Formwork (Shuttering)

Formwork (also called false work) is an ancillary construction such as timber, steel or any other material
used as a mould for a structure. Into this mould, fresh concrete is placed only to harden subsequently.

The construction of formwork takes time and involves expenditure up to 20 to 25% of the cost of the
structure or even more. Design of these temporary structures is made to economic expenditure.

The operation of removing the formwork is known as stripping. Stripped formwork can be reused. Reusable
forms are known as panel forms and non-usable are called stationary forms.

Timber is the most common material used for formwork. The disadvantage with timber formwork is that it
will warp, swell and shrink. Application of water impermeable cost to the surface of wood mitigates these
defects.

A good formwork should satisfy the following requirements

1. It should be strong enough to withstand all types of dead and live loads.
2. It should be rigidly constructed and efficiently propped and braced both horizontally and vertically,
so as to retain its shape.
3. The joints in the formwork should be tight against leakage of cement grout.
4. Construction of formwork should permit removal of various parts in desired sequences without
damage to the concrete.
5. The material of the formwork should be cheap, easily available and should be suitable for reuse.
6. The formwork should be set accurately to the desired line and levels should have plane surface
that is; it should be smooth.
7. It should be as light as possible.
8. The material of the formwork should not warp or get distorted when exposed to the elements.
9. It should rest on firm base.

Economy in Formwork
The following points are to be kept in view to effect economy in the cost of formwork:

1. The plan of the building should imply minimum number of variations in the size of rooms, floor area
etc. so as to permit reuse of the formwork repeatedly.
2. Design should be perfect to use slender sections only in a most economical way.
3. Minimum sawing and cutting of wooden pieces should be made to enable reuse of the material a
number of times. The quantity of surface finish depends on the quality of the formwork.
Formwork can be made out of timber, plywood, steel, precast concrete or fiber glass used separately or in
combination. Steel forms are used in situation where large numbers of re-use of the same forms are
necessary. For small works, timber formwork proves useful.

Fiber glass made of pre-cast concrete and aluminum are used in cast-in-situ construction such as slabs or
members involving curved surfaces.

Timber Formwork
Timber for formwork should satisfy the following requirement: It should be

1. Well-seasoned
2. Should be easily available
3. Should be reasonable in price
4. Light in weight
5. Easily workable with nails without splitting
6. Free from loose knots

Timber used for shuttering for exposed concrete work should have smooth and even surface on all faces
which come in contact with concrete.

Normal sizes of members for timber formwork

Sheeting for slabs, beam, column side and beam bottom 25 mm to 40mm thick
Joints, ledges 50 x 70 mm to 50 x 150 mm
Posts 75 x 100mm to 100 x 100 mm

Plywood Formwork
Resin bonded plywood sheets are attached to timber frames to make up panels of required sizes. The cost
of plywood formwork compares favorably with that of timber shuttering and it may even prove cheaper in
certain cases in view of the following considerations:

 It is possible to have smooth finish in which case on cost in surface finishing is there.
 By use of large size panels it is possible to effect saving in the labor cost of fixing and dismantling.
 Number of reuses is more as compared with timber shuttering. For estimation purpose, number of
reuses can be taken as 20 to 25.
 Plywood formwork have high impact resistance
 During use, it does not warp, swell or shrink
Steel Formwork
This consists of panels fabricated out of thin steel plates stiffened along the edges by small steel angles.
The panel units can be held together through the use of suitable clamps or bolts and nuts. The panels can
be fabricated in large number in any desired modular shape or size.

Steel forms are largely used in large projects or in situation where large number reuses of the shuttering is
possible. This type of shuttering is considered most suitable for circular or curved structures.

Steel forms compared with timber formwork

1. Steel forms are stronger, durable and have longer life than timber formwork and their reuses are
more in number.
2. Steel forms can be installed and dismantled with greater ease and speed.
3. The quality of exposed concrete surface by using steel forms is good and such surfaces need no
further treatment.
4. Steel formwork does not absorb moisture from concrete.
5. Steel formwork does not shrink or warp.
6. Economical for large works as they are not destroyed/ damaged in any way

Construction of formwork

This normally involves the following operations:

1. Propping and centring

2. Shuttering
3. Provision of camber
4. Cleaning and surface treatment

Order and method of removing formwork

The sequence of orders and method of removal of formwork are as follows:

 1. Shuttering forming the vertical faces of walls beams and column sides should be removed first as
they bear no load but only retain the concrete.
2. Shuttering forming soffit of slabs should be removed next.
3. Shuttering forming soffit of beams, girders or other heavily loaded shuttering should be removed in
the end.

Factors that determine removal period of formwork

 Type of cement used, for example when Rapid hardening cement is used, removal duration is
lessened
 Weather condition of the working environment, warm weather and light loading conditions allow
early removal of formwork.
Note
 The formwork should under no circumstances be allowed to be removed until all the
concrete reaches strength of at least twice the stresses to which the concrete may be
subjected at the time of removal of formwork.
 While stripping, all formworks should be eased gradually and carefully in order to prevent
the load being suddenly transferred to concrete.
Table: Period of removal of formwork
Description of structural member Period of time
1 Walls, columns and vertical sides of beams 1 to 2 days
2 Slabs (props left under) 3 days
3 Beam soffits (props left under) 7 days
4 Removal of props to slabs
For slabs spanning up to 4.5 m 7 days
5 Removal of props to beams and arches
(a) Spanning up to 6 m 14 days
(b) spanning over 6 m 21 days