ASSEMBLY AND

ERECTION
FORMWORKS
GROUP 1
AVANCENA, DURAN, MOZO, MIRAFLORES, RIVA, TATOY

01
 THE CONSTRUCTION
FORMWORKS PROCESS OF A CONCRETE
FLOOR SLAB

The construction process of a concrete floor slab includes the

erection of formwork, the placement of reinforcement, the pouring,
compacting, the finishing of the concrete, and the removal of the
curing and formwork of the concrete slab. Building a concrete slab is
a step-by-step process, that needs to be followed accordingly.

The main purpose of formworks is to give intact support to the

reinforced concrete until it has reached adequate strength. Based on
materials, the formwork can be of steel, timber, plastic, and fiberglass,
where timber is the most common material in formwork construction.

02
REQUIRED PROPERTIES IN TYPES OF FORMWORK
FORMWORK CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION
Formwork must be strong enough to Based on materials, formworks are classified into different categories. These formworks
resist the pressure and weight of are used in formwork construction to give the desired shape to the concrete.
concrete.
Timber Formwork: Timber formwork is one of the most used informwork construction.
Formwork construction must be Lumber and Plywood are excellent materials for timber formwork. Timber provides
economical in terms of the total cost. good thermal resistance to prevent substantial damage in cold areas. Timber is light
and can be handled easily and can be cut easily in any required shape.
In Formwork Construction, formwork
Present with ease and wow any audience
must have sufficient watertight capacity Steel Formwork: Aluminum, magnesium, and steel are used in steel formwork. In
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to avoid joint leakages. terms of long-term use, steel formwork is economical as that can be reused more
over a thousand professionally-made
templates to fit any objective or topic. often. Steel formworks are easy to fix and used in greater numbers. These formworks
Formwork must be firm enough to retain are strong enough to carry heavy loads and are more durable than wood formworks.
the shape of concrete without any
deformity. Plastic Formwork: This type of formwork provides a smooth finish to concrete as they
have impermeable surfaces. The carrying capacity of plastic formwork is low and is
less durable than steel formwork. Plastic formworks are light and very useful for
complex shapes and special features.

03
BASED ON SHAPES, FORMWORKS ARE CLASSIFIED INTO THE
FOLLOWING TYPES USED IN FORMWORK CONSTRUCTIONS.

BEAM FORMWORK
COLUMN FORMWORK

SLAB FORMWORK
WALL FORMWORK

03
CONCRETE FLOOR SLAB CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
1. ASSEMBLE AND ERECT FORMWORK
2. PREPARE AND PLACE REINFORCEMENT
3. POUR, COMPACT AND FINISH CONCRETE
4. CURING CONCRETE AND REMOVE FORMWORK

1. Assemble and Erect Formwork for Slab

The formwork shall be designed to withstand construction loads such

as fresh concrete pressure and weight of workers and operators and
their machines. Guide to Formwork for Concrete ACI 347-04 shall be
followed for the design of formworks. Moreover, there are various
construction aspects that need to be considered during the erection of
formworks. For example, it should be positioned correctly, lined and
levelled, joints sealed adequately, and prevent protruding of nails into
the concrete etc... Furthermore, different materials such as wood, steel,
and aluminum can be used for the formworks of concrete floor slab.
Finally, there are several common formwork construction deficiencies that site engineer needs to be aware of and prevent their
occurrence otherwise formwork failure may occur. These construction deficiencies are provided below:
Poor or lack of formwork examination during and after concrete placement to identify uncommon deflections or other indications of
possible failure that could be corrected
Inadequate nailing, bolting, welding, or fastening
Improper lateral bracing
Construct formwork that does not comply with form drawings
Lack of proper field inspection to ensure that form design has been properly interpreted by form builders
Use of damaged or inferior lumber having lower strength than needed.
· Construct formwork that does not comply with form drawings
· Lack of proper field inspection to ensure that form design has been properly interpreted by form builders
· Use of damaged or inferior lumber having lower strength than needed.

2. Preparing and placing a reinforcement slab

Before the placing of reinforcement starts, it must be inspected, and its form checked, to confirm its dimensions and that the location of
the slab is correct, as well as in line with the structural plan. The forms must also be properly cleaned and oiled, but not too much either.
The reinforcement details can be found on the design drawings, which only requires to be understood for the size that’s being used for the
size of the bars. After preparation, the steel bars get placed in their positions, according to the provided, specified spacings.
3. Pour, Compact and Finishing Concrete Floor Slab

Mixing, transporting, and handling of concrete shall be properly coordinated with placing and finishing works. In floor slab, begin concrete
placing along the perimeter at one end of the work with each batch placed against previously dispatched concrete. Concrete should be
deposited at, or as close as possible to, its final position in order to prevent segregation. So, Concrete placement in large and separate
piles, then moving them horizontally into final position shall be prevented. Moreover, site engineer shall monitor concreting properly, and
look for signs of problems. For example, loss of grout is the indication of improper sealing and movement of joints. Added to that,
cracking, excessive deflection, level and plumb, and any movement shall be checked and tackled to prevent further problems.
4. Curing Concrete and Remove Formwork

After finishing ended, suitable technique shall be used to cure the concrete adequately. Slab curing methods such as water cure; concrete
is flooded; ponded; or mist sprayed. In addition to water retaining method in which coverings such as sand; canvas; burlap; or straw used
to kept slab surface wet continuously, chemical Membranes,and waterproof paper or plastic film seal. Regarding curing, it is
recommended to remove formworks after 14 days.
CONSTRUCTION OF FORMWORK
THE CONSTRUCTION OF FORMWORK NORMALLY INVOLVES THE
FOLLOWINGS OPERATIONS.

1. Propping and Centering

The props used for centering may be of steel, timber posts or bullies. Pillars made up of brick masonry in mud mortar are also sometimes
used as props. In case wooden bullies are used as props, they should rest squarely on wooden sole plates laid either on groud or in brick
masonry pillars in mud mortar.

The wooden plate should have area of at least 0.1 sq.m and it should be 40 mm in thickness. Double wedges are essentially provided
between the sole plates and the timber props with a view to permit accurate adjustment of the shuttering prior to concreting operation and
to allow easy removal of shuttering afterward. In case brick masonry pillars are used at props, the wooden sole plates are provided at the
top of the pillars, and the double wedges are inserted between the sole plates and the bottom of shuttering.

2. Shuttering

As described earlier, the shuttering can be made up of timber planks, or it may be in the form of panel units made either by fixing plywood
to timber frames or by welding steel plates to angle framing.
In any case, the shuttering should be constructed in such a manner that the joints should be tight against leakage of cement grout.
Sometimes the architect specifies the provision of molding in slabs or columns or provision of chamfers at corners of beams and columns.
All such moldings, beveled edges, chamfers etc required to be formed in the concrete work should be made in the shuttering itself.

3. Provision of Camber

Certain amount of deflection in structure is unavoidable. It is, therefore desirable to give an upward camber in the horizontal members of
the concrete structure (especially in members having long spans) to counteract the effect of deflection.
The provision of desired camber should be made in the formwork itself during erection. Camber for slabs and beams may be adopted @ 4
mm per meter span. In case of cantilevers, the camber at free end should normally be taken @1/50th of the projected length of the
cantilever.

4. Surface Treatment

Before laying concrete the formwork should be cleaned of all rubbish particularly the sawdust shavings and chippings etc.
All surfaces of timber shuttering that are to come in contact with concrete should be well wetted with water.
This is necessary to prevent the chances or dry shuttering absorbing water from the concrete which may cause warping, swelling and
distortion of timber besides resulting in defect of honeycombing in concrete.
Similarly, steel forms that have been exposed to hot weather should be cooled by watering before laying concrete.
DESIGNING FORMWORK SYSTEMS
The design of the final concrete structure can have a major effect on the ease of formwork construction and the health and safety of
people during construction. Generally the more basic and simple the final concrete structure, the safer it is to construct, erect and
dismantle the formwork.

An experienced formwork designer should be consulted during the design of in-situ concrete structures to enable the health and safety
risks during formwork construction and dismantling to be considered in the design.
The formwork designer must be competent in formwork design including documenting temporary work platforms and special equipment
needed for safe formwork construction on-site.

A designer may use a technical standard or a combination of standards and engineering principles relevant to the design requirements as
long as the outcome is a design that meets regulatory requirements.
Formwork should be:
rigid, watertight, braced and tied together to maintain position and shape during construction , and
able to be removed easily and safely without damaging the formed concrete, or have components that remain as part of the finished
structure so the rest can be removed without damaging the structure.

Formwork drawings should include details of:

formwork and formwork joints
sealing procedures
ties
size and spacing of framing
details of proprietary fittings or systems proposed to be used, and
bond breakers, if used.
FORMWORK SYSTEMS – WALL AND COLUMN FORMS

The bracing element should also be able to resist both tensile and compressive loads that
may be applied by the wind. Anchors for braces should preferably be cast-in type anchors
or ‘through-bolts’ extending through both sides of the anchoring medium. Drill-in anchors
of the following type may be used provided they are installed in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions:

Undercut type anchors that do not rely on friction to function.

Expansion anchors of the high-load slip, torque-controlled type. These anchors have
a working load of at least 60 percent of the first slip load and are generally suitable for
structural tensile loads.
Coil bolts—the correct operation of coil bolts is greatly dependent on them being
installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications, for example drilling the
correct size hole and applying the correct torque in concrete.
ERECTING FORMWORK FRAMES
As the height of formwork frames increase there is a greater need to provide
lateral stability to the frames. Ensure framing, including bracing, is carried out
in accordance with on-site design documentation and manufacturers’
instructions. People erecting formwork must be trained to erect formwork using
safe methods.
The risk of internal falls while erecting frames can be controlled by fully
decking each lift of the formwork decks and false decks. This involves:

positioning a full deck of scaffolding planks or other suitable decking at

each lift
positioning decking on the next lift while standing on a fully decked
platform, and
leaving each lift fully decked in place until it is dismantled.
FORMWORK SYSTEMS – SUSPENDED SLABS
This deck should be provided both inside and between formwork
frames and typically consist of formply, scaffold planks or modular
platform sections.

A protected entry opening can be left in the deck to enable materials

to be lifted. Using a captive platform system is preferable to lapped
planks because a captive system cannot be accidentally dislodged.
Lapped planks may only be used if secured against uplift and slipping.
The false deck should be constructed so there are no large gaps and
gaps only exist where a vertical member of a frame passes through
the deck (see Figure 1). Gaps should not exceed 225 mm in width
INTERMEDIATE PLATFORMS
Where the potential fall distance is less than
2 metres, an intermediate work platform can
be provided that is at least 450 mm wide.

INSTALLING BEARERS
Bearers should be positioned so they will not fall off the top of the frames. The usual method to do this is by placing the bearers in U-heads
on top of the frames and by minimising cantilevers. U-heads should be used where two bearers abut. Where only single bearers are placed
in the U-head, the bearer should be placed centrally in the U-head unless a formwork designer, engineer or other competent person states
otherwise. This can be achieved by rotating the U-head or by using timber wedges.
 INTERMEDIATE PLATFORMS

INSTALLING BEARERS
REQUIRED PROPERTIES IN FORMWORK CONSTRUCTION
Formwork must be strong enough to resist the pressure and weight of concrete.

Formwork constructionmust be economical in terms of the total cost.

In Formwork Construction, formwork must have sufficient watertight capacity to avoid joint leakages.

Formwork must be firm enough to retain the shape of concrete without any deformity.

IMPORTANCE OF FORMWORK CONSTRUCTION:

Time Management: Good Formworks reduced the floor-to-floor construction cycle time and lowered the project timings necessary for
formwork construction.
Good Quality: The type of formworks helps to provide a quality surface finishing and build durable concrete.
Safety Concerns: Modern system formworks provide solutions against heavy loads and maintain structural safety and ensure the safety
of workers.
Project planning: Proper Formwork management helps effectively set movement, maximize reappearance, minimize costs, and timely
utilization.
CONCLUSION