FORMWORK and FALSEWORK

Formwork is a temporary or permanent

mould into which the concrete is poured
and set to the inner profile of the formwork

Falsework are the supporting members

that hold the shuttering moulds.
 Characteristics of good Formwork
To successfully carry out it’s functions formwork must
achieve a balance of the following requirements:

1. It should be sufficient in strength to support the weight

of :
-wet concrete and reinforcement placed on it
-the weight of workers
-equipment weight and vibration
-the force of wind and rain.
2. It must have sufficient tight joints to prevent grout
leakage which causes ‘honeycomb’ surface .
 Characteristics of good Formwork

3. It can be easily removed and stripped after the concrete has set. For timber,
the formwork may be coated with oil or ‘release agent’ to permit easy
striking off

4. It should be capable of being re-used depending on the material formwork

used. Formworks should be cleaned before storing.

5. Flexibility - according to the design, measurement and texture of surface

wanted.

6. The forms must be made so that workers can handle them safely.

7. The formwork must give the desired surface texture after stripping.

8. The economical use of formwork in terms of volume, repetitive use and lower
life cycle cost.
 Formwork Classification
• Traditional timber formwork- timber and plywood

• Engineered Formwork Systems- metal and plastic

• Stay-in-Place Formwork Systems. (Non

participating)- prefab concrete forms

• Stay-in-Place Structural Formwork Systems

(participating) – prefabricated fibre reinforced
plastic forms
 MATERIALS USED FOR FORMWORK

• Timber

• Plywood

• Steel Panel

• Plastic (FRP)
 Additional Materials
• Nails
• Bolts
• Screws
• Form Ties
• Form Clamps
• Anchors
 Metal formwork
Metal formwork has a very high reuse potential. So it
is more economical than timber where repetitive
work is necessary. In these all four subprojects
dimensions are somewhat exactly same. Therefore
most of formworks are metal formworks. However it
should be handled correctly and thoroughly
cleaned, oiled and maintained after each use. It
gives smooth concrete finish. Metal formwork is
made up from spatially made shallow rectangular
pans of various sizes. These are clipped or bolted
together to form the required shapes. The main
disadvantage is rusts under humid condition.
 Timber Formwork
• Timber is the most commonly used material for general
formwork because it is easy to cut in to shapes, fix and
dismantle and cheap. Timber formwork is usually made
from softwood free from excessive knots and other defects.
• A problem some times caused by the timber formwork is
the rapid absorption of the moisture from the concrete.
• So before concrete is placed timber should wet. Therefore
moisture will not be absorbed too fast from the wet
concrete. But timber should not be too wet because the
timber with high moisture content will shrink which may
result open joints and leakage of grout. If the timber is dry it
will absorb the moisture from the wet concrete which could
weaken the resultant concrete member.
 Plywood formwork
• Thick plywood, which is, smooth, fairly rigid and
in large sizes is most suitable for formwork. The
advantage of using plywood in formwork is that it
gives a good surface finish. Therefore it does
not require any further treatment. Plywood
formwork can be used many times and easy to
handle. But Plywood formwork can be used
many times and easy to handle. But Plywood
sheets are very expensive. Curved formwork is
most satisfactorily constructed by forming
plywood to the required curve and fixing it to a
rigid timber frame.
 Timber and Plywood

1)Timber and plywood are the material used

most for formwork because it is high in
quantity whereby the material is easy to get.
Besides that , timber and plywood can be
handled better because it is easy to cut it
and fix as a formwork.This includes the easy
handling of it . (Transportation and hand
carry)
2) For huge structures , which need smooth
surface such as wall and floor , timber and
plywood is the most suitable formwork
because its cheaper and more suitable to
give the smooth surface.

3) For structures with different and unique

shapes , timber and plywood is the best
choice too .
 Plastic Formwork
Another material used here is the
fiberglass-reinforced plastic as a
formwork. Its functions well because :
• Moldability
• Light weight
• Strength
• Toughness
Plastic Formwork
 Cover blocks
• Cover block is a small block of cement with
blinding wire in middle. It helps to maintain the
right amount of concrete cover during
construction. They should be made to the
thickness of the clear cover required for the job.
• After the reinforcement are set, the cover blocks
should be tied to the outer bars from all sides i.e.
cover blocks should be placed between the
reinforcements and the formwork. Cover blocks
also help to keep the bars in position when
concreting
 Cover blocks
• It is very important to check the cover
blocks before starting concreting.
Generally 1:2 mix proportions should be
used for cover blocks. Because high
strength is required as concrete. But in the
site, 1:3 mix proportions of mortar was
used. Cover blocks should be cured on
time to gain the required strength.
 Removability and striking
• Forms may have to remain undistributed until
the concrete reaches a minimum strength until it
is sufficiently cured, of the required colour or to
protect it. Formworks should be struck slowly
and must not be struck until concrete is strong
enough to self-supporting because edges can
be damaged.
• The appropriate time at which it is safe to
remove the formwork depends on the type of
element. The minimum striking time varies from
1-28 days.
 Formwork strikability periods
Location Minimum period

Sides of the slab and 1 day

staircase
Sides of the walls and 3 day
beams
Soffit of beam 14 day

Soffit of the slab and 21 day

stair case
 Maintenance and storage of
formwork
• Provision must be made for the removal and
storage large sections of formwork. A level
storage area is required to store formwork after
striking. They should be well cleaned before
storing because the grout remaining on the
forms become hard and stubborn. Then it is
difficult to reuse. Metal panels need a light
coating of oil before storage to prevent rust.
 
 Maintenance and storage of
formwork
• All forms need to be carefully stacked and
stored. Panels of forms should be kept
horizontal and face to face. The forms
need to be carefully stacked and face to
face. The forms and components should
be clearly marked and kept together for
easy identification on re-use. A tidy store
reduces wastage, damage and losses.
 Types of Formwork
• Foundation

• Column

• Beam

• Slab
 Column formwork
• Column formwork is a vertical mould assembled
by boards . It is also called as column box.
Usually vertical boards are 25mm thick. The
widths of the boards vary depending on the
section of the column. The board’s internal
dimensions should be equal to the external
dimensions of the column. Timber or steel struts
can be used as supports. The struts should be
able to resist the vibration and pressure of
casting.
 Column formwork
• The side of the box are secured firmly
together by using tie-bolts. Tie-bolts are
rods of about 6mm diameter, which hold
the formwork in place. The ends of the
rods are treated, so that the work can be
steadily secured by using nuts. Important
to remember to check whether the
required dimensions are in the inner profile
of the column box, after plumbing and
align the formwork.
 Beam formwork
• A beam formwork consists of a three sided
box which is supported by cross members
and which are propped to the under side
of the soffit board. The strength of the
soffit board should be greater than the
strength of two sideboards. In some cases
the beam formwork is prepared separately
to fit the each beam length and fix the
beam formwork by bamboo props.
 Beam formwork
• In our site using two strings, which fixed to the
columns, aligns formwork. First mark the height
to the beam from the floor, on the columns and
the props are adjusted to that height. Then two
runners are fixed in between the two columns.
After that short runners are fixed (nailed) on the
runners, perpendicularly with 4’ spacing. Then
two string are tied leaving the beam width in
between them, between the two columns and
the soffit board is fixed on the short runners with
helping the strings. Finally the two sideboards
are fixed and supported as shown on figure.
 Formwork Loads
The basic considerations on form design is the
ability to support all loads without excessive
deflections.Two types of problem arise in
formwork design are:
1. Horizontal forms must support gravity loads
based on the mass of the concrete ,
construction crew , equipment , and the
formwork itself. (slab , beam)
2. Vertical forms must primarily resist lateral
pressure due to the height . (wall, column)
 Formwork Loads
There are two types of loads considered in
the design calculation :
1. Dead Load
• Weight of the formwork and the concrete

2. Live Load
• Workers and Equipment
Wall / Column Formwork Design
In the design of wall and Column , the
formwork must include components such
as :
1. Form sheating
2. Wales
3. Ties
4. Lateral bracing
Brace

Sheating
Sheati
ng
 Slab Formwork Design
In supporting gravity loads such as floor slab
, the formwork must include components
such as:
1. Form sheating
2. Joists (similar to wales)
3. Shores (similar to ties)
4. Mud Sills
5. Lateral bracing
 The functions of Components
1. To make sure the intergrity of formwork
2. Must be capable of resisting forces due
to concreting
3. To give an overall stability
 Permanent ( Stay –in-Place)
Formwork
• permanent formwork is a structural element that is
used to contain the placed concrete, mould it to the
required dimensions and remain in place for the life
of the structure
l
• participating permanent formwork makes some
predetermined contribution to the strength of the
structure

• non-participating permanent formwork makes no

strength contribution but may provide additional
benefits such as improved durability, finish or
insulation propert
 Benefits to be gained from using
permanent formwork
• reduce construction and maintenance
costs

• shorten construction time

• improve safety by reducing hazards during

construction
 Non-participating Formwork
• Permanent formwork, which may or may
not act compositely with the in-situ
concrete,but which is assumed to make no
contribution to the strength of the
composite section is termed non-
participating or, more correctly, structurally
non-participating.
 Non-participating Formwork
The permanent formwork may, however, make some alternative
contribution to the structure as indicated below:

• durability – the permanent formwork may be regarded by the

designer to make some contribution to the durability of the
structure, by virtue of the nature of the material left in place
or of the effective thickening of the concrete element, and a
consequent increase in cover to reinforcement

• finish – the formwork may provide a particular finish to the

concrete element which may be related to durability or
aesthetics

• insulation – depending on materials used may be either

thermal, fire or acoustic
 Non-participating Formwork
• Although non-participating formwork
makes no contribution to the strength of
the
structure in service, and will not, therefore,
be required to be designed to equivalent
standards, the designer must ensure that
the performance of the formwork is such
that
it will not compromise the in-service use of
the structure.
 Participating Formwork
• Permanent formwork which makes a pre-
determined contribution to the strength of the
composite section is termed participating or,
more correctly, structurally participating.
• This contribution may be to the ultimate strength
or serviceability limits of the concrete
element being formed and these enhanced
properties are used by the designer of the
permanent works. In addition it may also
contribute to the durability, finish and
insulation as described above for non-
participating permanent formwork
 Participating Formwork
• The use of participating formwork can result in a
significant shift in emphasis during the design
process from the basic requirement to form the
concrete into a particular shape to the design and
detailing of the composite section. For example, the
use of lattice reinforced bridge decking planks will
require consideration to be given to the
positioning of reinforcement and adequate crack
control in the decking, with potential for a
consequent reduction in the economy of the
permanent works materials. Economy is gained from
its capacity to support the weight of wet concrete,
particularly whereaccess is a problem, its potential to
reduce construction times and the obvious safety
benefits of not having to access the completed soffit.
 Participating Formwork
• Participating formwork, which makes a
contribution to the in-service strength, or
other
feature of the structure will, therefore,
need to be designed to standards
applicable to
the finished structure.
 Material for Permanent Formwork
• Glassfibre Reinforced Concrete (GRC)
has been extensively used as permanent
formwork for the past twenty years,
corrugated or flat to suit all supporting
beam design.
• Formwork manufactured from GRC is
capable of supporting various slab
thicknesses over a variety of spans
between main bridge beams