The below notes and examples have been developed by Professor Dorsey Moss , Purdue University.

SLIP FORMS Slip forms are forming systems designed to extrude concrete structures. The horizontal slip forms that are used to create a highway pavement are quite different from the vertical slip forms that are used to create an elevator shaft. However, they do have a number of traits in common. All slip form projects have an extruded cross-sectional shape is, with minor exceptions, constant throughout the structure. All slip form projects are also thought of as being continuous operations. However, horizontal slip form projects are usually continuous for a relatively brief period of time, whereas for vertical slip form projects 'continuous' means 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until the project is finished. And all slip forms are complex structures that include such items as a working platform, concrete supply hoppers, and finisher's platforms. Vertical Slip Forms Vertical slip forms are commonly used to build grain storage silos. They are an alternative to jump forms for the construction of elevator shafts for high-rise buildings. And they have also been used to construct a variety of other high-rise structures that have a constant footprint. There are only a dozen or so contractors that specialize in vertical slip form construction in the United States. A slip form platform is a unique structure that is built at the job site for that project. At the completion of the pour, some of the components such as the jacks will be saved for the next job, some beams may be left in placed to support the roof, and the other components may or may not be salvaged. For a slip form to the economical, the structure must be at least 100' high. Otherwise the cost of building the slip form platform would exceed the cost of traditional forming methods.

storage deck jack rod jack concrete hopper working deck

yolk

4-0 V wales sheathing finishers scaffolding

Fig.1 Typical Vertical Slip Form Cross-Section

Design of Vertical Slip Forms

Vertical Design Loads. The following factors should be considered when determining the vertical design load for a vertical slip form. The listed load values are approximate and must be verified. a. Working platform loads. Live load. This is a concentrated work area with substantial materials, workers and equipment. It is heavy-duty construction. Form weight. The dead load of the form varies considerably. Materials loads. This includes the weight of the rebars, jack rods and other materials that are carried up on the form. Wall form weights per lineal foot of wall. Dead load of the wall forms Frictional drag Weight of yolks 75 psf 15 psf 60 psf

b.

50 #/ft 300 #/ft 500 # P jack jack rod 24 buckled shape fresh concrete 36 3-hour old concrete rod is fixed at this depth

c.

Jack and Jack Rod Capacities. The rated capacities of the jacks that are commonly used are 3, 6 and 22 tons (6, 12 and 44 Lips). The jack rod sizes used with these jacks are 1-1/8", 1-3/8" and 2 diameters respectively. These jack rod sizes have proven acceptable over many years use. However, computing the theoretically load for the jack rods is difficult, if not impossible. The load is a function of, among other things, the rigidity ofhour old concrete and the rigidity of the slip form platform. Assuming the conditions indicated in the adjacent sketch, the capacity of the jack rods matches the capacity of the jacks.

Design of Slip Forms

The design of slip forms is normally the responsibility of the slip form contractor. Nevertheless it is worth reviewing some of the principle points. First determine the layout of the structural plan for the working deck, including the location of the beams and the jacks. Make sure that the jack loads do not exceed the limit for the equipment to be used. Next, design the beams, joists and sheathing for the working deck. These are straightforward calculations, but attention must be paid to the details. Finally, design the wall forms. The wall forms are normally 4' deep. The maximum lateral concrete pressure, which is less than normal wall form pressure, is given by one of the following formulas. Pmax = 100 + 6000 R/T Pmax = 150 + 6000 R/T (concrete placed in 6" to 10" lifts with slight vibration) (concrete that requires additional vibration)

Construction Operations Before the Pour All arrangements for the entire project must be completed before beginning the pour. After the pour starts is too late. Among the myriad of things to take care of are the following. 1. Determine the length of time for the pour. The slip rate is normally about one foot per hour, with operations going on around the clock. The time span can be from a few days to more than a week. Arrange for around-the-clock delivery of concrete. Are there traffic problems or railroads that can interfere with the concrete delivery? All of the materials must be at the job site - all of the rebars, all of the blackouts, all of the jack rods,etc. Much, if not all, of the material is stored on the form and carried up as the slip progresses. Blockouts are marked with their location and bottom elevation, and are stored in reverse order that they are needed. Spare parts for key elements, such as jacks, and a back-up power generator must be available. Many slip form subcontractors bring their own labor crews with them. If not, the labor crews must be hired.

2.

3.

4. 5.

During the Pour Crews work 12 hours on and 12 hours off. The common procedure for handling the concrete is that it is hoisted by bucket, placed in a hopper above the working deck, distributed by motorized buggies, then placed in the forms in approximately 8~ lifts. The slip not a continuous operation. The form is raised 6 or 8 inches, then filled with concrete, then raised again. The platform is kept level and the structure plumb by a water system that controls the operation of the jacks. The system also controls the Lifts - the central water supply is raised then all the jacks turn on and climb the jack rods until they reach the new level. Rebars are normally placed without being tied. Horizontal bars are simply laid on top of the fresh concrete. Vertical bars are pushed into the fresh concrete and held in alignment by a template high above the forms. Blockouts are placed when the form reaches the appropriate elevation. Frequently, there are many blackouts and/or other changes that must take place at the same time, and the slip must be stopped for a period of time while these changes are being made. Jack rods have ends with internal threaded couplings so those joints have a smooth surface. New jack rods are attached above the jacks. The elevations of the jack rod connections are staggered to avoid a weakened plane. Scaffolding is suspended below the form for finishers if the walls are to be finished. Four-hour old concrete is a nice surface to finish if it is the outside wall, but finishing the inside walls tends to be very dark and very hot place to work. After the Pour At the conclusion of the pour two major tasks remain - to construct the roof, if required, and to dismantle the slip form. The working platform can be reconfigured to serve as the platform from which to erect the room. If the roof is a flat slab, it can serve as the form for that slab. This is a nice second-use for the platform, but it presents a problem of how to remove the forms from the bottom of the slab. One of the original form design options is to install the jack rods within a sleeve so that they call be pulled. If this option has been exercised, the rods are pulled and stored for the next job. The dismantling of the form is fraught with decisions - what to save and what not to save, in what order is it dismantled, and can the non-salvaged items be dropped or must they be carefully removed. Obviously the safety of the workers at the top of the structure as well as the safety of the workers on the ground is of primary concern in these activities.