Anthony Pinheiro

Economy in Formwork

The following points are to be kept in view to effect economy in the cost of formwork:

1. 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.

2. Design should be perfect to use slender sections only in a most economical way.

3. 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.

Formwork can be made out of timber, plywood, steel, precast concrete or fiberglass used separately or in combination.

Steel forms are used in situation where large numbers of re-use of the same forms are necessary. 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.