FORMWORK - Definitions

• “Forms or moulds or shutters are the receptacles in

which concrete is placed, so that it will have desired
shape or outline when hardened. Once concrete
develops the adequate strength to support its own
weight they can be taken out”.
INTRODUCTION TO • “Formwork is the term given to either temporary or
FORMWORK permanent moulds into which concrete or similar
materials are poured”…
• “Concrete formwork is a term that refers to the
supporting structures used to contain liquid concrete in
6th Nov, 2012
the desired finished shape between the time it is poured
and the time it has set sufficiently to retain shape with
the formwork removed. “
• Basically Temporary / Enabling Structures

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Superior Aesthetics with Good Forms Formwork

• Different types of concrete formwork are commonly used,
and nearly any shape can be created with the proper
Sirsi Circle Flyover, Bangalore
formwork and the right grades of concrete.
Depending on the job, different types of formwork
may be desirable, and formwork that would be sufficient for
a job such as laying a concrete pavement might not be
suitable for laying a reinforced pad site or supporting
column.
• Terminology:
– Shuttering, Moulds – Generally the element giving the
shape to concrete
– Staging/ Scaffolding- Generally they supporting elements
– Formwork/ Falsework – Generally a global descriptive
term
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Comparison of Form systems

Typical Falsework Traditional formwork system System formwork

A network of
Wooden A network of Collapsible wooden H-beams
posts wooden beams to type props to support the
(ballies) support the (CT props) sheathing.
sheathing

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 Traditional form systems
Typ. Wall form

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Slab formwork
Column Formwork

•Sheathing
From below
•Walers
•Soldiers
•Struts
•Props
•Ties
From top

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General Requirements for Formwork

• Quality of formwork has a bearing on quality and
Blemishes in Concrete
soundness of the concrete it produces Some examples of poor concrete quality due to defective
• Strength & Stability: Formwork to be strong enough to take formwork:
the dead, live and wind loads arising during construction.
Good supporting ground conditions • Honeycombing
• Rigidity & Joints: Joints in formwork should be rigid so that • Hollows
bulging, twisting, or sagging due to loads are as small as • Fins
possible. Excessive deformation will disfigure the surface
of concrete. • Bulges
• Lines: Construction lines in formwork should be true and • Irregular dimensions/ inaccuracy in geometry
surfaces plane so that the cost for finishing the concrete
surface on removing the shuttering is the least. • Unevenness requiring more plastering
• Ease of use: Formwork should be easily erectable & • Visible tie holes
removable without damage to itself so that it could be used • Poor joints with water seepage possibilities
repeatedly

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 General Loads on Forms Concrete Pressures on Forms
•Weight of reinforcing steel and concrete • Various formulae are
•Self weight of forms
available to estimate
•Various live loads imposed during the construction process
•Equipment Loads from Vibrators, concrete pumps, the pressures from
concreting bucket, starting and stopping of heavy equipment green concrete on the
on structure; movement of heavy equipment nearby
•Bracings and props to be designed for horizontal loads: due forms.
to winds, inclined supports, dumping of concrete. Equipment
(pumps, transport pipes, braking)
•Staging to be designed for lateral loads also- very important;
bracings in all three directions need to be designed and
installed
•Decentering scheme is important
decentering

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Some important issues

Traditional Indian Formwork
• Form release agents – impact on concrete finishes
• Formwork stripping/ Decentering – Age, Procedure
• Access to Forms & staging
• Staging – Stability with cross Bracings

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Traditional Indian forms (Contd.) Simple systems

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 Formwork & Staging Cost of concreting – examples
• Important & Precious enabler resources for most Figures are only Indicative and
sites! will vary depending on Various
• Good planning, usage & storage required to get conditions
max. returns
• Mechanization such as pumping of concrete
necessitates use of engineered formwork and
systems to ensure timely implementation with
safety.
• For better overall productivity use of engineered/
system formwork is necessary
• Formwork cost generally constitutes 25%- 45% of
the cost of concrete but involves 60% of the time.
• Formwork done using system formwork /
engineered formwork is only 5% to 10%!
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Common Formwork Materials

•Timber / Plywood: mainly for sheathing; good flexibility but

limited reuse; less durability; no scrap value

•Steel: Good strength and reusability; heavy weight; less

Flexibility; corrosion-prone

•Aluminum: Light weight; good reusability; no corrosion;

high initial costs

•Plastic/ fibre glass/ fibre-reinforced plastic: recent

developments; light weight; no corrosion;’ good reusability

Form liners- for superior finishes

Credit: AR/21IIC 22

FORMWORK MATERIALS Wall / Column Formwork

Type of Framework Sheathing Advantages Disadvantages
system
All steel • lightweight Steel sheets •Strong •Heavy
formwork structural steel •Durable •Consume excessive
sections •Economical if labour in shifting
•Sheet bent more repetitions •Can get rusted
profiles are derived • flexibility in geometry of
forms is limited

Steel and • steel • plywood •Better flexibility •Uses heavy steel

plywood supporting flexural
formwork members making it
bulkier to work on.

Steel , • timber beams •plywood • ample flexibility to •The system is wood

plywood • steel flexural suit a wide range of dominated which is
and timber and axial form geometry getting costlier day by
beams members day.

All •aluminium •aluminium • light in weight • higher investment cost

aluminium • avoids rusting • less strength as
formwork compared to steel
formwork

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 Wall / Column Formwork Large panel wall formwork system

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Vertical lifts for walls FLEX

First Lift

Second Lift

ADVANTAGES
1) Flexibility in spacing b/w individual props.
2) Components are light enough for erecting and
dismantling manually.
3) Avoids skilled labour at site.
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FLEX System Beam Forming Support

• Enables re-propping and frequent reuse of materials.
• For beam formwork with minimum
beam depth of 300mm excluding
slab thickness.
• Uses standard components avoiding
skilled making at site
• Beam bottom sheathing should be
of plywood of at least19mm or of
some thicker or stiffer material.
• Requires no form ties up to a total
beam depth of 900mm including
slab thickness, use of ties
may increase the spacing of beam
forming supports.
• Arrangement on sides remains
independent of beam width
Primary and secondary layer of H-beams Plywood laid ready for placing
• Easy assembling, aligning, fixing
laid for supporting ply sheathing for slab reinforcements
and dismantling.

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 BFS TYPICAL ARRANGEMENT OF HDT SYSTEM

H-16 BEAMS

BEAM BOTTOM
AND SIDES USING
CONVENTIONAL
SYSTEM

STEEL WALER U-HEAD

SHORT PROPS

H.D.TOWER
SYSTEM FOOT PLATE
ADVANTAGES
1) Arrangement of sides remains independent of beam width. TOWER SPINDLE
2) Easy assembling, aligning, fixing and dismantling.
3) Uses standard components avoiding skilled making at site. HDT: Heavy Duty Tower
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HDT
An elegant formwork system

ADVANTAGES
1) Tall staging heights and heavier loading, capacity of 250 kN.
2) Inclined decking is also possible using tower spindles on top.
3) Tower as a whole can be shifted (rolled) manually by attaching
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transport devices to the legs.

Stairs
Left-in Shuttering System (Rolladeck)

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 Acrow Beams

OTHER BUILDING FORMS

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Cuplock System
65 MM
DESCRIPTION:

The core of the system lies in the usage of an Engineered timber component, the H-Beam. 35MM

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. PLY WOOD

160MM
The H-beams thus manufactured are light, dimensionally stable and retains its structural 20MM

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.
TIMBER
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.

TYPICAL C/S OF H-16 BEAM

SALIENT FEATURES
• Reduction in consumption of timber.
• Making work at site minimized.
• No. of reuses more than 8 times that of conventional timber.
• Dimensionally stable, uniform in size and consistent in strength.
• Cost ratio per use H-16 beam : conventional timber = 1:3.5
• Economical and long - lasting.
• Light weight 6kgs per RMT.

L&T/ Doka H-BEAM - THE CORE

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Climbing formwork system:

climbing formwork
Safe working platform all around

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 Tunnel formwork system
Tunnel formwork system
Lifting of porticoes
with the help of
crane

Setting out of Tunnel

Application

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MOCK UP ASSEMBLY OF ALUMINIUM

Aluminium Formwork System
FORMWORK
• Latest in technology
• All aluminium formwork system. All components except
for some supporting members are made up of
aluminium alloy.
• Used for concrete wall and slab type of construction.
• Requires not more than a hammer for assembly and
removal.
• Completely self supporting and interlocking.
• Eliminates time-consuming brickwork and plastering.

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Aluminium formwork system Aluminium Formwork System

• High speed of construction
• Saves construction space by 8%
• Very light in weight and hence easy to handle
• Accurate dimensions for all door and window openings
• Earthquake resistant ( box type arrangement)
construction
• Does not need expensive machinery or skilled
workmen.
• Overall cost of construction is less when used for
L&T
Aluminium repetitive structures like mass housing etc.
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 Aluminium Formwork System
Plastic Formwork
Some limitations of this system:
• No changes in the formwork setup possible once it is
fabricated ex. for adding conduits for services.
• Can be used only for superstructures; foundation needs
to be done in the conventional way.
• Higher initial cost
• Economical only when a number of repetitions of the
formwork is obtained.

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Formwork/ staging failures

Example of poor formwork

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Slipform

Special Formworks

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 Slipforming Slipform
Assembly

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Hyperboloid shell for Natural Draught Cooling Towers Automatic Climbing Formwork system for Shell

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Mechanised Formwork System For Tunnels Canal Lining using paver

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Moulds for Precast Bridge Superstructure Segments
Cantilever Construction Equipment

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CCE FOR CAST IN SITU WORK Conclusion

• Formwork and staging are important
elements for construction
• Expertise required for competent use and
to get economy in cost
• Engineers and labour to be trained in
formwork systems and usage for efficient
construction
• Many systems and options are available
today for good and fast construction

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THANK YOU
All the Best Wishes

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