood
• This is by far the most common material
used for the facing panel. It is easily cut
to shape on site, and if handled and
stored carefully, it can be used many
times.
• A standard plywood thickness on site is
18mm. This is usually sufficient for most
pours.
• However, if the formwork is curved, a
thinner plywood is used to facilitate
bending.
• Thicker plywood may be used when the
weight of concrete causes a standard
thickness plywood to bow out,
distorting the concrete face.
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 Concrete Formwork
Materials Used (cont’d)
• Steel :
• Steel forms are stronger, durable and
have longer life than timber formwork
and their reuses are more in number.
• Steel forms can be installed and
dismantled with greater ease and
speed.
• The quality of exposed concrete surface
by using steel forms is good and such
surfaces need no further treatment.
• Steel formwork does not absorb
moisture from concrete.
• Steel formwork does not shrink or warp

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 Concrete Formwork
Materials Used (cont’d)
• Aluminum formwork
• Often used as pre-fabricated formwork,
that is put together on site.
• Aluminum is strong and light, and
consequently fewer supports and ties are
required.
• The lighter sections will deflect more, but
this can be avoided by simply following the
manufacturers recommendations.

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 Concrete Formwork
Materials Used (cont’d)
• Plastic formwork
• Glass reinforced plastics (GRP) and
vacuum formed plastics are used
when complicated concrete shapes
are required (e.g. waffle floors).
• Although vacuum formed plastics
will always need support, GRP can
be fabricated with integral bearers
making it self supporting.
• Like steel, plastic formwork can be
re-used many times, as long as care
is taken not to scrub the surface
whilst vibrating the concrete.

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 Concrete Formwork
Categories of Formwork (cont’d)
• CONVENTIONAL/TRADITIONAL:
o The formwork is built on site out
of timber and plywood.
o It is easy to produce but time-
consuming for larger structures,
and the plywood facing has a
relatively short lifespan.
o It is still used extensively where
the labour costs are lower than
the costs for procuring reusable Usually timber in the form of plywood,
formwork. planking, batten and joist are used as
o It is also the most flexible type of the basic material.
formwork, so even where other Human workers need to enter into
systems are in use, complicated every corner to perform
sections may use it. the formwork installation works
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CONVENTIONAL/TRADITIONAL Formwork
Planking
Batten, Joist

Plywood

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 Concrete Formwork
Categories of Formwork (cont’d)
MODERN FORMWORKS:
oThis formwork systems are mostly modular, which are designed
for speed and efficiency.
oThey are designed to provide increased accuracy and minimize
waste in construction and most have enhanced health and safety
features built-in.
oThe main types of formwork systems in use now are:
1. Slip form
2. Horizontal panel
3. System column formwork
4. Tunnel form

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 MODERN FORMWORKS
SLIPFORM TECHNOLOGY
• Suitable for construction of core walls in
high-rise structures and towers.
• The formwork rises continuously, at a rate of
about 300 mm per hour, supporting itself on
the core and not relying on support or access
from other parts of the building or
permanent works.
• Allows for the continuous pouring of
concrete into walls of a structure and only
stops when the full required height of the
structure has been reached.
• The height of the formwork is designed in
such a way that while the top of the
formwork is being filled by concrete the
lowest layer of concrete poured earlier has
already gained an initial set. When the
formwork is moved upwards the concrete
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that is then exposed remains firm.
 MODERN FORMWORKS
SLIPFORM TECHNOLOGY: (PROCEDURES)
•Assembly can only start once the foundations are in
place and the wall starter is in correct alignment.
•Slip form shuttering is aligned with the help of yokes.
•Horizontal crossbeams connect these yokes.
•Hydraulic jacks are attached to these crossbeams for
simultaneous upward movement.
•Height of the slip form ranges from 1.1 to 1.5 meters.
•Yokes and crossbeams also used to support the
working platform
•Structure should be rigid and shape maintained at all
times.
•Make sure there is no lag or else it prevents the
structure from free upward movement
• It is also possible to reduce wall thicknesses as the
construction gains height and arrangements have to
be made in the slip form structure that will enable
such reduction at regular intervals. 19
MODERN FORMWORKS
SLIPFORM TECHNOLOGY: (PROCEDURES)

ERECTION OF A TOWER USING SLIPFORM

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 MODERN FORMWORKS
SLIPFORM TECHNOLOGY:
TUNNEL FORMWORK SYSTEM:
HORIZONTAL FORMWORK
• Slipform methods of
construction can also be
adapted to horizontal
structures and are used for
paving, canals, and
tunneling.
• The technique is more in
use for structures that have
continuous walls like silos ,
chimneys, and piers for
very tall bridges.
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MODERN FORMWORKS
SLIPFORM TECHNOLOGY:
TUNNEL FORMWORK SYSTEM:
• Tunnel formwork system allows the contractor to cast walls and
slabs in one operation in a daily cycle.
• It combines the speed, quality and accuracy of factory/off-site
production with the flexibility and economy of in-situ
construction
• Recognized as a modern method of construction (MMC).

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MODERN FORMWORKS
SLIPFORM TECHNOLOGY:
TUNNEL FORMWORK SYSTEM:
• The system creates an efficient load-bearing structure for use in
a wide variety of applications.
• It is particularly effective in projects suited to repetitive cellular
construction such as residential blocks, hotels, student
accommodation, barracks and prisons.

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 MODERN FORMWORKS
COLUMN SYSTEM FORMWORK:
The column formwork systems
now available are normally
modular in nature and allow quick
assembly and erection on-site
while minimizing labor and crane
time.
• They are available in steel, and
aluminum and have a variety of
internal face surfaces depending
on the concrete finish required.
• Innovations have led to
adjustable, reusable column
forms which can be clamped on-
site to give different column
sizes. 24
 MODERN FORMWORKS
COLUMN SYSTEM FORMWORK:
• Column forms are designed for specific maximum concrete
pressures. The concrete placement rates have to be adjusted to
keep the concrete pressure within the specified limits.
• The assembled formwork has to be restrained at the base properly
to avoid displacement, and grout loss during concreting.

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 Engineered/Pre-
Engineered/Pre-fabricated Formworks
oThis formwork is built out of prefabricated modules with a metal
frame (usually steel or aluminium) and covered on the application
(concrete) side with material having the wanted surface structure
(steel, aluminium, timber, etc.).
oThe two major advantages of formwork systems, compared to
traditional timber formwork, are speed of construction and lower
life-cycle costs (barring major force, the frame is almost
indestructible, while the covering if made of wood; may have to
be replaced after a few – or a few dozen – uses, but if the
covering is made with steel or aluminium the form can achieve up
to two thousand uses depending on care and the applications).

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 Concrete Formwork

POINTS OF CONVENTIONAL METHOD MODERN DAY METHOD PREFABRICATED METHOD
DIFFERENTIATION

TIMBER( Plywood STEEL AND ALUMINIUM. Frame of ALUMINIUM covered
MATERIAL USED
Or moisture-resistant with ALUMINIUM OR TIMBER
Particleboard).

TIME
CONSUMPTION VERY TIME CONSUMING. DESIGNED FOR SPEED Work happens simultaneously with
AND EFFICIENCY. construction hence saves time
(For large structures.)
(mostly modular)

LIFE SPAN The plywood facing has a LONGER LIFE SPAN The frame is very durable
relatively (If made of metal n aluminium can
SHORT LIFE SPAN. be used for 2000 times)

The labour costs are The labour costs are HIGHER than
USED IN The labour costs are LOWER
HIGHER than the costs for the costs for procuring reusable
than the costs for procuring procuring reusable formwork.
reusable formwork. formwork.

FLEXIBILITY MOST FLEXIBLE LESS FLEXIBLE. There is NO FLEXIBILITY after

making the formwork

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 Concrete Formwork
FAILURE OF FORMWORK

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 Concrete Formwork
FAILURE OF FORMWORK (cont’d)
• Formwork failures are the cause of many
accidents and failures that occur during
concrete construction which usually happen
when fresh concrete is placed
• Generally some unexpected event causes one
member to fail, then others become
overloaded or misaligned and the entire
formwork structure collapses

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 Concrete Formwork
FAILURE OF FORMWORK (cont’d)
• Improper stripping and shore removal
• Inadequate bracing
• Unstable soil under shoring plumb
• Inadequate control of concrete placement
• Lack of attention to formwork details
• Inadequate cross bracing and horizontal bracing of shores
• Forms sometime collapse when their shores/ jack are displaced by
the vibration caused by:
• passing traffic
• movement of workers & equipment on the formwork
• the effect of vibrating concrete to consolidate it

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 Concrete Formwork
SAFETY PRECAUTION
• Material used for the construction of formwork must fulfill the
specifications.
• Formwork is fixed firmly & properly.
• Construction area must be protected to prevent vandalism of
formwork.
• Warning sign must be put up at the area where the formwork is
fixed to prevent entrance of people that may damage the
formwork.
• The formwork must be inspected before the concrete is poured.

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 Concrete Formwork
SAFETY PRECAUTION
• Striking As column and beam side formwork will be removed befo
re beam and slab soffit formwork, provision must be made for ea
sy removal and in the correct order. If beam and slab soffit form
work is to be removed before the concrete has achieved working s
trength, permanent propping or shoring is required. Take care to
avoid damage to formwork which is to be re used. Eight or more
uses may be obtained from timber formwork.
• Maintenance Clean forms with stiff brush and clean cold water.
Use scrapers only as a last resort. Keep forms well oiled to preven
t delamination of plywood or rusting of steel and always oil the ed
ges.
• Storage of forms Any formwork with steel components should be
stored in the dry. Avoid direct sunlight on timber forms. Store cle
ar of the ground without twist or bend, and keep free of dirt.
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 Concrete Formwork
DESHUTTERING
• DESHUTTERING simply means, the process of
removing the shuttering (Formwork for Concrete).
• Order and method of removing formwork:
• Shuttering forms of vertical faces of walls, beams
& column sides should be removed first.
Shuttering forms of soffit to slab should be
removed next.
• Shuttering forms of soffit to beams, girders or
other heavily loaded members should be removed
in the end.
• Factors considered :
• Concreting is done under normal circumstances
• Cement used is Ordinary Portland Cement
• Adequate curing is done
• Ambient temperature is not fall below 15 degree
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Concrete Formwork
DESHUTTERING (cont’d)
RELEASE AGENTS FOR FORMWORK:
Formwork needs to be treated with a release agent
so that it can be removed easily after the concrete
has set. Failure to use a release agent can result in
the formwork sticking to the concrete, which may
lead to damage of the concrete surface.

A single application of release agent is all that is

required when forms are then used. Care must be
taken to cover all the surface that will come in
contact with the surface of concrete. However, if
there is an excess of release agent, it may cause
staining or retardation of the concrete.
Concrete Formwork
DESHUTTERING (cont’d)

• There are different release agents depending on

what material is used for the formwork.
The three (03) most common release agents for
formwork are:
• Neat oils with surfactants: used mainly on steel surfaces,
but also suitable for timber and plywood.
• Mould cream emulsions: good general purpose release
agents for use on timber and plywood.
• Chemical release agents: recommended for high quality
work, applied by spray to all types of form face.
 Construction Practices

• Forms must be constructed with tight joints to prevent

the loss of cement paste, which may result in
honeycombing.
• Before concrete is placed, forms must be aligned both
horizontally and vertically and braced to remain in
alignment.
• Form alignment should be continuously monitored
during concrete placement, and adjustments made if
necessary. When a vertical form is wider at the bottom
than at the top, an uplift force will be created as the
form is filled. Such forms must be anchored against
uplift. 36
 Construction Practices

• Use drop chutes or rubber elephant trunks to avoid

segregation of aggregate and paste when placing
concrete into high vertical forms. Free-fall distance
should be limited to 5 ft or less.
• When pumping forms from the bottom, it is important
to fill the forms rapidly so that the concrete does not
start to set up before filling is completed. If the pump
rate is so low that setting begins, excessive pressure will
be produced inside the form, resulting in bulging or
rupturing of the form.

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 Construction Practices

• Concrete forms are removed after the concrete has

developed the required strength. When removing (or
stripping) concrete forms, care must be taken to
minimize damage to the surface of the concrete during
the removal process.

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Thank You
Questions ?

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