Wall formwork: type and function

A detailed description of use, type and function of wall formwork

The formwork, or formwork system, serves as mould for concrete structural components unless such mould is provided by the soil, other structural components, etc.
In this article we will look into wall formwork, specifically for the construction of pillars, walls, columns, piles, pulvini and bridge abutments. More generally, all types of vertical construction with fresh concrete placing.
Types of wall formwork
Wall formwork can be divided into the following types:

• Traditional
• Steel and/or aluminium prefabricated
• Timber prefabricated
• Plastic prefabricated

Traditional wall formwork

Thetraditional formwork system is mounted straight on site using yellow panels and/or wooden strips with steel spacers.
The system is in fact flexible, yet requires longer lead time. The high expenditure of loading/unloading as well as progress time make the system uneconomical, the more so when large formwork surfaces are required.

Steel and/or aluminium prefabricated wall formwork

The steel formworkis made up of modular elements varying in size, assembled using closing and clamping accessories.
Prefabricated steel formwork can be divided into three categories:

• High-pressure: for casting pressures >70 kN/m²
• Mid-pressure: for casting pressures <>= 60 kN/m²
• Low-pressure: for casting pressures<= 50 kN/m²

The pressure the concrete exerts on the formwork panel is determined by the height and consistency of the concrete itself.
This type of system presents several advantages:

• Easily assembled and disassembled;
• Better smooth and sleek finishing;
• Quicker and sooner assembly/disassembly;
• Handling of large surfaces.

Timber and plastic prefabricated wall formwork

Widely used for smooth fair-faced concrete. Heavily-weighted and featuring longer pre-assembly time.
The prefabricated plastic formwork, on the other hand, is very easy to handle. However, not as easy to assemble due to the high number of connections, which require a high number of tie rods. It supports a limited casting pressure.

The following table sums up the advantages and disadvantages of the forms described:

Type	Advantages	Disadvantages
Traditional	Easy handling	Time-consuming Plywood reuse up to 10 times Plenty of waste material Spacers out only once concrete hardened Limited casting pressures
Steel prefabricated	Efficient Good finishing Reuse Recyclable material	Crane handled only
Aluminium prefabricated	Efficient Good finishing Reuse Easy handling Recyclable material
Timber prefabricated	Best for fair-face concrete Efficient	Time-consuming Crane handled only
Plastic prefabricated	Easy handling	High amount of connectors High amount of tie rods Generally efficient Limited casting pressures

 

CONDOR boasts a wide range of formwork for the building industry at the forefront of cutting-edge technology. Choose the modular formwork system that best suits your building site’s specific needs. Visit CONDOR web page and discover them all.