Plastic Formworks for Concrete – Applications

and Advantages in Construction

Fig.1: Plastic Formwork for Concrete

Construction
 This type of formwork is assembled from interlocking
panels or modular systems, made of lightweight and
robust plastic.

Plastic formwork works best in small projects consisting on

repetitive tasks, such as low-cost housing estates.

Its main drawback is having less flexibility than timber,

since many components are prefabricated.
Advantages of Plastic Formworks in Concrete Construction

a. Cost effective
b. Eco friendly
c. Versatile
d. Labor friendly
e. Low maintenance
f. Light in weight
g. Can be cleaned with water
h. Suitable for large sections
Objectives of Plastic Formworks in Concrete
Construction
Form work is not a permanent construction but it
requires careful attention to avoid damages of
permanent construction.
The formwork design and construction are
controlled by three principles:
 Safety
 Quality
 Economy
 Speed and Time
 Safety

Forms must be built with sufficient strength and factors of safety so they are capable of
supporting all dead and live loads without collapse or danger to workers and to the
concrete structure.

Quality

Forms must be designed and built with sufficient stiffness and accuracy so the size,
shape, position, and finish of the cast concrete are attained within the required
tolerances.
Economy
It involves many factors; including the cost of materials, the cost of labor in making,
erecting, and removing the forms and the cost of equipment required to handle the
forms.
Economy also includes the number of reuses of the form materials, the possible salvage
value of the forms for use elsewhere, and the cost of finishing concrete surfaces after
the forms are removed.
Speed and Time
Formwork operations can control the pace of construction projects, thereby formwork
construction should be the at rate where structural components operation will
continuously be done.

Economy is important because the costs of formwork often range from 35 to

60% or more of the total cost of the concrete structure.

In designing formwork, the construction engineer can reduce costs by carefully

considering the following:
1. the materials and equipment to be used
2. the fabrication, erection, and stripping procedures
3. the reuse of forms
Correctly designed formwork will ensure that:
1. the concrete maintains the desired size and shape by having the proper
dimensions and being rigid enough to hold its shape under the stresses of the
concrete.
2. It must be stable and strong to keep large sections of concrete in alignment
3. formwork must be substantially constructed so it can be reused and frequently
handled while maintaining its shape.

Formwork must remain in place until the concrete is strong enough to carry its own
weight.

The quality of the formwork itself has a direct impact on safety, accidents, and failures.

Example:
A floor formwork system filled with wet concrete has its weight at the top and is not
inherently stable.
One of the most frequent causes of failure is from effects that induce lateral forces or
displacement of supporting elements.

Meaning inadequate cross-bracing or horizontal bracing is one of the most

frequently involved factors in formwork failure.
Poor bracing can make a minor failure turn into a major disaster
domino effect
progressive failure

Vibration is one factor that can trigger failure through inadequate bracing
Two other formwork problems are unstable soil under mudsills and shoring that is
not plumb.
Regardless of the quality of the formwork, premature removal of the forms or shores,
often out of a wish for economy, can result in collapse or sagging.
Careless reshoring, often involving inadequate size, spacing, or attachment, can also
cause damage or collapse.
There are three major factors to be considered when planning forms that are cost
effective:
• Designing and planning for maximum reuse
• Economical form assembly
• Efficient setting and stripping
In planning for maximum reuse, the specifications, rate of concrete strength gain,
and local code requirements regarding stripping must be taken into account.
In addition, for a minimum of cost, the least number of forms required for a smooth
work schedule should be built.
It is also important to consider the labor involved in reuse
The construction engineer needs to make a detailed study of the work flow and
construction sequence to determine the practical number of reuses that will result in
smooth and efficient construction with the lowest total cost.
The construction engineer should calculate the ratio of total contact area of the
formed concrete structure to the first-use form contact area for various alternatives,
which is a general indication of overall reuse efficiency.
Several considerations are involved in determining an economical form
construction, such as:
• Cost and feasibility of adapting materials on hand vs. cost of buying or renting
new materials
• Cost of a higher grade of material vs. cost of lower grade of material plus labor
to improve for required quality and use
• Selection of more expensive materials that provide greater durability and
capability for reuse vs. less expensive materials that have a shorter use-life
• Building on-site vs. building in a central shop and shipping to site
 In addition to the above elements of cost, planning of formwork operations
should consider the overall flow of operations, including the following:
• Crew efficiency—providing a reasonable schedule creates a smooth daily
repetition of the same operation so the workers can be familiar with their tasks and
thus perform efficiently.
• Concreting—the ease and speed of pouring the concrete are directly related to
the choice of design and the construction schedule.
• Bar setting and other trades (mechanical, electrical, piping)—Schedules of these
activities must be coordinated with the concreting schedule so that all groups can
work efficiently.
• Cranes and hoists—Plan to use cranes at appropriate situations to reduce idle times.
Formwork Standards and Recommended Practices
Ultimately, formwork safety is dependent on the system in place on individual projects to
ensure proper and safe design, fabrication, handling, erection, inspection, monitoring, and
stripping of the forms and supports
1. American Concrete Institute Recommendations
These recommendations are available in three often-consulted and periodically updated ACI
publications:
• Guide to Formwork for Concrete, ACI 347-04 (ACI Committee 347, 2004)
• Formwork for Concrete, 7th ed., ACI SP-4 (Hurd, 2005)
• Guide for Shoring and Reshoring of Multistory Concrete Buildings,
ACI 347.2R (ACI Committee 347, 2005)
The first provides the recommended practice for design and construction of
formwork, including recommendations for loads and pressures.
The second is a manual that extensively describes systems and provides design
procedures, design aids, and examples.
The third provides methods for determining shore, reshore, and early-age slab
loads during multistory building construction.
General requirements for formwork.
1. Formwork shall be designed, fabricated, erected, supported, braced, and maintained so that
it will be capable of supporting without failure all vertical loads that may reasonably be
anticipated to be applied to the formwork.
2. Drawings or plans, including all revisions, for the jack layout, formwork (including
shoring equipment), working decks, and scaffolds, shall be available at the jobsite.

Removal of
formwork
Forms and shores (except those used for slabs on grade and slip forms) shall not be
removed until the employer determines that the concrete has gained sufficient strength
to support its weight and superimposed loads.
Such determination shall be based on compliance with one of the following:
a. The plans and specifications stipulate conditions for removal of forms and shores, and
such conditions have been followed, or
b. The concrete has been properly tested with an appropriate ASTM standard test method
designed to indicate the concrete compressive strength, and the test results indicate that
the concrete has gained sufficient strength to support its weight and superimposed loads.
c. Reshoring shall not be removed until the concrete being supported has attained adequate
strength to support its weight and all loads in place upon it.