Bracing for wall formwork

Its needed for stability and alignment

BY M. K. HURD

Figure 1. Double-channel braces share duty with adjustable tubular braces on this high wall form. To make the braces, two lightweight channels are welded together 2 12 inches apart, using end plates and spacers. Four-inch round holes in the channels reduce weight and open up space between the channels for ease in making bolted connections. Similar double-channel members serve as strongbacks for the ganged form panels.

Figure 2. Adjustable tubular metal braces may be part of a manufactured forming system or they may be add-ons for job-built forms. Here braces are anchored to massive portable cast concrete blocks. In addition to resisting wind and maintaining alignment, braces for this tall form must balance unsymmetrical loads on the access scaffolds.

racing for formwork is like an insurance policy; you may think you dont need it, but when the storms of life hit, youre mighty glad its there. Concrete Construction recently heard from a contractor who was working with gang form panels 20

feet high when a strong wind flattened some of the already braced panels. In some cases nails pulled out of the stakes to which the braces were attached; in others the stakes themselves pulled out of the ground. Tragically, one worker was killed as the gusts reached 50 mph.

What went wrong? We dont have enough details to make an accurate diagnosis of this case, but some of the warning lessons are clear. Avoid work in strong winds. A large form panel can become a kitewith or without a stringand wreak havoc at the construction

fire when unusual loads occur. Anchor braces to something solid. A wooden stake casually driven into nonuniform soil may have insufficient resistance. Anchorage to concrete slabs, portable concrete blocks (Figure 2), or deadmen below grade may be necessary for high forms with heavy loads anticipated. High forms require more careful planning. Wind is more intense at higher levels. Braces carry less load as their unsupported length increases.

Bracing requirements
With double-sided formwork, ties hold the forms together, resisting the lateral pressure of the concrete, but external supports are needed to resist applied working loads and wind pressure. On the occasional job that prohibits ties through the wall, the bracing may also have to resist the lateral pressure. Support is

site. Crane operators cease working when winds are too high. Manual operations with large panels should be stopped too. Brace adequately. In addition to the familiar wood wedges and 2x4s and 2x6s, there are manufactured brackets for attaching and adjusting braces, adjustable pipe braces, and heavier manufactured members ( Fi g u re 1) designed for effective bracing. For high forms an engineering design of the bracing system is advisable.

Pay attention to connection detailswhether they be nails or manufactured hardware. Fo rm w o rk is often nailed sparingly to speed the stripping processa practice that can back-

Figure 3. Hardware items simplify the use of timber bracing. Patented turnbuckle form aligners have a variety of end brackets and clamps that make it easy to connect the aligner to the timber and to the formwork framing members. Turnbuckle adjustment helps set the form plumb. Other devices such a swivel brackets can be used to vary the inclination of the form, at the same time anchoring it to a slab or other solid member.

needed not only when the formwork is erected in position but also when it is merely standing on site awaiting the next use (a frequently neglected condition). The wall form is most vulnerable during erection of the first side, before any of the reinforcing steel has been placed. The larger the panels being handled, the greater the risk. Bracing should be put in place as early as possible for such forms, particularly when there is any possibility of strong wind. Many form builders prefer to brace wall forms on one side only. Bracing is usually installed to maintain the position and alignment of the first side of the form; then the second side can be set and aligned from the first with spreaders or spreader ties to maintain the correct wall thickness. This bracing must be strong enough and well enough anchored to resist wind and other loads such as impact from concrete as its dumped, equipment movement, and access scaffolds that may be at subject say that braces fastened to one side of the forms and nailed to stakes set into the ground about 8 to 10 feet apart prevent the forms from shifting when concrete is placed. This rule-of-thumb approach is best limited to 8-foot walls at grade with no attached work platforms or scaffolding. Even then, unanticipated loads may make it h a z a rd o u s. Braces are frequently made from 2x4 or 2x6 lumber, which provides limited strength unless knee braces or trussing members are added.

Bracing design
Wind can come from any direction and the bracing system must be ready for it. If braces are positioned on only one side of the wall, they must be able to take either tension or compression and their connections have to do the same. Lateral loads may come not only from the wind, but also from cable tensions, inclined supports, dumping of concrete, or impact from placing equipment.

Wall forms should be braced for the wind loads prescribed by the local code for permanent structures. For use in design, the wind velocity is commonly converted to resultant pressures in pounds per square foot (psf), for a given height zone. Wind maps of the United States show pressures from 20 to 50 psf for various regions of the country, with some of the highest pressures in the coastal South and East. Howe ve r, the intensity of pressure increases with height above ground. For example: In the most moderate wind zone, 15 psf may be used for design of walls up to 30 feet high. In the same zone, at elevations above 100 feet, the design pressure is 30 psf. Where there is no local code requirement, the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Committee 347, Formwork, advises designing wall form braces for at least 100 pounds per lineal foot (plf) of wall applied at the top, or 15-psf wind load, whichever is greater. How effective can 2x4s be in resisting this load or other wind loads? Notice the axial load capacities for different types of bracing shown in the table. At lengths greater than 6 feet, the 2x4 needs some lacing or lateral support to meet design requirements for allowable loads.

forms 10 feet high? Following the ACI procedure for design (Ref. 1), this equates to a force applied at the top of the wall of wall height/2 x wind pressure= 10/2 x 25 or 125 pounds per lineal foot of wall If this calculation would come out less than the ACI 100-plf minimum, use the minimum 100 plf. Assuming the brace is attached 3 feet below the top of the form, a horizontal resisting force of 10/7(125) plf or 179 plf is required to balance the overturning effect of the 125-plf wind force. With the brace attached 3 feet below the top of the form and the end of the brace anchored 4 feet away from the wall, you can use the relationship between sides of a right triangle to find the length of the brace and the load it must carry. If braces were spaced at 8 feet, each one would have to carry 8 x 360 or 2,885 pounds A 4x4 or some of the manufactured braces shown in the table would be suitable. The 2x4 would not be strong enough. Many braces strong enough to carry this load in

A simple example
Near Detroit, a design value of 25 psf is permitted for wind load on s t ru c t u res less than 30 feet high. What does this mean for wall

compression would also be adequate in tension. Howe ve r, the strength of the connections must be adequate for the tension load. An alt e rn a t i ve method of bracing using guy wires that carry tension load only requires bracing on both sides of the wall. Walls below grade are not subject to wind and bracing adequate to maintain alignment is generally sufficient for walls 8 feet tall or less. Taller wall forms below grade should be designed for at least 100plf lateral load applied at the top (the ACI minimum). This simplified example shows the significance of wind forces on formwork. Bracing designs should always be made with appropriate data for the site being considered. M. K. Hurd is an engineer- w r i t e r based in Farmington Hills, MI. She is also a former editor of Concrete C o n s t ruction and was formerly a staff engineer for the American Concrete Institute.

References 1. M. K. Hurd, Formwork for Concrete, American Concrete Institute, P.O. Box 19150, Detroit, MI 48219, Fifth Ed., 1989. 2. ACI Committee 347, Guide to Formwork for Concrete (ACI 347R89), ACI, 1989. 3. Formwork: A Guide to Good Practice, prepared by a joint committee of The Concrete Society and The Institution of Structural Engineers, The Concrete Society, London, 1986.

Publication # C910545
Copyright 1991, The Aberdeen Group. All rights reserved