Formwork Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Concrete Forms’

Location: Prominent Hill Mining Construction Site South Australia – Weigh Bridge Section

Timber used to brace internal sump formwork at Prominent Hill weigh bridge.

Sump Formwork with Ladder

You’ll notice that one of the center timbers is not used to brace the formwork, rather, it is used to support the yellow ladder treads. Extra z-bars and timbers that support the external forms are also just visible in the above photo.

Sump Formwork Ladder Support

The vertical timber holds the ladder treads firmly against the plywood while the treads are wired to a nail (not visible) keeping the treads horizontal.

Sump Formwork Ladder (internal view)

You’ll also notice that there is two pieces of ply used in the center of the ladder tread instead of one which makes easy work when it comes to stripping. On the other hand, if one piece of ply is used for these types of formwork, it is a time-consuming nightmare to strip.

Location: Road Bridge – Port Adelaide South Australia

Formwork carpenters Lenny and Simon, and crane operator Craig position this concrete road barrier which will be used to anchor the bracing at one side of the column formwork. The brace on the other side will be anchored to the foundation.

Concrete Road Barrier To Brace Column Formwork

Location: Tugun Bypass Project Queensland Australia

This little formwork job was made quick and easy because there was plenty of Blinding to place the concrete forms and to brace off. The supervisor on this job asked how much Blinding we wanted, and to our amazement, enough was supplied.

Crash Barrier Foundation Formwork

Too often, formwork foundation jobs are made difficult and time-consuming when there is not enough concrete Blinding to secure the formwork. This usually happens when earth movers or supervisors do not consult with the formworkers and go on to blind to the exact size of the job according to the drawings.

I have had supervisors get the plan out and argue that the blinding is the right size because that is the size of the job on the drawing. On the other hand, experienced civil supervisors know to allow extra blinding not only for the concrete forms, but for bracing and holding-down as well.

Location: Road Bridge – Port Adelaide South Australia

The reinforcement steel and concrete forms being placed onto the bridge foundation by cranes at Port River Expressway bridge construction site.

Erecting Formwork For Bridge Columns

After all four concrete forms are placed, bracing, scaffolding and guardrails will be erected which will hold the column forms in a perfectly vertical position and allow access to the top of the forms.

Location: Project Magnet – Iron Duke Mining Construction Site Whyalla South Australia

Formwork carpenter John Archibald builds this Octagonal Pedestal Form at Project Magnet Whyalla.

Octagonal Concrete Forms

Location: Brisbane Air-Rail Project Queensland Australia

This traveling formwork system was one of four used to form up the 8 KM of concrete parapets on the Brisbane Air-Rail project.

Formwork Carpenter Steve Repairing Concrete Forms

The “Traveler” was 18 meters long and was used to form up the parapets on both sides of the elevated Rail-Road at the same time. The Traveler was moved along after each concrete pour with a compressor and air-winch where the next 18 meters of concrete forms was assembled again.

Dismantling The Traveling Parapet Forms

The Traveler either carried or towed along all the plant and equipment required (such as generator/welder, oxy set, compressor toolboxes etc) to form up each section and to travel itself along to the next 18 meters.

When all the concrete parapets were completed, the riggers came along, dismantled it, and took it away on trucks.

Location: Prominent Hill Mining Construction Site South Australia – Weighbridge Section

I bumped into a construction worker friend of mine recently at Whyalla shopping center who said he just had some formwork blow-out during a concrete pour. I asked him if he used a Bedlog to brace-off the Concrete Forms, and it turns out he did not.

Whenever you suspect that the pressure on your Concrete Forms will be more than your average driveway slab, or you are having difficulty maintaining a straight line, it could be a good idea to consider placing a Bedlog down in order to have something solid to brace your Formwork off.

Formwork Carpenter Laying Down a Bedlog

A Bedlog (also known as a Dead-Man) is used to secure both walls and slabs and can be used on even and un-even ground. Use the Bedlog to push and pull your concrete forms into a perfectly straight line and hold it securely in position.

Concrete Wall Formwork Braced With Bedlog

In the photo above, only the top of the Concrete Forms is braced onto the Bedlog because the bottom of the forms is inside an excavation. If the entire job was on level ground, the bottom of the forms would also be braced back to the bedlog.

Bedlog Secured With Pins And Wire

Bedlog vs Pins Only

A Bedlog enables you to push/pull and secure the Concrete Forms into a nice straight line while bracing with pins/pegs only allows you to push. This allows you to totally eliminate any “Dog-Legs” while eliminating all movement from the formwork.

Using only pins/pegs can fail and cause the Formwork to “Blow-Out” while a Bedlog is much stronger and therefore more reliable.

Using a Bedlog enables you to erect your Formwork and walk away. What this means is that in most cases you will not have to be nearby “watching the concrete pour” because you are worried that your formwork will collapse under pressure.

Location: Road Bridge – Port Adelaide South Australia

Formwork Carpenter Ray and the Concrete Forms which were used to form the Columns which sit on the foundations at Francis Street bridge on the Port River Expressway Project.

Ray and Column Formwork

The columns start out at nine metres in height which represents the highest point in the middle of the bridge. The forms were cut down for each concrete pour as we progressively moved lower towards the embutments.

Location: Tugun Bypass Project Queensland Australia

This bridge spanning across four lanes of traffic had to be constructed at the expense of the road building company so that a private land owner can enter and exit from his property at Tugan Hill.

Tugan Hill Bridge

We were erecting formwork for the concrete crash barrier base. The concrete crash barrier would be placed on top of the base by a kerbing machine. The crash barrier will serve to prevent the Bridge Columns from being struck by high speed vehicles.

Location: Iron Duke Mining Construction Site Whyalla South Australia

Four Bolts along with plus-shaped (+) blockout.

Pedestal Formwork

Pedestal Formwork

Pedestal Reinforcement Steel