1.

What are the principal requirements that concrete formwork must

satisfy?
Formwork is made from different materials, and requires great skill and
experience in its manufactures.

How formwork can be erected and de-shuttered fast.

How good concrete quality and surface finish can be achieved.
What is the optimum stock of formwork required for the size of work force, the specified time schedule and
flow of materials.
What is the overall cost savings that can be achieved using the right type of formwork.
How SAFETY can be improved for the site personnel.

In order to successfully carry out its function, formwork must achieve a balance of following requirements:
Containment
Strength
Resistance To Leakage
Accuracy
Ease Of Handling
Finish And Reuse Potential
Access For Concerted
Economy

Containment: formwork must be capable of shaping and supporting the fluid concrete until it cures.
Strength: formwork must be capable of safely withstanding without distortion or danger the dead weight of
the fluid concrete is placed on it, labour weight, equipment weight and any environmental loadings.
Resistance to leakage: all joints in form work must be either close fitting of covered with form tape to
make them grout tight. If grout leakage occurs the concrete Will leak at that point. Leakages cause
honeycombing of the surface.
Accuracy: formwork must be accurately set out so that the resulting concrete product is in a right place
and is of correct shape and dimensions.
Ease of handling: form panels and units should be designed so that their maximum size does not exceed
that which can be easily handled by hand or mechanical means. In addition all formwork must also be
designed and constructed to include facilities for adjustments, leveling, easing and striking without
damage to the form work or concrete.
Finish and reuse potential: the form face material must be selected to be capable of consistently
imparting the desired concrete finish (smooth, textured, featured or exposed aggregate etc.) At the same
time it should also achieve the required number of reuse.
Access for concrete: any formwork arrangement must be provide access for placing of the concrete. The
extent of this provision will be dependent on the ease of carrying out the concrete operations.
Economy: all the formwork is very expensive. On average about 35% of the total cost of any finished
concrete unit or element can be attributed to its formwork; of this just over 40% can be taken for material
 for formwork and 60% for labour. The formwork designer must therefore not only consider the maximum
number of times that any form can be reused, but also produce a design that will minimize the time taken
for erection and striking.
Technical requirements of formwork:
Formwork should be of the desired shape, size and and fit at the location of
the member in structure according to the drawings.
Formwork shall be carefully selected for required finish surface and linings to
produce the desired concrete surface.
Formwork should withstand the pressure of fresh concrete and working loads
and should not distort or deflect from their position during the concrete
placing operation.
Formwork should support the designed loads any other applied loads during
the construction period.
The formwork must not damage the concrete or themselves during removal
from structure.
Panels of the formwork should be tightly connected to minimize gap at the
formwork connection to prevent leakage of cement paste.
Functional requirements of formwork:
Form sections should be of the size that can be lifted and transported easily
from one job site to another.
Formwork should be dismantled and moved as easily as possible so that
construction of the building advances.
Formwork Units must be interchangeable so that they can be used for
forming different members.
Formwork shall be designed such that it fits and fastens together with
reasonable ease.
Forms should be simple to build.
Formwork should be as lightweight as possible without any strength
reduction.
Forms should be made such that workers can handle them without any
safety issue, respecting the Health, Safety, and Hygiene Regulation in effect.
Economic requirements of formwork:
Formwork shall be made of low cost materials, energy and labour if possible.
Formwork should be manufactured such that it can be repetitively used and
shall be as adaptable as possible. They must be able to withstand a good
number of reuses without losing their shape.
 Formwork must be designed so that the whole formwork can be assembled
and dismantled with unskilled or semi-skilled labour.
Formwork care and maintenance should be done according to specifications.

2. What tests may be performed on plastic concrete delivered to the job

site to ensure that it meets specification requirements?
3. How might a rapid strength test be performed on plastic concrete?
4. Give three common methods of providing support against lateral pressure
to square or rectangular forms
5. Give at least three precautions that should be observed in placing and
consolidating concrete in vertical forms.
Before placing concrete, the underlying surface and the interior of all
concrete forms must be properly prepared
Concrete forms must be clean and tight and their interior surfaces
coated with form oil or a parting agent to allow removal of the form
from the hardened concrete without damaging the surface of the
concrete
When placing fresh concrete on top of hardened concrete, the
surface of the hardened concrete should be roughened to provide an
adequate bond between the two concrete layers.
Vibrators should not be used to move concrete horizontally, as this
practice may produce segregation of the concrete mix.
The vibrator should be withdrawn and moved to another Location when
cement paste becomes visible at the top of the vibrator
6. Differentiate between a construction joint and an expansion joint and
the technic adopted in their provision.
Contraction Joints
Intended to create a weakened area in the concrete and regulate where
cracks will occur, normally in a straight line. Contraction joints should be
placed to produce panels that are as square as possible and never exceed a
length to width ratio of 1 to 1. Joints are commonly spaced at distances
equal to 24 to 30 times the slab thickness. Joint spacing that is greater than
15 feet requires the use of load transfer devices. Contraction joints may be
tooled into the concrete surface at the time of placement. Joints may also
be sawed into the hardened concrete surface. It is important to understand
 that the longer sawing is delayed the higher the potential for cracks to
establish themselves before sawing is complete.
Expansion Joints
Concrete expansion joints are used to separate slabs and concrete from
other parts of the structure. Expansion joints allow independent movement
between adjoining structural members minimizing cracking when such
movements are restrained. This allows for thermal expansion and contraction
without inducing stress into the system
Why Do We Need Construction Joints?
Construction joints are used in circumstances where two consecutive
placements of concrete meet. Construction joints are normally placed at the
end of the day or be placed when concrete pour has been stopped for longer
than the initial setting time of concrete. Construction joints should be
designed and specified by a structural engineer. You can also achieve bond
and continue reinforcement through a construction joint. If enough PCC is
available at the end of the day, the construction joint can be placed at a
planned transverse contraction joint.

Concrete Joints Placing Tips

The following recommended tips should be observed:

Maximum Joint Spacing should be 24 to 36 times the thickness of the slab.

Joints should be spaced about 10 feet and a maximum of 15 feet.
When using joint groove for contraction joints, the joint should be a minimum
depth of thickness of the slab.
Saw-cut joints should be done within 4 to 12 hours after the concrete has been
finished.
Keyed joints are not recommended for industrial floors.
Dry-cut joints should be made between 1 to 4 hours after completion of finishing.
The pre-molded joint filler should be used to separate slabs from building walls or
footings. Place 2 inches of sand over the top of a footing to prevent bond to the
footing.

If the slab contains wire mesh it is recommended to discontinue the mesh across
contraction joints.
Joint spacing should also be chosen so that concrete sections are approximately
square.
 It is recommended to have concrete joints along column lines either sawed or
keyed.
Metal dowels should be used in slabs that carry heavy loads.
Plan exact locations of all joints including the timing of saw cutting.
Use isolation joints between slabs and columns, walls and footings and where
curbs or sidewalks meet other concrete structures.
Materials used on concrete joints must be flexible enough to absorb or deform as
needed and then being able to restore back to their original state.
Always look for materials that are permeable and that are able to bond to the
concrete.

Tools Used to Create Concrete Joints

The following tools are normally used to create concrete joints, although these tools
might vary depending on the size and scope of the project.

Here are the most common used tools:

Hand Grover or Walking Grover: Depending on how large the slab is, you might
want to choose one of these two.
Cordless control joint tools: ideal for use on small to medium size projects.

Concrete saw: ideal for saw cutting concrete, but be sure to know how deep that
cut needs to be, otherwise you might be creating other problems
7. List four factors that determine when forms/shutters may be removed.
8. .
9. .
10. .
11. .
12. .
13. .
14.
15. Define what re-shoring mean and elaborate the significance of the
operation.
16. Label each components of the formwork shown in figure 2 at the end of
the questions
 Spacer for anchor
bolt
Braces
Wale

Stud

Tie

Brace
Footing

Plywood or Board sheeting

Name the five basic parts of a dewatering system.

Deepwell Systems.
Ejector Systems.
 Wellpoint Systems. .
Siphon Draining.
Sump Pumping.