Negosentro | 4 Forming Tips: What Is the Fastest Way to Setup Formwork? | If you have ever driven past a building that was under construction, you might have noticed a hose running from a cement truck to behind a series of panels. You might have also noticed hardware such as ties, braces and brackets, clamps, and other devices put in place. What you are seeing is molds being used to hold wet concrete in place until it is set and able to support itself. Those molds are called formwork.
Formwork is used in the construction of all kinds of concrete structures, such as staircases, slabs, and walls. You might think of formwork like baking a cake. If you put dough into an oven without a pan of some sort, it would run everywhere. Instead, you put the dough in a form, which allows the cake to bake until it is finished. As easy as formwork is to understand, there are several points to keep in mind to make work go smoothly. This article will explain four things to keep in mind for a project to go faster from rate of pour to Table Formwork Construction.
Rate of Pour
Obviously, there are many things to consider when using formwork construction. Not all of these are what might be called (pun intended) “concrete.” Some are what could be called theoretical, although they are still critical to the successful use of formwork. One of these is the rate of pour, which is the rate at which wet concrete is poured into the void created by the formwork. This is something that is critical to keeping in mind when concrete is poured to ensure that it does not either flow over the forms that have been erected or burst from the forms that have been set up. Rate of pour can be thought of as being like pouring material into a funnel, being mindful that that material does not exceed what the funnel can handle.
Lateral Pressure
Closely related to rate of pour is lateral pressure, which is when the weight of the concrete being poured exceeds the ability of the form to hold it. Lateral pressure is an important consideration when the type of formwork is selected for a project.
Table Formwork Construction
Besides the materials that are actually used in formwork, consideration must also be paid to the type of formwork used. This includes one called table formwork construction, which is a large, pre-assembled unit often taking the form of a complete bay of a suspended floor slab. Table formwork construction saves lots time and work since it is pre-assembled and mobile, which makes for quick installation. This type of formwork is especially practical when projects follow regular plan layouts or repetitive structures. This makes it especially suited for beam and slab and flat slab layouts.
Release Agent
Another important consideration in using formwork is the application of a release agent on the material so that concrete does not stick to the formwork. A release agent is usually made of oil, wax, or plastic, and prevents sticking and can cause the surface of the concrete to become misshapen or discolored, requiring more work to repair.
Formwork construction offers many benefits to those who use it in their projects. These are only a few that make it a time-saving and economical option.
