Application of Formwork for High-rise and

Complex Building Structures

– the Hong Kong Cases

Raymond Wong Wai Man,

Division of Building Science and Technology,

City University of Hong Kong
 1. Introduction

• Formwork system is the key factor

determining the success of a construction
project in terms of
- speed
- quality
- cost
- safety of works
 2. Classification of Formwork

• Sizes
• Location of use
• Materials of construction
• Nature of operation
• Brand name of the products.
 2.1 Classification according to sizes
small-sized formwork

- operation by workers manually

- timber and aluminium

large-sized formwork

- crane facilities are required in the operation

- reduce the number of jointing and to minimize the number
of lift.
- stiffening components - studs and soldier.
 2.2 Classification according to location of use
• Different elements in the structure have different
design and performance requirements in the use of
formwork.

• Some systems are more adaptive for specific

location of use, such as

Irregular frame structure – traditional timber form

or aluminium form
Cross Wall – gang form, climb form or jump form
Floor – table form
Repeated regular section – tunnel form
 Aluminium formwork
system for residential
housing block

Timber formwork
for irregular-grid
podium structure
Steel panel form (Gang form)
for constructing a core wall

Table form for the

flat slab structure
Gantry form/tunnel
form system for the
construction of
station facilities
Jump form system used in public
housing project

Climb form in the construction of

the 50-storey Manulife Tower
 2.3 Classification according to materials of
construction
• Timber - most popular formwork material
- low initial cost
- high adaptability to complicated shape
- labour intensive and environmental
unfriendly
• steel - hot-rolled or cold-formed sections
- heavy weight
- suitable for large-sized panels
• Aluminium - stiff and light weight
- higher material and labour cost
- excellent finish
Detail of wall formwork using
manual operable timber panels

The Festival Walk,

a super-sized
shopping mall
constructed in
traditional timber
formwork system
Examples of steel form in the
form of large panel shutters
Detail of a typical aluminium
formwork system for apartment-
type building
2.4 Classification according to nature of
operation

• Manually operated formwork

• Self-lifted formwork

• Crane-lifted formwork

• Gantry, traveling and tunnel type formwork system

Climb form operated by the
use of a series of synchronized
hydraulic jack systems
Jump form for the construction of a high-rise residential tower –
lifting action is done by a series of screw jack systems
• Construction of the
600m-long elevated
expressway for the
Lantau Link using a type
of traveling gantry form

• Structure of the Shui

Hong Station of the West
Rail projects
 2.5 Classification according to brand
name of the product
Some common names in the market
3. Considerations when using formwork

3.1 Design related considerations

• shape of the building
• Architectural features on building exterior
• Internal layout
• Structural form
• Consistence in building dimensions
• Span and Headroom
• Repetitive nature
• Finishing standard
3. Considerations when using formwork
3.2 Construction related considerations
• Complexity of the built environment
• Speed of work
• No. of possible reuses
• Construction planning and arrangement
• Area or volume of cast per pour
• Involvement of other construction technique
• Dependence of work
• Provision of construction joint
• Accessibility to work
• Feasibility of introducing alternative design
Examples of some crucial built situations

very large site

Sloped site

very crowded site

Phasing arrangement to be considered
Examples where special techniques are
involved in the construction

Incorporation of
precast elements

Incorporation of tensioning
and complicated phasing
arrangement
Examples where complicated construction jointing
requirement are involved
Accessibility problems in formwork process
Accessibility problems in formwork process– more
examples
4 Examples of Application
4.1 Festival Walk – using traditional
manual-type timber formwork

• 21,000 sq m site.
• 4-level basement and
7-level upper structure.

Features:
• A 48m-span void
constructed of 8 numbers
of cast-in-situ and post-
tensioned beams,
supported on the sides by
bearers
• large span structures up
to 32m in length, cast-in-
situ, some are post-
tensioned.

• 3 atrium spaces,
averaged 35m in span,
and with 25m headroom

• Average headroom for

each floor is about 4.5m.
• Basement -- top-
down approach.

• non-repeated layout

• structure
subdivided into 6
main phases.

• great number of
construction
jointing
Other complication/
features of the
formwork system as
shown in the project

Using the ground surface

as formwork soffit

Formwork forming the shape

of the drop panel of the flat
slab using blinding concrete
Other complication/features
of the formwork system

Provision of complicated construction

jointing in the formwork
 4.2 Belcher’s Garden – using traditional manual-type
timber form
• situates on sloped site with
area around 24,000 sq m.

• level difference about 65m.

Forming the sloped beams
on the formed slope
Construction of the
podium structure
Other featurs:

• 10-level podium,
used as carpark,
shopping mall and
recreational facilities
• Six 48-storey
residential towers
built on top of
podium
• huge size of podium
and sophisticated
typographic
environment of site,
demands
complicated phasing
and sectioning
arrangements
Falsework to support
the transfer plate
Detail of transfer plate
before concreting
Superstructure

- irregularity in
layout
- complicated
architectural
features in
external envelops
- large amount of
short-span slabs
- large amount of
shear walls in the
structure
- use of manually
operated timber
panel forms
Detail of the floor form layout
from an elevated position
Detail of the wall formwork
Detail of wall and floor
formwork arrangement as
seen from the floor interior
4.3 Lee Garden Hotel Redevelopment – Climb form
for core, composite slab and structural steel
outer frame
• 50-storey office building

• inner core constructed in

reinforced concrete

• outer frame in structural steel

• RC core constructed using the

VSL climb form -- self-lifting
formwork system using
hydraulic jacks
Assembling of the climb form
on the ground slab level
The climb form at
its trial operation
Details of
the Climb-
form
system

Gantry frame,
shutters, rail tracks,
and scaffold detail
More detail on the rail
track for the panel shutters
Detail of the guide wheel
and locking pin
Resizing the form where the
section of the core wall changed
4.4 Cheung Kong
Center –
• 62-storey office
building

• Jump form system for

core

•composite slab and

concrete-filled steel
tube as the outer frame
Layout of the Jump
Form rising from
the foundation raft
 Overall layout arrangement of the
Jump Form as seen from an elevated position
 Screw jack
detail

Formwork arrangement
as viewed from the side
The gantry frame that
mounted the panel
shutters rigidly within
the core wall layout
Steel fixing inside the form
Detail seeing the arrangement
of the formwork system with
the panel shutters in position
Form system as seen
from the inner shaft
 4.5 Gateway – Climb form for
core and table form for slab
• 3 detached building towers each of 38-storey high
• structure of towers –
 central core with averaged 12m span RC columns around
 post-tensioned
flat slab system,
 core wall - VSL
climb form,
partially in large
panel gang forms
 slab – aluminium
strutted flying
form system
External view of the climb form for
the construction of the core wall

Some sections at the sides of the core wall

are formed using large panel shutter
Floor slab as seen from various elevations
Wall section of the core before
the enclosing with panel shutters.
Other Features

- slab is cast in two

separated sections in
a staggered manner
with a lapse of 2 to
3 storeys to
convenient
tensioning works,
as well as to obtain
better operation
arrangement in the
handling of the
formwork
Flat slab and post-
tensioning
arrangement
Dropped panel at the
column head and
detail for slab joining
to the core wall
4.6 Harbourfront Landmark
– Steel panel form for shear walls & table form for slab
• 62-storey residential
development with 3
attached towers on a
6,500 sq m site.
• Shear walls to form
compartment units,
centered with a core
structure.
• Walls -- steel form
system
• Slabs -- aluminium-
strutted flying form
system
General detail of the
steel form for wall
Detail of large panel wall formwork
The rear elevation with
ellipse-shaped core wall
serving as kitchen and
store room
The rear section with slab constructed
using manual timber formwork
• central cores -- constructed in form of vertical shaft.
• inner structures – slab, lift walls & landings are cast-in-situ
using timber forms
• stair flights -- prefabricated
Releasing the table form
Placing the table form
Forming the inner walls and stair landing within the core shaft
 4.7 Park Avenue – Aluminium form
• four 46-storey high
residential towers on
transfer plate
• aluminium formwork -
MIVAN system
• structure consist of a large
number of shear wall
Mock up of the
Aluminium Form
before installation
in full scale
General detail of the
aluminium form –
walls and beams
General detail of the
aluminium form –
walls and beams
General detail of the
aluminium form –
walls and beams
General detail of the
aluminium form – wall
(view from interior)
General detail of
the aluminium
form – Floor
General detail of the
aluminium form – stair
General detail of the
aluminium form – stair
General detail of the
aluminium form –
Plant box and
external features
General detail of the aluminium form – Plant box and external features
General detail of the
aluminium form – Plant box
and external features
Close up detail
Close up detail
Close up detail
Problems encountered in the using of the Aluminium Form
• Too many formwork
accessories that
make installation
very difficult
• Complicated
external wall and
spatial design
magnify the
installation problem
• Inconsistent in the
major structural
elements require
frequent amendment
to the formwork
• Resulted to a very
long learning curve
Problem of too
many
insistently sized
components
4.8 Nina Plaza
• Climb form for the core wall (3 isolated cores)
• Modified steel table form for floor slab
• Traditional timber form for podium structure
Arrangement of the
climb form for one
of the building cores
Side view of the form
seeing the platform
and the jacking rod

The form in its opened mold

Overview of the formwork arrangement for the core and the floor
Floor formed in
staggered manner
Propping arrangement
and the layout of the
table form as seen
from the underside
4.9 Some advanced self-climbing systems used in
various forms of development - IFCII
Building frame and core wall layout
Formwork at its opened mold
 Close up view of the hydraulic jack

Jack for external panels

Jack for inner panels

Operation of the Climb Form (Panels in the inner shaft)
Operation of the Jack System
 Setting up of the climb
form at the deck level

Deck at the
topping out level
Gantry frame, scaffold
and Panel shutters as
seen in the form interior
Linking the core and the inner
wall/slab construction
 4.10 Some advanced self-climbing systems used
in various forms of development –
Residential Development at Repulse Bay
Formwork Features
• A curved apartment-
type tower structure
of 28-storey high
• 5 stair-core in
parabolic-shape
elevation,
constructed using
climb form
• Modified steel table
form for the floors
Detail of the
staircase core
Junction detail
between core and
the floor slab
The table form for the casting of floor
The hydraulic jack
mounted on the external
face for the lifting of the
climb-form system
4.11 Some advanced self-climbing systems used
in various forms of development –
Residential Development at Stubb Road
External view of the Jump form
The form system as
seen on the deck level
Detail of the screw jack
and the motor gear
Detail of the shuttering arrangement
Panel shutters inside the form system
Panel shutters inside
the form system
4.12 Some advanced
self-climbing systems
used in various forms
of development –
Chartered House
Large panel formwork for
the ground floor core wall
Modifying the
large panel form
into the climb
form by adding in
the gantry frame
and jack system
Overview of the
climb form
Arrangement
between the core
wall and the floor
Layout of the core wall and
the gantry/jack system
within the core wall shaft
Placing a section of
the table form onto
the floor slab
Material hoist for the lifting
of the table form units
The floor slab and
the tensioning
arrangement
 4.13 Some advanced self-climbing systems used in
various forms of development –
Urban Renewal Authority Mong Kong Redevelopment
Forming the transfer plate
and the lower section of
core wall using manual
timber form

The lower section of core wall

below the transfer plate
Erection and trial
operation of the
slip form system
Erection of the slip form
on top of the transfer plate
Arrangement for the core
wall and floor formwork
Layout/gantry frame
arrangement above and
below the deck level
Close up detail of the
hydraulic jack system
4.14 Some advanced self-climbing systems used in
various forms of development –
Concord Project in Fanling Wah Ming Estate
Detail of the jump form for
constructing the core wall
Detail and layout of
the jump form for
constructing a
typical wing
Close up seeing the operation
detail of the jump form and the
guide rail for the panel shutters
4.15.1 Formwork Systems used in Civil Jobs –
Ma Wan Elevated Expressway
Complicated
falsework is required
in the forming of the
elevated expressway
section
Gantry-type traveling
formwork for the
casting of the repeated
expressway section
4.15.2 Formwork Systems used in Civil Jobs –
West Rail Sui Hong Station
Setting-up of the gantry form for the
construction of the station structure
A suspended soffit
supported by hangers
from the gantries. The
soffit will be used to cast
the suspended slab of the
station structure
Detailed view of the gantry system and the suspended station slab
The construction of the
station’s superstructure using
usual large-panel gang form
from the suspended slab
4.15.3 Formwork Systems used in Civil Jobs –
West Rail Depot at Pat Sheung
Traveling form for
the casting of the
repeated station
structure/deck
4.15.4 Formwork Systems used in Civil Jobs –
Airport Ground Transportation Centre
Traveling form for the forming of the passenger access linking the
Airport Terminal Building and the Ground Transportation Center
Detail of the double-decked passageway – waffle floor for the upper deck
Forming the
hollow-section
curved roof of
the GTC
Gantry supporting the roof
soffit that formed the under-
side of the roof structure
The roof portion
above column head
that formed using
normal soffit panel
supported by props
Comparing some
formwork cases for
circular structures

Circular ramp in
Festival Walk
Comparing some formwork cases for circular structures

Circular ramp in IFC-I

Comparing some
formwork cases for
circular structures

Circular ramp
in IFC-II
Comparing some
formwork cases for
circular structures

Circular ramp in
Festival Walk
A spiral-shaped stair
Formwork Collapse Cases – The Festival Walk
Formwork
Collapse Cases –
a portal beam in the
Ma On Shan Station
of the KCR East Rail
Extension
A portal beam formwork similar to the one collapsed
Formwork Collapse Cases -
Industrial Building in Kwai
Fook Rord, Kwai Chung, 1995
Summary

The structural form of the building is one of the critical

factors to determine the choice of formwork

System products contribute much in the success of

formwork application

The choice and arrangement of utilizing formwork is highly

depended on individual site/project environment

More collaboration between client, design teams and

contractor can help in the effective use of more advance
formwork systems