Formwork Blog

Posts Tagged ‘South Australia – SA’

Location: Port Adelaide SA

Instead of the regular workplace BBQ lunch on a Saturday, why not try out a workplace Lamb On A Spit like we did here at this construction site in Port Adelaide. The site is being used by Adelaide Aqua to prefabricate pre-cast concrete and large steel piles for the Port Stanvac Desalination Project.

Lamb On A Spit

We had seasoned Lamb-On-A-Spit Professional Branko on the team who prepared, cooked and carved the lamb to perfection.

Branko, Graham and Goran

Branko’s delicious roasting lamb smell wafted over the whole construction site, enticing most of the construction workers over to have a great tasting lunch before hooking back into work. After most of the site ate, there was plenty left over for hot lamb sandwiches the next day.

Daniel, Dave and Branko Carving The Lamb

I voted 10 out of 10 for Branko’s Lamb On A Spit as did everyone else who tried it.

Location: Bolivar Water Treatment Plant SA

While this slab formwork “may” hold the concrete, it could be done a bit more professionally by using plywood rips and a bedlog to straighten the edgeform instead of wire. I can’t believe the formworkers that did this job recon it was ready for concrete.

Dodgy Formwork

Using wire back to a single pin to pull the formwork into line is dodgy and time-consuming because the pin can flex (or the wire can break) and put a “dog leg” in the formwork.

Dodgy Formwork Braced without a Bedlog

Tip: If it is important to have nice straight formwork (it should be), always use a bedlog. A bedlog enables you to push and pull the formwork into the exact position, secure it properly and “walk away”.

Even if it is not important to have nice straight formwork because the crooked concrete will “never be seen”, it is not a good look to have dog-legs in a concrete slab. By the way – It will be seen before it is never seen. It will be seen by bosses and inspectors.

Location: Whyalla Pellet Plant South Australia

Here’s another thrust block formwork job we had to do, but this time it was below the water table which means that water would be continually pouring into the job the whole time.

Thrust Block Excavation

Imagine arriving at this job and they say they want a couple of thrust blocks around these pipes, and they want it quick coz it’s “just a couple of thrust blocks”

Pumping the Water Out

Not only that, Des had to be very careful while digging out this watery goop to avoid damage to the fiber optic telecomminications and electrical cables while the pump pumps water out all day long. Des named this job The Swamp Monster

Concrete Thrust Blocks (Pump Still Pumping)

Finally the job is done and the Concrete Thrust Blocks are in position. The formwork for this job was almost the same as this other thrust block formwork we did.

Location: Prominent Hill Mining Construction Site South Australia

Mechanical Fitter Leigh (Hollywood) giving Admin LJ a few welding tips.

Leigh and LJ at Prominent Hill Mine

Location: Port Adelaide South Australia

After constructing this bridge abutment formwork at the Port River Expressway, formwork carpenters Steve, Simon and Tony now have to place and finish the concrete as well.

Formworkers Steve, Simon and Tony

Steel bridge spans will now placed from these abutments to the concrete columns.

Location: Port Adelaide South Australia

Normally, when the red light is flashing and the safety boom is down at a railway crossing, the intention is that drivers wait until the train passes, the safety boom raises and the lights stop flashing. However, some people are in a bit of a hurry and take the chance.

Truck Crossing Track whille Boom is Down

Location: Prominent Hill Construction Site and Camp

A nice collection of Prominent Hill photos by Zane Swart. This collection contains 506 photos of around the Prominent Hill Mine job, and other fun after work hours stuff. Start Slideshow

Zane and Yabbie at Prominent Hill

View Zane’s Prominent Hill photo collection.

Shane Chooking Yabbies

Thanks for that Zane

Location: Road Bridge – Port Adelaide South Australia

After each column concrete pour, the column formwork gets stripped down to be cleaned with high pressure water blasting and grinding with a wire wheel to remove all the slurry.

Cleaning Column Formwork

After cleaning, a special oil is applied to the forms which ensures they will strip off easy next time, and also helps provide a nice smooth finish on the concrete.

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

While the sump with ladder formwork was a pain in the neck to construct due to the fiddly ladder treads, it is always good to see that the job turned out pretty good.

Concrete Sump with Ladder

Concrete patchers will now come along and plug the z-bar holes.

Location: Road Bridge – Port Adelaide South Australia

Here is the concrete bridge columns resulting from the use of this column formwork. The bridge will eventually span accross one railway track and one busy main road.

Concrete Bridge Columns

Formworkers are now almost ready to cast in the bridge bearings on top of these columns which will support the steel bridge spans. But first, surveyors must mark out the exact location of the bridge bearings.

Alternative View of Concrete Bridge Columns

Instead of scaffolding, elevated work platforms (EWP’s) will be used to gain access to the column tops. For safety, tube and coupler guard rails will be errected on top of each column before any other work begins.