Designing Formwork to Reduce Construction Costs

Good formwork is critical for fast-paced construction and keeping costs under control. By following simple rules in the preliminary layout and design of a project, the cost of concrete construction can be reduced, sometimes dramatically.

Here are some cost-saving suggestions on formwork:

• Select one framing scheme and stick with it for as long as pobbile - even throughout the project. Two framing schemes can only be justified on a large project.
• Arrange member sizes and spacing so that the capacity of minimum-sized members is fully used.
• Use architecturally exposed concrete framing. The extra cost of more careful formwork, details, steel and concrete placement may be less than other options such as stone.
• Orient framing in one directing for one-way systems, such as beams and joists to save time on the job.
• Use "flying forms" to form large areas of walls or floors where the forms can be moved in large sections and reused many times—up to 20 or more.
• Space columns uniformly for repetitive production line setting. Make all columns the same size, vertically in one stack as well as horizontally in one story. Vary the amount of reinforcement and concrete strength to achieve size-uniformity.
• Make all beams and joists the same depth. The savings in formwork and shoring will exceed any cost increase in concrete and steel.
• Use standard form sizes for one-way and two-way joists because non-standard sizes need to be specially fabricated.
• Allow reasonable tolerances and specify tight tolerances only where they are needed since they require more field labor.
• Locate construction joints where the contractor wants them with as little restriction by the engineer as possible. This enables the contractor to select the most efficient sequence of pours for the construction method used.

	Engineering Data Report 32: Economical Concrete Construction Rapid-cycle concrete formwork methodology is outlined with an emphasis on the sequence of construction needed to build economical reinforced concrete structures.
	Engineering Data Report 43: One-Way Concrete Joint Construction Steel Lap Pan Forming System Understand the important factors in one-way concrete joist construction: a monolithic combination of regularly-spaced joists (ribs) and a thin slab of concrete cast in place to form an integral unit with the supporting beams, columns and walls.
	Engineering Data Report 46: Wide-Module Joist Systems – Revisited Provides typical dimensions for wide-module joist systems, along with information on how this structural system is constructed.
	Engineering Data Report 47: Formwork Digest Outlines structural and architectural design considerations for economical formwork.

Powered by Google.