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SLIP FORMING: THE NEW ERA OF FORMWORK OF UNUSUAL STRUCTURE

Conference Paper · March 2014

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 ISBN: 978-81-929339-0-0
National Conference on: “Trends and Challenges of Civil Engineering in Today’s Transforming World”

SLIP FORMING: THE NEW ERA OF FORMWORK OF

UNUSUAL STRUCTURE

Hardik Suthar1, Prof. Jayeshkumar Pitroda2, Prof. J. J. Bhavsar3

1
Student of first year M.E (Construction Engineering & Management), B.V.M Engineering College,
Vallabh Vidyanagar-Gujarat-India
2
Assistant Professor and Research Scholar, Civil Engineering Department, B.V.M. Engineering
College, Vallabh Vidyanagar-Gujarat-India
3
Associate Professor, P.G. Coordinator of Construction Engineering & Management, B.V.M
Engineering College, Vallabh Vidyanagar-Gujarat-India

1
hardik.suthar2312@gmail.com
2
jayesh.pitroda@bvmengineering.ac.in
3
jaydev_2004@yahoo.com

Abstract: Slip forming is the best techniques which carried out fast and rapid construction in
an unusual structure like cooling towers, chimneys, silo and also in roadway construction
bridge construction. Slip formwork techniques carried out with more than 16 m height
structure and its very rapid and time saving erection techniques and also economical. Slip
forming considers mainly 7.2 m per day which is fastest erection procedure. They content
various components and after the completion of curtain height concreting by the hydraulic
jack it lifted up and further concreting could be done. Hence these methods are rapid, time
saving; economical and less labor force is required.

Keywords: Cooling Towers, Rapid Construction, Slip Forming

INTRODUCTION
Slip forming is an economical, rapid and accurate form of construction that can be used to
build concrete, reinforced concrete, or pre-stressed concrete structures. Although slip forming
is not suitable for all types of structures, it can be used to construct a wide variety of
structures such as silos, chimneys, building cores, bridge piers, and cooling towers. Slip
formwork used for vertical as well as horizontal continues structure. This type of formwork
system is economical and also less labour work required in construction, it is totally depends
upon automation eraction techniques.

29th March, 2014, Civil Engineering Department S.N.P.I.T. & R.C., Umrakh
 ISBN: 978-81-929339-0-0
National Conference on: “Trends and Challenges of Civil Engineering in Today’s Transforming World”

Figure 1: Slip Formwork

Source: www.structuralsystem.com
HISTORY OF SLIP FORMWORK
 The slip forming technique was discovered by America in 1910 for building silos, grain
elevators and cooling towers.
 The first notable use of the slip formwork method in Skylon Tower near Niagara Falls,
Ontario, which was completed in 1965.
 Another unusual structure was constructed for the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel in, Hawaii, in
1969.
 In 1990s in U.K. Slip forming has even been adopted for the paving of roadways, bicycle
paths, and kerb with the introduction of slip form paving equipment. And further Slip
form paving was also implemented in the paving of airport aprons, taxiways, and
runways.

29th March, 2014, Civil Engineering Department S.N.P.I.T. & R.C., Umrakh
 ISBN: 978-81-929339-0-0
National Conference on: “Trends and Challenges of Civil Engineering in Today’s Transforming World”

Figure 2: History of Slip Formwork

Source: Gomrco slip form system

WHAT IS THE SLIP FORMWORK AND METHOD OF USE

Slip forming consists of constructing a wall-shaped form approximately 1.0 to 1.2 meters
high at the base of the structure. This type of formwork has a belt of forms, one for each
surface, 1 to 1.5 meters wide usually about 1.2m (4ft) made of timber or steel. These surface
forms placed on the internal and external surface of a wall, chimney and cooling towers etc.
As the concrete is deposited, the form is slowly and continuously raised by jack screws,
hydraulic jacks or pneumatic jacks.

As the form is raised, it can be adjusted to vary the taper of the structure and the thickness of
the wall as needed. The rate at which the form is raised is between 5 to 30 cm/hour as per
requirements. This around the clock operation results in a construction rate between 1.2 to 7.2
m/day, which cannot be attained by any other construction method.

Figure 3: Constructing Wall-Shaped Slip Formwork

29th March, 2014, Civil Engineering Department S.N.P.I.T. & R.C., Umrakh
 ISBN: 978-81-929339-0-0
National Conference on: “Trends and Challenges of Civil Engineering in Today’s Transforming World”

APPLICATIONS OF SLIP FORMWORK

Chimney Slip Formwork

Silo Slip Formwork

Cooling Tower Slip Formwork

29th March, 2014, Civil Engineering Department S.N.P.I.T. & R.C., Umrakh
 ISBN: 978-81-929339-0-0
National Conference on: “Trends and Challenges of Civil Engineering in Today’s Transforming World”

Bridge Construction by Slip Formwork

Road Construction by Slip Formwork

Figure 4: Various Applications of Slip Formwork in Construction
Source: - www.master builder.com, www.rexon.com

COMPONENTS OF SLIP FORMWORK

 Slip Form
 Ribs
 Yokes
 Working platform or Deck
 Suspended scaffolding
 Lifting jacks

29th March, 2014, Civil Engineering Department S.N.P.I.T. & R.C., Umrakh
 ISBN: 978-81-929339-0-0
National Conference on: “Trends and Challenges of Civil Engineering in Today’s Transforming World”

Figure 5: Components of Slip Formwork

Source: www.skilledforming system.com
Advantages
 Provision of a joint less structure.
 A saving of shuttering material both initially as well as lesser wastage.
 Scaffolding is not required.
 Very rapid concreting. It is at least four times faster.
 Better finishing of concrete.
 Reduced labour cost.
 Slip form does not require the crane, minimizing crane use.
 No plastering required.
 Accuracy is more than regular formwork.
 Strength is more than regular formwork.
 Save formwork material.
 Economical for structure above certain size.

Disadvantages
 Greater time required for arranging of various components.
 Expert supervision and operations needed for uniform movement of the slip form system.
 Stocking of material on the site is difficult.

29th March, 2014, Civil Engineering Department S.N.P.I.T. & R.C., Umrakh
 ISBN: 978-81-929339-0-0
National Conference on: “Trends and Challenges of Civil Engineering in Today’s Transforming World”

 Good coordination and site organization required.

 Large quantities of equipment (e.g. Generators, lighting systems, and hoists) needed.
 Labour force may require familiar with equipment and methods.
 The operation must be continued in any weather
 High initial expense.
 Need 24-hour service facilities (e.g. Canteen, material supply, maintenance team, primary
clinic).

Safety features
 Working platforms, guard rails, ladders and windshields should built into the completed
system.
 Completed formwork assembly is robust and strong enough.
 Strength of concrete must be checked at certain time intervals.
 Site operatives can quickly become familiar with health and safety aspects of their job
site.
 All parts should move in uniform rate, there should be no jam in formwork or jack.
 Lateral support of forms must be provided.

Economical consideration
 This type of form works only economical when the height of the structure is a minimum
of 16m high.
 The thickness of the wall should be a minimum 15cm.
 This system is only suitable for a structure like silo, cooling towers, chimneys, tall
building and piers.

CASE STUDY

A.P.C. Herington company project (USA) was chosen as a case study in current seminar. It
included Raw Meal Silos and towers with 6000-ton cement production per day. All silos and
towers of the cement factory were constructed using a slip-form lifting system. The silo was
designed to store raw material.

29th March, 2014, Civil Engineering Department S.N.P.I.T. & R.C., Umrakh
 ISBN: 978-81-929339-0-0
National Conference on: “Trends and Challenges of Civil Engineering in Today’s Transforming World”

This case study is to investigate the possibility of using slip forming in varying construction
sectors.

Figure 6: Various Structures of A. P. C. Herington Company

Source: - www.efcoform.com, A.P.C. Herington

CONCLUSION
 With the invention of slip forming technique and due to speedier completion of work by
the technique, there are substantial savings in cost in terms of wages and interest. This
technique has no comprises against quality control and Homogeneity of structure.
 The cost saving will not appear automatically just because slip forming has been used.
This technique has a lot of scope for improvement. But it can be adapted for tall structure.
 Thus a slip form system involves:-

29th March, 2014, Civil Engineering Department S.N.P.I.T. & R.C., Umrakh
 ISBN: 978-81-929339-0-0
National Conference on: “Trends and Challenges of Civil Engineering in Today’s Transforming World”

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The Authors thankfully acknowledge to Dr. C. L. Patel, Chairman, Charutar Vidya Mandal,
Er.V.M.Patel, Hon.Jt. Secretary, Charutar Vidya Mandal, Mr. Yatinbhai Desai, Jay Maharaj
construction, Dr. F.S.Umrigar, Principal, B.V.M. Engineering College, Dr. L.B.Zala, Head
and Professor, Civil Engineering Department, Dr. A. K. Verma, Head and Professor,
Structural Engineering Department, B.V.M. Engineering College, Vallabh Vidyanagar,
Gujarat, India for their motivations and infrastructural support to carry out this research.

REFERENCES

[1] Anon. 1978. “Key to courthouse puzzle.” Eng. News-Rec., 20021, 26–27.
[2] Betterham R. G. 1980. Slip-form concrete, Longman, New York.
[3] Halpin D. W. and Riggs L. S. 1992. Planning and analysis of construction operations,
Wiley, New York
[4] Hanna, A. S. 1998. Concrete formwork systems, Marcel Dekker, New York.
[5] Peurifoy R. L., and Oberlander G. D. 1996. Formwork for concrete structures, 3rd Ed.,
McGraw-Hill, New York
[6] Pruitt R., Oberlander G. 2000. Concrete construction, 1st Ed., McGraw-Hill, April,
32(4):345-349.
[7] www.Slipforminternational.com
[8] www.rexon.com
[9] www.neruformwork.com
[10] www.dokaformwork.com
[11] www.l&tskilledformingsystem.co.in
[12] www.masterbuilders.com
[13] www.google.co.in
[14] www.lagram.com
[15] www.Wikipedia.com
[16] www.Wikimedia.com

29th March, 2014, Civil Engineering Department S.N.P.I.T. & R.C., Umrakh

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