FORMWORK

for
Civil Engineering Construction Works

Dr V Srinivasa Reddy
Professor of Civil Engineering
GRIET
Lecture 1

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 Code Standards on Formwork
• INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

• ACI 347r-94 - guide to formwork for concrete

• ACI SP-4 - formwork for concrete.
• OHSAS - Occupational Health and Safety Act standards
• BS 5975 - British standards
• CAN/CSA - S269.3 - Canadian standard
• SAA 1509 - 1974 - Australian standards
• DIN 4420 - German standards

The above standards covers all topics in detail, including lateral pressure of concrete,
superimposed loads like P&M (plants and Machinery)loads, impact loads and
environmental loads like wind loads etc.

• INDIAN STANDARDS

• IS - 14687 - 1999 , Indian Standard - False work for Concrete Structures - Guidelines
• The other code available for reference “IRC 87 - 1984 - Guidelines on design and
erection of formwork for road bridges” is derived from the British and American codes.

The above codes do not elaborate on design factors and special applications when
compared to the treatise of international codes.
The code itself was made available only in 1999.
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Definition of Formwork:

When concrete is placed, it is in plastic state. It requires to be supported by

temporary supports and castings of desired shape till it becomes sufficiently
strong to support its own weight. This temporary casing is known as the
formwork or forms or shuttering.

Formwork also carries the weight of freshly placed concrete and itself besides
live load due to materials, equipment and workmen

In the Construction of any building concreting and reinforcement binding is

the main activity after that to hold them in their position Formwork is most
important

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• Formwork is a classic temporary structure in the sense that:
• it is erected quickly
• highly loaded for a few hours during the concrete placement
• and within a few days disassembled for future use

• The term "Temporary Structures" may not fully imply the temporary,
since some forms, tie hardware, and accessories are used hundreds of times,
which necessitates high durability and maintainability characteristics and
design that maximizes productivity

• Unlike conventional structures, the formwork disassembly characteristics are

severely restricted by concrete bond, rigidity, and shrinkage, which not only

restricts access to the formwork structure but causes residual loads that
have to be released to allow stripping from the concrete which initiates
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disassembly.
• In 1908 the use of wood versus steel formwork was debated at the
ACI convention. Also, the advantages of modular panel forming with
its own connecting hardware, and good for extensive reuse were
realized.
• By 1910 steel forms for paving were being produced commercially
and used in the field

 Today modular panel forming is the norm.

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 Why Formwork
• For the different construction activities like
• Brick work above 5 ft
• Surface finishing works like plastering, painting, walling etc.
• Renovation, repair and alteration works.
• Roof and slab pouring

Some temporary nature supports and structures are required like

• Formwork (Supporting Structure)

• Scaffoldings (arrangement for working plate forms)
• Shoring (supporting method for unsafe structure)
• Underpinning (Method of strengthening an existing
structure’s footing)

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Form work :
All arrangement done to support the green concrete till it attains the strength is
known as form work or temporary work.
Form work determines the geometry, shape, size and finish of the form work.

Centering :
Part of the form work which supports the horizontal surface is called centering for
example slab bottom , beam bottom etc.

Shuttering :Part of the form work which supports the Vertical surface is called
Shuttering for example column sides, beam sides, slab side ,wall side etc.

Staging : That portion which support centering & shuttering is called Staging.
Pipes/Props/Jacks

Scaffolding : That arrangement which is meant to be a supporting platform for people

( labor , supervisor, mason ,fitter, painter, carpenter etc. ) is known as scaffolding.

Scaffolding is nothing but a fixed/movable platform which can be used for working at
heights . They are usually used for activities such as plastering, painting, brick work at
heights etc. 11
There are various types of scaffolding :

1. Tube and Coupler Scaffolding: Assembled using tubes and couplers at

joints.

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2. Bamboo/Wooden Scaffold : It is made using bamboo materials. It is
considered unfit for industrial use.

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3. Suspended Scaffold : It is used for cleaning glass at malls usually.

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 Shuttering/Formwork

the falsework supports the

shuttering moulds

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Objectives of Form Building
•Basic objectives in form building are three fold:
• Quality - In terms of strength, rigidity, position, and dimensions of
the forms
• Safety - for both the workers and the concrete structure
• Economy - the least cost consistent with quality and safety
requirements
•Cooperation and coordination between engineer / architect and the
contractor are necessary to achieve these goals.

•Economy is a major concern since formwork costs constitutes up to 60

percent of the total cost of concrete work in a project.
•In designing and building formwork, the contractor should aim for
maximum economy without sacrificing quality or safety.
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How Formwork Affects Concrete Quality
•Size, shape, and alignment of slabs, beams, and other concrete structural
elements depend on accurate construction of the forms.
•The forms must be:
• Sufficiently rigid under the construction loads to maintain the designed
shape of the concrete,
• Stable and strong enough to maintain large members in alignment, and
• Substantially constructed to withstand handling and reuse without losing
their dimensional integrity.
•The formwork must remain in place until the concrete is strong enough to
carry its own weight, or the finished structure may be damaged.

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 Causes of Formwork Failure
•The main causes of formwork failure are:
• - Improper stripping and shore removal
• - Inadequate bracing
• - Vibration
• - Unstable soil under mudsills*, shoring not plumb
• - Inadequate control of concrete placement
• - Lack of attention to formwork details.
*Mudsill: A plank, frame, or small footing on the ground used as a base for a
shore or post in formwork.

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•Formwork failures are the cause of many accidents and failures that occur
during concrete construction which usually happen when fresh concrete is
being placed.
•Generally some unexpected event causes one member to fail, then others
become overloaded or misaligned and the entire formwork structure
collapses.

•Forms sometimes collapse when their supporting shores or jacks are displaced
by vibration caused by:
• passing traffic
• movement of workers and equipment on the formwork
• the effect of vibrating concrete to consolidate it.
•Diagonal bracing can help prevent failure due to vibration.

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Causes of Failure
Improper Stripping and Shore Removal
Case study:
Too early shore removal at Bailey's Crossroads in Virginia (1972):
26-stories + apartment building
Forms were supported by floors 7-days old or older
Failure occurred on the 24th floor, where it was shored to the 5-day-old 23rd floor.
The overloaded 23rd floor failed in shear around one or more columns,
triggering a collapse that carried through the entire height of the building.
•Premature stripping of forms, premature removal of shores, and careless
practices in reshoring can produce catastrophic results.

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Inadequate Bracing
•The more frequent causes of formwork failure, however, are other effects that
induce lateral force components or induce displacement of supporting members.
•Inadequate cross bracing and horizontal bracing of shores is one of the factors
most frequently involved in formwork accidents.
•Investigations prove that many accidents causing thousands of dollars of damage
could have been prevented only if a few hundred dollars had been spent on
diagonal bracing for the formwork support.

•Diagonal bracing improves the stability of such a structure.

•Suppose a worker accidentally rams or wheelbarrow into some vertical shores
and dislodges a couple of them. This may set up a chain of reaction that brings
down the entire floor.
•One major objective of bracing is to prevent such a minor accident or failure
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from becoming a disaster.
Inadequate Control of Concrete Placement
•The temperature and rate of vertical placement of concrete are factors influencing
the development of lateral pressures that act on the forms.
•If temperature drops during construction operations, rate of concreting often has to
be slowed down to prevent a build up of lateral pressure overloading the forms. If
this is not done, formwork failure may result.
•Failure to regulate properly the rate and order of placing concrete on horizontal
surfaces or curved roofs may produce unbalanced loadings and consequent failures
of formwork.

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 Qualities of formwork
• It should be according to ACI document SP-4

• It should be water tight

• It should be strong

• It can be reusable

• Its contact surface should be uniform

• It should be according to the size of member.

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 Requirements of a Good Formwork
The essential requirements of formwork or shuttering are:

a) It should be strong enough to take the dead and live loads during construction.

b) The joints in the formwork should be rigid so that the bulging, twisting, or sagging
due to dead and live load is as small as possible. Excessive deformation may disfigure
the surface of concrete.

c) The construction lines in the formwork should be true and the surface plane so that
the cost finishing the surface of concrete on removing the shuttering is the least.

• A formwork should be easily removable without damage to itself so that it could be

used repeatedly

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 Classification of Formwork

The different categories in which formwork can be classified are:

a) According to size.

b) According to location of use.

c) According to materials of construction.

d) According to nature of operation.

e) According to brand name of the product.

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• Classification according to size

In practice, there are only two sizes for formwork; small-sized and large-sized.

Any size which is designed for operation by workers manually is small-sized.

At present, the most common systems are made of timber and aluminium, and
are usually in the form of small panels. There is seldom medium-sized formwork.

In cases in which large-sized formwork is used, the size of the form can be
designed as large as practicable to reduce the amount of jointing and to minimize
the amount of lift. The stiffness required by large-sized formwork can be dealt
with by the introduction of more stiffening components such as studs and
soldiers. The increase in the weight of the formwork panels is insignificant as a
crane will be used in most cases.

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• Classification according to the location of use

1.Foundations
2.Wall
3.Column
4.Slabs & beams
5.Stairs

• Classification according to materials of construction

Timber in general is still the most popular formwork material for its relative low
initial cost and adaptability .

Steel, in the form of either hot-rolled or cold-formed sections and in combination

with other sheeting materials, is another popular choice for formwork materials.

In the past two to three years, full aluminium formwork systems have been used in
some cases but the performance is still being questioned by many users, especially in
concern to cost and labor control 28
• Classification according to nature of operation

Formwork can be operated manually or by other power-lifted methods.

Timber and aluminium forms are the only manually-operable types of formwork.
They are designed and constructed in ways that they can be completely handled
independently without the aid of any lifting appliances.

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• Classification according to brand name of the product
Several patented or branded formwork systems have successfully entered the
local construction market in the past decade. Each of these firms offers its own
specialized products, while some can even provide a very wide range of services
including design support or tender estimating advice.

As the use of innovative building methods is gaining more attention from various
sectors in the community, advanced formwork systems are obviously a promising
solution. VSL FORMWORK (Source Raymond, 2001)

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Minimum Plank Thickness for Formwork

18 mm is the minimum for small

formworks and requires closer
cross planks

20 – 24 mm is the standard

Thin planks can give way to the pressure of the

concrete

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Nail Size

• 1 1/2” = 40mm nails are too week and cannot stand the pressure of
the concrete

• The standard length for nails is 2 ½ “ = 65mm

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 Column Formwork

Sizing of
Panels
Column +2X Column
thickness
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• Nail all edges with 2 1/2”
nails
• Join the braces as well

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Verticality

• Use a plum bob

• Mark the centre
• Check verticality and
straightness
• Do this in both directions
and secure the position

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Cutout in Column

Cut out in outer dimension

of formwork

Support for beam

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Erect and align the column

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Set up support Beams and Props for the
Beam

Prop
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Insert Panels one by one if they are large..
and fix them

Double
support
Prop

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Fair face Columns and Brickwork

No Bond!

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Column added to brickwork

• Build first the walls

• Add the column for
maximum bond

Formwork

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Column

Groove for
Mortar

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Fair Face Formwork
• Rough planks do not provide a smooth surface
• Plywood or steel sheets make a smooth surface for concrete
• Fair face formwork is designed for easy removal and reuse

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Apply Formwork Oil

Mix Oil and Grease 1:2

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• Formwork oil prevents the formwork from sticking to the concrete.
It eases dismantling

• Formwork oil gives the concrete a fine finish

• Never use burnt engine oil. It will blacken the concrete and spoil the
formwork

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Column Footing

• After excavation a
screed of 5..10cm
concrete is laid to
provide a clean ground
• Next comes the footing,
a large block of concrete
that provides a base for
the column

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TIMBER FORMWORK

Timber Formwork : For The Slab

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Timber Formwork: After Concrete Was Poured

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ADVANTAGES OF TIMBER FORMWORK
a) Easy handling because it’s light weight
b) Easy to disassemble
c) Damaged parts can be replaced with new one
d) Very flexible
DISADVANTAGES OF TIMBER FORMWORK
a) Can’t be used for long. Have limited re-use. Can only be re-used 5 or 6 times
b) If the timber is dry, it will absorb moisture from wet concrete which could
weaken the resultant concrete member.
c) Timber with high moisture content (more than 20 % moisture content), wet
concrete will shrink & cup leading to open joints & leakage of grout.

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Timber formwork used for the construction
of 2nd and the 3rd floor.

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ADVANTAGES OF STEEL FORMWORK

a) Very strong and able to carry heavy load

b) Easy to be fixed

c) Uniform size and surface

d) Can be used for a very long time

DISADVANTAGES OF STEEL FORMWORK

a) Limited size or shape

b) Excessive loss of heat

c) A very smooth surface will be produced which would give problems for
finishing process

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STEEL FORMWORK

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The first floor circular columns were constructed using steel
column forms. The steel column form should be oiled
before concreting.

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After concreting to the first floor columns, the steel column
forms were dismantled easily. 56
ADVANTAGES OF GLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC FORMWORK

a) Very useful for complex shape and special features

b) Easy to disassemble

c) Light (not heavy)

d) Damages on the formwork can be easily be repaired

DISADVANTAGES OF GLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC FORMWORK

a) Expensive

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 Formwork systems in India
A formwork system refers to the moulds used to hold and support wet concrete
until it cures, which is pretty much a vital element in concrete construction.

formwork systems have evolved from being customized timber-based to pre-

engineered systems made of steel, aluminium, manufactured timber, plywood
and plastics.

This advancement, especially in the case of high-rise projects has translated into
faster implementation with lesser labour, implying enhanced productivity while
delivering a better finished product
The only IS code available is IS 14687:1999 which only provides guidelines on
the usage of formwork and these too are very vague. Hence, standards that are
followed for the designing of its formwork and scaffolding systems are ACI SP-4

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 Formwork detail for different structural
members
In concrete construction , formwork is commonly provided for the following
structural members.

• Foundations
• Wall
• Column
• Slabs & beams
• Stairs

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 Formwork for Foundations
• Wall foundations
It consists of
• Plywood Sheeting
• Struts

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 Formwork for Foundations
• Column Foundations
It consists of
• Side Supports
• Side Planks
• Cleats

Cleats
Side Support
Side Planks

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 Formwork for Wall
• It consists of
• Timber sheeting
• Vertical posts
• Horizontal members
• Rackers
• Stakes
• Wedges Struts
• After completing one side of
formwork reinforcement is
provided at the place then the
second side formwork is
provided.

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 Formwork for Column
• It consists of the following
• Side & End Planks
• Yoke
• Nut & Bolts
• Two end & two side planks are
joined by the yokes and bolts.

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Column formwork

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 Formwork for Slabs & beams
• It consists of
• Sole plates
• Wedges
• Props
• Head tree
• Planks
• Batten
• Ledgers
• Beam formwork rests
on head tree
• Slab form work rests on
battens and joists
• If prop height are more
than 8’ provide
horizontal braces.

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Lintel or Beam Formwork

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 Formwork for Stairs
• It consists of
• Vertical & inclined posts
• Inclined members
Riser Planks
• Wooden Planks or sheeting
• Stringer
• Riser Planks

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 Removal of formwork
Time of formwork removal mainly depends on the following factors
1. Type of Cement
1. Rapid hardening cements require lesser time as compared
to OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement)
2. Ratio of concrete mix
1. Rich ratio concrete gain strength earlier as compared to
weak ratio concrete.
3. Weather condition
1. Hydration process accelerates in hot weather conditions as

compared to cold and humid weather conditions.

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 Time of Removal of formwork
Sr. OPC Rapid
No Structural Member (Ordinary Portland Hardening
Cement) Cement

1 Beam sides, walls & Columns 2-3 Days 2 Days

2 Slab (Vertical Supports remains 4 Days 3 Days

intact)
3 Slab (Complete Formwork 10 Days 5 Days
removal)
4 Beams (Removal of Sheeting, 8 Days 5 Days
Props remains intact)

5 Beams & Arches (Complete 14 Days 5-8 Days

formwork removal) (up to 6 m
span)
6 Beams & Arches (Complete 21 Days 8-10 Days
formwork removal) (more than
6 m span)
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 Maintenance of formwork
• Due to continuous use wooden planks & steel plates surfaces become
uneven and require maintenance.

• For wooden formwork use cardboard or plastic fiber board. Bolt hole
places must also be repaired.

• For steel formwork plates must be leveled by mallet and loose corners must
be welded.

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