FORMWORK & SHUTTERING

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

What is formwork?
When concrete is fresh and in its liquid state it must be
restrained within a mould in order for it to set in its
required shape. Formwork is the term used to describe
this mould.
For most in-situ pours, the formwork is made of wood. A
smooth outer surface provides the main support for the
concrete as it sets. This is normally made of plywood.
Concrete is approximately 2.4 times as dense as water,
and in its liquid state, it imposes considerable forces on
the formwork containing it. Consequently it is necessary
to reinforce the plywood with horizontal wooden beams or
wailings.

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

If constructed properly, this mechanism
of a plywood skin supported by timber
wailings provides ample support for the
setting concrete. The mechanism of
transferring these loads to a solid
support can be performed by numerous
methods which are collectively known as
falsework.

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GOOD FORMWORK:
There are two factors that decide how well the
concrete will look in the final result.. one is how
the concrete is placed and compacted, and the
other is the quality of the formwork.
Formwork is made from expensive materials, and
requires great skill and experience in its
manufactures. Its importance is evident when you
consider that the cost of fabrication, erecting and
striking the formwork, often exceeds the cost of
the concrete it is designed to shape and support.

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Formwork usually needs to be used many

times for it to be cost efficient. This can only
be done if it is carefully handled, cleaned and
stored, regardless of what material it is made
from.
For anything other than most smallest of
concreting jobs e.g. walls over 1m in height, a
drawing should be provided, showing what
formwork is required. This need not be an
intricate design drawing, a simple sketch is
usually sufficient.

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

The below picture shows part of a
concrete structure soon after the
formwork has been struck. Not the poor
finish (circled). This is an imprint off the
painted plywood formwork. Some of the
paint has run, and this has been
transposed to the concrete. It is
important to remember that the face of
the concrete is effectively a negative of
the formwork face. Always inspect the
formwork prior to pouring.

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Honey comb in concrete

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Good formwork should fulfill the

following criteria:
It is strong enough to support the weight
offresh
concreteduring
placing
and
compacting, and any other loads it may be
required to take.
The face of the formwork is of sufficient
quality for its use.
It can be easily erected and struck.
It is sufficiently stable in all weathers.

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It can be handled safely and easily using

the equipment available.
It provides suitable access for placing
and compacting the concrete.
It conforms with appropriate safety
regulations.
The joints between members are sound
enough to prevent grout leakage.

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Formwork is an ancillary construction,
used as a mould for a structure. Into this
mould,fresh concreteis placed only to
harden subsequently. The construction of
formwork takes time and involves
expenditure up to 20 to 25% of the cost
of the structure or even more. Design of
these temporary structures are made to
economic expenditure.

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

The operation of removing the formwork is
known as stripping. Stripped formwork can be
reused. Reusable forms are known as panel
forms and non-usable are called stationary
forms.
Timber is the most common material used for
formwork. The disadvantage with timber
formwork is that it will warp, swell and shrink.
Application of water impermeable cost to the
surface of wood mitigates these defects.

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A good formwork should satisfy the following

requirements:
It should be strong enough to withstand all types of
dead and live loads.
It should be rigidly constructed and efficiently
propped and braced both horizontally and vertically,
so as to retain its shape.
The joints in the formwork should be tight against
leakage of cement grout.
Construction of formwork should permit removal of
various parts in desired sequences without damage
to the concrete.

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The material of the formwork should be cheap,

easily available and should be suitable for
reuse.
The formwork should be set accurately to the
desired line and levels should have plane
surface.
It should be as light as possible.
The material of the formwork should not warp
or get distorted when exposed to the elements.
It should rest on firm base.

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Economy in Formwork:
The plan of the building should imply minimum
number of variations in the size of rooms, floor
area etc. so as to permit reuse of the formwork
repeatedly.
Design should be perfect to use slender sections
only in a most economical way.
Minimum sawing and cutting of wooden pieces
should be made to enable reuse of the material
a number of times. The quantity of surface finish
depends on the quality of the formwork.

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Formwork can be made out of timber,
plywood, steel, precast concrete or fiber
glass used separately or in combination.
Steel forms are used in situation where
large numbers of re-use of the same
forms are necessary.

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

For small works, timber formwork
proves useful. Fiber glass made of precast concrete and aluminum are used in
cast-in-situ construction such as slabs or
members involving curved surfaces.

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Following are the materials which are used for formwork:
Plywood:
This is by far the most common material used for the
facing panel. It is easily cut to shape on site, and if
handled and stored carefully, it can be used many times.
Note the different thickness: A standard plywood
thickness on site is 18mm. this is usually sufficient for
most pours. However, if the formwork is curved, a thinner
plywood is used to facilitate bending. Thicker plywood
may be used when the weight of concrete causes a
standard thickness plywood to bow out, distorting the
concrete face.

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Timber:
This is the most common material used
for bracing members to the form face.
Like plywood, it can be easily cut to size
on site. Formwork made from timber is
called
traditional
formwork.
The
construction
methods
using
timber
formwork have been used on site for
years, and all well understood by trained
operators.

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Ply wood

Timber

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Steel:
Steel is also used in pre-fabricated
formwork. Purpose made steel forms are
fabricated when dimensional tolerances
are critical, or when the forms are
planned to be re-used. Steel forms
become cost-efficient after about a dozen
uses, although they can be used up to
100 pours if they are carefully cleaned
and stored.

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STEEL FORMWORK

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Aluminum:
Often used in pre-fabricated formwork,
that is put together on site. Aluminum is
strong and light, and consequently fewer
supports and ties are required. The
lighter sections will deflect more, but
this can be avoided by simply following
the manufacturers recommendations.

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Plastics:
Glass reinforced plastics (GRP) and vacuum
formed plastics are used when complicated
concrete shapes are required (e.g. waffle
floors). Although vacuum formed plastics will
always need support, GRP can be fabricated
with integral bearers making it self supporting.
Like steel, plastic formwork can be re-used
many times, as long as care is taken not to
scour the surface whilst vibrating the
concrete.

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Timber Formwork:
Timber for formwork should satisfy the following
requirement:
It should be,
1. Well seasoned
2. Light in weight
3. Easily workable with nails without splitting
4. Free from loose knots
Timber used for shuttering for exposed concrete
work should have smooth and even surface on all
faces which come in contact with concrete.

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Normal sizes of members for timber
formwork:
Sheeting for slabs, beam, column side and
beam bottom
25 mm to 40mm thick
Joints, ledges
50 x 70 mm to 50 x 150 mm
Posts
75 x 100mm to 100 x 100 mm

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Plywood Formwork:
Resin bonded plywood sheets are
attached to timber frames to make up
panels of required sizes. The cost of
plywood formwork compares favorably
with that of timber shuttering and it may
even prove cheaper in certain cases in
view of the following considerations:

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

It is possible to have smooth finish in

which case on cost in surface finishing is
there.
By use of large size panels it is possible
to effect saving in the labor cost of fixing
and dismantling.
Number of reuses are more as compared
with timber shuttering. For estimation
purpose, number of reuses can be taken
as 20 to 25.

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Steel Formwork:
This consist of panels fabricated out of
thin steel plates stiffened along the
edges by small steel angles. The panel
units can be held together through the
use of suitable clamps or bolts and nuts.
The panels can be fabricated in large
number in any desired modular shape or
size.

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Steel forms are largely
projects or in situation
number reuses of the
possible. This type of
considered most suitable
curved structures.

used in large
where large
shuttering is
shuttering is
for circular or

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Steel forms compared with timber formwork:
Steel forms are stronger, durable and have longer life
than timber formwork and their reuses are more in
number.
Steel forms can be installed and dismantled with
greater ease and speed.
The quality of exposed concrete surface by using steel
forms is good and such surfaces need no further
treatment.
Steel
formwork does not absorb moisture from
concrete.
Steel formwork does not shrink or warp.

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Construction of formwork:
This normally involves the following
operations:
1. Propping and centering
2. Shuttering
3. Provision of camber
4. Cleaning and surface treatment

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Order and method of removing formwork:
The sequence of orders and method of removal
of formwork are as follows:
Shuttering forming the vertical faces of walls,
beams and column sides should be removed first
as they bear no load but only retain the concrete.
Shuttering
forming soffit of slabs should be
removed next.
Shuttering forming soffit of beams, girders or
other heavily loaded shuttering should be
removed in the end.

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Rapid hardening cement, warm weather and
light loading conditions allow early removal
of formwork. The formwork should under no
circumstances be allowed to be removed
until all the concrete reaches strength of at
least twice the stresses to which the concrete
may be subjected at the time of removal of
formwork. All formworks should be eased
gradually and carefully in order to prevent
the load being suddenly transferred to
concrete.

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Details of timber formwork for
RCC beam and slab floor

Details at section shown in figure

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Elevation

Details of timber formwork for

circular RCC column

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3D View

Details of timber formwork for

square or rectangular RCC column

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Sectional plan showing details of timber
formwork for an octagonal column

Details of formwork for stair

Timber formwork for RCC wall

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Period of removal of formwork:
Walls, columns and vertical sides of beams
1 to 2 days
Slabs (props left under)
3 days
Beam soffits (props left under)
7 days

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Removal of props to slabs

(a) For slabs spanning up to 4.5 m 7 days

(b) For slabs spanning over 4.5 m 14 days

Removal of props to beams and arches

(a) Spanning up to 6 m 14 days

(b) spanning over 6 m 21 days

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PRE-CONCRETE CHECKS FOR
FORMWORK:
Before the concrete is poured into the
formwork, it must be checked by someone
who has been trained to inspect formwork.
Depending on how big or complicated the
pour is, the inspection may just take few
minutes or it could take hours. Only when
the formwork has been approved, may the
pour take place.

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Formwork pressures are function of
height (including the height from which
concrete is dropped into the forms) and
are affected by concrete workability, rate
of stiffening and rate of placing. One task
of the temporary works coordinator is to
consider such factors as ambient
temperatures and concrete composition,
when calculating maximum permissible
rate of concrete placing.

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Exceeding this limit may lead to
unacceptable formwork deflections, loss
of grout / concrete at joints, or even
collapse. The cost of remedial work due
to formwork deflection will usually
exceed the original cost of doing the job
properly.

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Below are the checks that should be verified

before pouring begins:
Is the formwork erected in accordance with the
approved drawings?
Is the formwork restrained against movement in all
directions?
Is it correctly aligned and leveled?
Are all the props plum, and at the right spacing?
Are bolts and wedges secure against any possible
loosening?
Has the correct number of ties been used? Are they in
the right places and properly tightened?

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Are all inserts and cast-in fixings in the

right position and secure?
Have all stop ends been properly
secured?
Have all the joints been sealed to stop
grout
loss
(especially
where
the
formwork is against the kicker)?
Can the formwork be struck without
damaging the concrete?

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

Are the forms clean and free from rubbish such

as tie wire cuttings, and odd bits of timber or
metal?
Has the release agents been applied, and is it
the correct one?
Are all projecting bars straight and correctly
positioned?
Is there proper access for placing the concrete
and compacting?
Have all the toe-boards and guard rails been
provided?

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RELEASE AGENTS FOR FORMWORK:
Formwork needs to be treated with a
release agent so that it can be removed
easily after the concrete has set. Failure
to use a release agent can result in the
formwork sticking to the concrete, which
may lead to damage of the concrete
surface.

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

A single application of release agent is
all that is required when forms are then
used. Care must be taken to cover all the
surface that will come in contact with
the surface of concrete. However, if
there is an excess of release agent, it
may cause staining or retardation of the
concrete.

Civil Engineering Drawing & Graphics

There are different release agents

depending on what material is used for
the formwork.
The three (03) most common release
agents for formwork are:
Neat oils with surfactants: used mainly
on steel surfaces, but also suitable for
timber and plywood.

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Mould cream emulsions: good general

purpose release agents for use on timber
and plywood.
Chemical release agents: recommended
for high quality work, applied by spray to
all types of form face.

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ASSIGNMENT (A REPORT)

MiNi-Project
In M.S Word, do make a brief report of at least
20 pages having in it Pictures from original
sites covering 18 chapters of the referred text
book (Preferably 01 page for each chapter).
Try to make report understandable by
providing
sequential
pictures
of
the
phenomenon and a minimum of 4 to 6 lines in
each page and relevant topic.