The Use of Formwork in construction

Concrete formwork is the use of hold structures and moulds to originate structures out of concrete which is poured into the moulds.

There are many different types of formwork used in construction, usually differing according to what the construction requirements and challenges are. Formwork is used by creating moulds out of wood, steel, aluminium or prefabricated forms into which the concrete is poured. This is then allowed to dehydrate and set after which it is stripped, or in the case of stay-in-place formwork it is left as part of the structure.

Prefabricated

Formwork allows contractors to cast and originate the main parts of a construction which are required to be strong and hold the structure such as floors and walls, as well as smaller parts of a construction such as stairs relatively quickly.

Types of Formwork
There are many different types of concrete formwork used in construction. Primary timber formwork uses timber and plywood to form the moulds for pouring. This recipe is cheaper than other methods, yet not as effective because wood is not as strong as metal or steel. However, on complex sections of structure which need great attention to detail, timber formwork is still widely used.

Engineered formwork systems use prefabricated moulds made from a metal frame, usually either steel or aluminum. Engineered formwork is much cheaper and quicker to use than Primary formwork. The frames are very strong and rarely need replacing, reducing costs. Due to the formwork systems being engineered, their construction is faster and requires less manpower, again recovery money. Easy structures can be built with re-usable plastic formwork systems (a type of engineered formwork), which consist of strong, lightweight, interlocking systems.

Stay-in-place formwork is used commonly for the supporting parts of a structure. This type of formwork consists of insulating concrete forms which are filled with reinforced concrete and once set, are left in place.

About Concrete
In construction formwork, concrete is used to pour into the formwork systems to originate structures or parts thereof. Concrete is made of cement mixed with other substances such as limestone, granite, gavel and sand and mixed with water to form a mixture. After water has been added, the aggregate undergoes hydration which is the reaction in the middle of the cement and water that leads to the hard substance of concrete which is then used for construction.

When concrete is mixed, the success and potential of the concrete in structures is known as workability. Concrete can be made to different qualities depending on the whole of water, the type of water, the shape of the mould, how long the cement has been hydrating for and whole and type of cement contained in the mixture. The potential of the cement is reduced if too much water is included, causing the cement to detach from the other substances which make up the concrete mixture.

Concrete can crack, which was problematic for constructions throughout history as they ran the risk of collapse. Today reinforced concrete is used which is a much stronger substance and rarely cracks. When concrete is reinforced, it is filled with metal rods and reinforcing bars with other materials such as glass and plastic fibre.

Concrete formwork is widely used in present day construction. With the many different types of formwork available, any construction scheme is more as a matter of fact achievable because different methods can be used to achieve the desired result. When reinforced, concrete is a virtually indestructible material, exquisite for major construction work, as well as small, detailed and complex structures.

The Use of Formwork in construction