Safety, Installation and Removal of

Formwork
Formwork used in the construction industry must be designed, fabricated, erected, supported,
braced, and maintained so that it can support all vertical and horizontal loads that will be exerted.
Here are the safety precautions to follow when dealing with formwork.

Equipment
Drawings or design plans should include all revisions for the jack layout, shoring equipment
details, working decks, scaffolds, and all other related accessories. Once all those details are
designed, shoring equipment must be inspected prior to erection to determine that the equipment
meets the requirements specified in the formwork drawings. Do not use shoring equipment that
is potentially damaged or shows signs of damage. All formwork shoring equipment must be
inspected immediately prior to, during, and immediately after concrete placement.

Inspect all components thoroughly and if you find weakened equipment, reinforce it
immediately. It is extremely important to check that all base plates, shore heads, extension
devices, and screws are firm and secured with the foundation and the form.

Concrete
Formwork used and designed for cast-in-place concrete requires special considerations. Due to
the significant weight that concrete adds to formwork and shoring equipment, it is important to
check that eccentric loads are located over members that have been designed for such loading. If
single-post shores are used one on top of another (tiered), then additional shoring requirements
must be met. The shores must be:

 Designed by a qualified designer and the erected shoring must be inspected by an

engineer qualified in structural design
 Vertically aligned
 Spliced to prevent misalignment
  Adequately braced in two mutually perpendicular directions at the splicing level

Adjustment of single-post shores to raise formwork must not be made after the placement of
concrete. Reshoring must be erected, as the original forms and shores are removed, whenever the
concrete is required to support loads in excess of its capacity.

Cast-in-Place Concrete
Formwork used on cast-in-place operations needs to be carefully planned, designed, and
inspected. Here is a list of guidelines and requirements for cast-in-place formwork:
  The form structure must be maintained within all design tolerances specified for
plumbness during the jacking operation.
 The predetermined safe rate of lift must not be exceeded.
 All vertical slip forms must be provided with scaffolds or work platforms where
employees must work or pass.
 Reinforcing steel for walls, piers, columns, and similar vertical structures must be
adequately supported to prevent overturning and collapse.
 Employers must take measures to prevent unrolled wire mesh from recoiling. These
measures may include, but are not limited to, securing each end of the roll or turning over
the role.

Safety Guidelines
When it's time to remove formwork, follow these recommendations:

 Do not remove forms and shores (except those that are used for slabs on grade and slip
forms) until the worker determines that the concrete has gained sufficient strength to
support its weight and superimposed loads.
 Verify concrete strength information against construction drawings, specifications, and
testing results. Testing must follow the American Society for Testing and Materials
(ASTM) standard test method designed to determine the concrete compressive strength,
and results must indicate that the concrete has gained sufficient strength to support its
weight and superimposed loads.
 Read all your contract technical information covering the procedures on how and when to
remove the formwork.

What Is The Formwork Installation Procedure?

Published: 04 September 2019

Formwork installation procedure involves the following operations:

 Propping and centring - Propping is a system of structural members used temporarily to support
loads during construction. The forces arising from these loads must be fully resolved, using
props or columns to provide all the support needed for the work under construction, such as
beams, formwork but are not limited to only the above mentioned.
 Shuttering – Formwork (Shuttering) acts as moulds for pouring concrete.
 Provision of chamber - The formation of a sharp nice corner is practically difficult and the
concrete at corners is easily chipped and broken into pieces during the removal of concrete
formwork. Hence, the provision of chamber could protect the corner from chipping when
striking formwork.
 Cleaning and surface treatment - Cleaning and surface treatment. 
Formwork stripping procedure

When is it safe to start the formwork stripping procedure?

The forms or moulds that holds the concrete in place until it dries should be left alone for at least
two days to ensure that the concrete has cured. If the forms are removed too soon,
the concrete can begin to sag, crack and collapse.

To start the formwork stripping procedure, you need a qualified contractor to follow the
following steps:

 Allow the concrete to dry before removing the forms. You'll want the concrete to be hard and
strong so that removing the forms does not result in a sagging surface. Allow the concrete to
cure overnight.
 Remove forms starting at the top of sloping slabs. Use a hammer to remove nails from the
stakes holding the forms in place.
 Remove the stakes from the ground that support the forms with a stake puller to avoid
damaging the stakes or the forms.
 Pull the forms away from the sides of the concrete slab using as little force as possible. If a form
sticks to the slab or is difficult to remove, use the pry bar to pry the form upward from the
ground, loosening the form from the concrete in the process. Pull the loosened form from the
concrete. Be careful not to gouge the slab with the pry bar in the process.
 Remove forms on alternating sides of the slab to maintain the structural balance. For example,
with a square slab start at the upper left corner, then remove the form from the lower right
corner, then the upper right followed by the lower left. Remove all forms in this manner. If the
forms are reusable, clean them and store them in a dry place. Otherwise, dispose of the forms.