This blog aims to introduce the basic knowledge of formwork installation, including the types of formwork, the importance of design, installation preparation, specific installation process, removal and maintenance, etc. By in-depth understanding of these contents, we hope to help readers improve their understanding of formwork installation work, so as to achieve efficient and safe construction goals in actual projects.

Types Of Formwork And Selection Criteria

      Formwork plays a vital role in construction projects. According to the different production materials, formwork can be roughly divided into several types such as wooden formwork, steel formwork, aluminum formwork and plastic formwork.

      To choose a formwork, the first step is to identify the brand and model that should be used in accordance with specific project situations, cost budgets and working environment conditions. Besides this, one should also take into account the size of the moulds as well as their shapes and load bearing capacities so that it ensures that what has been formed by them satisfies actual needs for building operations.

The Installation Of The Formwork Preparation

Before the installation of the formwork, it is necessary to make proper preparation, to ensure the smooth and safe construction.

A. Site Preparation

Before formwork installation is mounted, it is necessary to do a more thorough site preparation. The following is what needs to be done for good site preparation:

• Ground Leveling: The first thing to do is to level the surface of the construction area where the formwork is to be installed. If the angle and scale are not right, your formwork panels will not match well and might be unsecured in place.

• Equipment/Material Preparation: Once you have your ground ready, you should have all your materials and formwork supplied, ready to be put in place. This includes all the parts you need to form the formwork to be assembled and disassembled, all the Personal Protective Equipment required for the workers' safety on the site.

• Safety Measures: Make sure that the safety of the assembly area is taken into account. The area must be marked with warning signs and must be surrounded by barrier fencing, of course, workers must use safety equipment. A safety plan should be prepared either before the formwork removal process is started or before erecting any scaffolding.

B. Team Configuration & Responsibilities

• It is important to have a well-coordinated and clear team of labour for false work installation to ensure proper and safe installation. If the crew members do not know who is doing what work in the team, it can lead to misunderstandings and so poor implementations and / or accidents.

• Break down the Role and Responsibilities in the Work Team: The crew members installing the formwork system must have a clear idea of the different roles assigned to each team member following the work. For example, there may be a field manager who directs the field foreman, the engineer in charge of the entire installation job, the safety officer in charge of ensuring onsite safety and then the actual skilled labour that actually performs the installation work.  

Split Installation Process

Install the base formwork Position:

• Location:install the base template to the specified position according to the engineering design.
• Leveling: Loose all base templates and keep the level. Use tool to check the level.
• Anchor: anchor the base template firmly with anchoring devices (such as nails or screws).

Install the wall / column formwork:

• Verticality: install each part of the wall / column template as vertical as possible. Plumb check the verticality of each part.
• Connection: connect the linking wall / column template and anchor it to the base template.
• Support: install supporting parts on the wall / column template according to the situation to make the template stable.

Install the floor formwork:

• Position and verticality: install the ceiling template to the position already specified. Use plumb to check the wall / column template first for installation.
• Position: when the ceiling template is to be used, the ceiling template shall be firmly installed, and supporting parts shall be installed according to the situation. Make the bottom plate of the ceiling template evenly support on the wall / column template.  

Formwork Dismantling And Maintenance

      De-shuttering of the formwork is important and has many benefits. Firstly, the de-shuttering process allows for the visual inspection of the formwork and concrete structure and ensures that construction work is proceeding according to plan and according to the highest quality and safety standards. During the de-shuttering of formwork, if done correctly, it will also cause minimal damage to the formwork or the concrete structure and therefore enable the formwork materials to be reused, which is economically and environmentally sustainable.

How to remove the formwork step by step:

Step 1 – Ensure the structure has hardened sufficiently that it can support itself without the formwork.

Step 2 – Make sure all safety precautions are in place and you have the required equipment.

Step 3 – Plan how you will de-shutter the formwork so it is done using the safest and most effective method.

Step 4 – Carefully release formwork from the concrete structure and de-shutter the formwork in a slow and controlled manner.

Step 5 – Inspect the de-shuttered formwork for damage. Planks and sheets should be carefully stacked.

      Safe tips for remove shuttering: Remove shuttering always wear the personal protective equipment. Identify and remove risk to dismantling. Always have competent and experienced person to do the shuttering. Avoid carrying out the shuttering from close vicinity of others working and never hand over any materials to a person standing below.

Maintenance And Storage Of Formwork:

In order to maintain the reusability and life span of formwork, proper care and maintenance should be provided.

• Maintenance: as soon as the form work is stripped from the concrete, clean it and inspect for any kind of repairs and if any found should take the correction measures immediately.
• Storage: Form work should be stored in a vertical plane in a dry place and free from air entrapped to avoid any kind of deformation.
• Reuse and sustainability: Reusing of formwork plays a major role to bring down the project cost and also save environment. It is much more important to reuse the formwork then to recycle. Formwork which is not possible to reuse have to deal with minimum amount of impact on environment during disposal.

Regular maintenance and proper storage are essential to maintain formwork performance and ensure a safe working environment. This also reduces construction costs in the long run.

Why Choose AJ Building As Your Formwork Supplier

Advanced production technology and equipment:

Our factory is equipped with 50 internationally advanced automated production equipment, including high-precision laser cutting machines, automatic welding robots, and multi-functional template forming machines. These advanced equipment not only greatly improve production efficiency and can produce up to 20,000 square meters of formwork per month, but also ensure the high precision and consistency of products, thus far surpassing their peers in quality.

Personalized and customized services:

We understand that every construction project is unique and therefore provide a highly customized service. Customers can choose the size, color, thickness, etc. of the template according to their own needs. We have a technical team of 30 experienced engineers who are able to design perfectly matched formwork solutions based on the specific requirements provided by customers, ensuring that the special needs of each project are met.

Professional after-sales service team:

Our after-sales service team is composed of senior experts with more than 10 years of industry experience. They are able to provide professional technical support and quick-response problem solutions. From template installation guidance to post-project maintenance, we can provide a full range of services to ensure customers' smooth use and best experience.

Competitive price advantage:

By adopting automated production lines and large-scale production, we are able to effectively control costs while maintaining high quality. In addition, our close cooperation with raw material suppliers also provides us with cost advantages, allowing us to provide products of equal or even higher quality at lower prices than other suppliers in the market. This means that by choosing us, customers not only get high-quality formwork products, but also enjoy more cost-effective solutions.

FAQ

How Is Concrete Formwork Done?

• Concrete formwork is a temporary or permanent mold built with materials such as wood and steel to ensure that the concrete maintains its shape and reaches the designed strength during the pouring and curing process.

What Is The Formula For Formwork?

• The formula for calculating the template area is usually the perimeter of the structure multiplied by the height. For different shapes such as rectangles and circular cylinders, use: 2×(length+width)×height and π×diameter×height respectively.

What Percentage Of Concrete Is Formwork?

• Formwork typically accounts for around 20% to 25% of the total cost of concrete construction, depending on factors such as design complexity, material type, labor costs and the reusability of the formwork.

Relevant Information

Industry Guide For Formwork --- SAFEWORK SA

How To Build Formwork --- HOWTOSPECIALIST

Cost And Time Analysis On The Selection Of Formwork Installation Method --- CIVIL-ENG