Formwork is an important part of the concrete 

construction of
different structures like buildings, bridges, and dam. In this
article, we will discuss the different components of formwork.
Before starting the discussion on formwork components, we
should know that,
1. What is formwork?
2. Requirements for a good formwork
3. Cost/Economy of formwork

What is Formwork?

Formwork is a temporary mold or structure, which is made to

provide support and shape to fresh concrete. Different materials
are used to make the formwork, like wood, steel, plywood, and
aluminum. And classifies with the material name, like wood
formwork. Steel formwork, etc.

Formwork is also classified by the name of a structural member,

like formwork for the column is known as column formwork. As
the same, formwork for other structural members classifies by
their name. Here are some examples, slab formwork, beam
formwork, pier formwork, wall formwork, etc.

Formwork is very important in concrete structures. It consumes

effort and time, it should be enough strong strength to bear all
loads (a dead load of concrete, a Live load) that are applied to it.

Requirements for a good formwork

Here are some basic requirements for a good formwork.

  It is very important that the formwork is well supported
and strong enough to bear all the loads applied to it.
 Formwork must be aligned and braced well from all sides

to keep its original shape.

 It should be watertight to prevent the leakage of cement

grout.
 It should be constructed in a proper way so that at the

removal stage concrete can be safe.

 The form-work material must be available locally, cheap,
and can be used more than one time.
 Try to keep lightweight as possible to prevent the extra load
on supports. Especially in horizontal shuttering, lightweight
formwork also can help to reduce labor costs or effort.
 It must be fixed in line and levels as per the drawing.
 Form-work material should not be damaged or rusted,
which affects the quality of concrete finishing.

Cost/Economy of Formwork

Construction of formwork takes much effort and consumes up to

20 to 25 percent of the cost of whole structure work. That’s why it
is very important to keep it cost-effective parallel to its strength.

Here are some key points which can help reduce the cost of
formwork.

 Try to reduce the variation in the building or structure

design. It can help to reuse the shuttering again. And the
way of reusing shuttering reduces its cost.
  Economical structure design can reduce the sections of
structural members.
 Reduction of sections can help to fix less shuttering, as a
result cost can be reduced.
 Proper cutting of plywood and timber can also reduce the
cost of shuttering.
 The use of the different engineered systems of form-work
can reduce the labor cost and save time but as per material.
They are costly, initially, they are not reducing the cost
of shuttering. But in large projects with the saving time, can
help to reduce the all-over project cost.

Accessories/ components of formwork

Here are the components of formwork,

 ties
 Hangers
 Anchors
 Props
 Spacer from Side

Ties
A form-work tie is a tensile unit used to connect opposite sides of
the formwork. It provides a balanced connection or is used to
resist the effective pressure of the fresh concrete.

Generally, it consists of an internal tensile member and an

external holding device. related rods for use in table design.
Form ties are usually made of steel, although some fiber-
reinforced plastic ties can also be used. There is a wide range of
cable tie types and manufacturers’ rated tensile work capabilities.

Snap-on ties, ring ties, and flat ties are disposable ties. Usually,
with a relatively low capacity (1500 to 3200 pounds), they are
twisted and returned a specified distance from the concrete
surface.
Coil ties, bolts, and bolts are examples of ties, some of which
remain in the cast wall, and some can be reused.
The tapered cable tie (a tapered rod with threads on both ends)
has been completely removed and reused. The tensile strength of
heavy-duty cable ties can reach more than 60,000 pounds.

Some cable ties have a built-in function to separate the templates

by a certain distance. This is especially true for disposable ties if
this feature is ordered.

Another way to maintain the correct internal distance is to use a

spreader to insert a strut (usually wood) into the formwork.
When the concrete is poured to this height, it can be propped up
with connected ropes or steel wires.
Anchors
The form anchor is a device used to fix the form to the pre-placed
concrete with sufficient strength. The equipment is usually
embedded in the concrete during placement. The actual bearing
capacity of the anchor depends on,

 The shape and material of the anchor,

 The strength and type of the concrete embedded in the
anchor,
 The contact area between the concrete and the anchor,
 The embedded depth and position in the member

Hangers
Form-work hanger is a device used to hang formwork load from
structural steel, precast concrete, or other components.

Props
Vertical supports under the formwork are called props. it carries
a load of shuttering and other loads including, structure load,
material load, workman crafts load, etc.

In the traditional formwork system, it can be made of timber, but

for heavy construction, it should be made of steel or aluminum.

Spacer from side

The side spacer is a device that maintains the required distance
between the vertical shuttering and the steel bars.

Key Factors of safety for accessories

Here are some key points to using the accessories of formwork

  Rod-shaped or band-shaped ties are a common type of
lightweight structure. These have supplementary devices
for spreading the form and external holding means for
engaging the form.
 The threaded internal disconnection type (also called a
straight-through connection) is used in formwork for heavy
construction. Usually, it is used in heavy foundations, bridge
beams, powerhouses, locks, dams, and construction
concrete. The removable part of all cable ties should be of a
type that is easy to disassemble without damaging the
concrete and leave the smallest possible hole for filling.
Unless the contract document allows the tie to be left in
place, the removable part of the tie should be removed. The
minimum specification for shuttering connection must
require that the supporting area of the external fixing device
be large enough to prevent the formwork timber from being
subjected to excessive stress.
 The form hanger should support the static load of the

form, the weight of the concrete, and the construction and

impact loads. The form-work hangers should be placed
symmetrically on the supporting members and loaded
through the appropriate concrete placement sequence to
minimize the distortion or rotation of the hangers or
supporting members.
 The form-work hanger should closely fit the flange or

bearing surface of the supporting part in order to

correctly transmit the applied load.
 Where the concrete surface is exposed and appearance is

important, the hanger will not leave exposed metal on the

surface. Otherwise, when the connecting hole is not
 punched, non-corrosive materials should be used to
expose the connecting piece to the component.

Types of formwork

Formwork classifies into these types

1. as per the material used

2. as per structure member
3. Engineered formwork systems
4. As per usage
Type of form-work as per material used
 Timber formwork
 Steel formwork
 Plastic formwork
Type of Form-work as per Structure Member
 Column form-work
 Wall form-work
 Beam form-work
 Slab form-work
 Tunnel form-work
Foundation form-work
Engineered Formwork System
 Climbing form-work
 Flexible form-work
Types of Formwork as per usage
 Reusable form-work
 Permanent or stay in placed form-work
