Wall formwork - types and characteristics

In order for the walls, when erected from building mixtures, to be perfectly even and last for a long time, and also not cause difficulties in installation, special structures are used, which are called wall formwork. They are panel installations that create and hold the shape of the future building element. To date, there are technologies that involve the creation of each floor of a multistory building using formwork for walls and pouring them with a mixture.

Types of formwork for walls

Wall moldings fall into two broad categories: non-removable and reusable. For the former, inexpensive materials are used, as they are meant to remain in the wall structure. Removable reusable can be used to create several dozen walls, as long as the technical condition of the formwork allows. Usually such moldings are made from:

• metal;
• wood;
• plastic;
• combinations of these materials.

Of course, metal ones are more expensive, but also more durable, and you can create more elements with their help. They are best used in industrial construction when it comes to hundreds of walls. In these cases, large-panel formwork is used - this significantly speeds up and reduces the cost of concreting.

Wooden formwork also performs well, but only with small volumes of poured concrete, as well as up to ten to fifteen uses. After that, they wear out and need to be replaced, which is economically unprofitable for industrial construction in the long term.

Plastic formworks are also very reliable structures. They are more durable than wooden ones, and can compete with metal ones in this regard. Modern plastic formworks are widely used in the industry as they comply with technical requirements and safety regulations.

Basic requirements for wall formwork structures

Regardless of the volume of moldings you want to create, any formwork must meet the following criteria:

• strength and static of the installed frame;
• the design should be tight and not "walk";
• lack of adhesion between the concrete and the surface of the inner side of the formwork;
• correspondence of strength and mass of concrete.

If at least one requirement is not met, the end result may turn out to be unsatisfactory, and you will get an emergency wall.

Also be careful when collecting formwork in home building construction. This is the case when it is better to play it safe and perform a particularly strong molding. Since this type of wall construction does not use professional structures, to which clear technical documentation is attached, everything has to be done “by eye”, which sometimes leads to not very good consequences.

Fixed formwork: advantages and disadvantages

This type formwork for floors and walls is quite popular among builders. It is less commonly used in large industrial construction, but in private buildings their use is very common. This is no accident, because such form has objective advantages:

• light weight of materials for manual work;
• saving on building materials (in some cases);
• speed of erection (no need to wait until the concrete hardens and dismantle the formwork);
• when using special formwork models, it is possible to build walls on unstable ground;
• reducing the cost of subsequent interior wall decoration.

Depending on what goals the builder pursues, he will choose the formwork of the appropriate purpose:

• for foundation;
• for overlays;
• for walls.

At the same time, fixed formwork may well be used in industrial construction. In this case, we are talking about large concrete slabs of medium thickness. Such forming elements are typical only for the construction of walls - for column formwork this technology is not used.

Demountable formwork: types and characteristics

Most often, reusable molds are used in construction, which can be customized to fit the shape, assembled and disassembled in any way. Depending on the design, they are divided into the following categories:

• Wooden fixed formwork

They are used to creating complex elements, as well as an architectural structure. As a rule, after the initial use, this formwork becomes unnecessary and is thrown away or left in the wall. It is created based on the required shape of the future structure, after which it is strengthened with props. Typically such molding is installed during the construction of tunnels and bridges on an uneven surface. In this case, the dimensions of wooden shields can be very large, as well as their number.

• Universal climbing formwork

A type of shape that is assembled to create many versatile elements and used many times within the same construction process. It is a structure, which is supplemented in the required quantity with shields and fastened with formwork components. After the building element has hardened, the device is rearranged to perform its functions further.

• Sliding metal formwork

It is convenient to use when you need to gradually concrete several monolithic tiers of the wall. The structure rises, it is filled with concrete, after which it hardens, it rises further. The lifting process is carried out by electric motors, or manually.

• Suspended formwork

It is necessary where the physical access of the builder is difficult: roofs, attics, landings, and so on. The materials from which it will be made are determined by the need and volume of the working mixture.

• Mobile three-dimensional form.

It performs the same functions as the sliding one, but already in a horizontal surface, and not in a vertical one. The movement is carried out with the help of wheel mechanisms. Such a mobile structure is very convenient when it is required to create a building element of great length. Such formwork is used, including for the foundation.

• Block forms.

Block-forms are rather dimensional, removable or non-removable formwork. They are most often used in factories to create various elements to order: large gas blocks, foam blocks, concrete partitions, etc. Block forms are also used for columns and monolithic walls.

Depending on the needs, it is rational to use one or another type of collapsible formwork. Of course, sometimes it can be economically unprofitable, so you should immediately calculate all the moments associated with the use of molding structures: their weight, cost, installation complexity, the number of necessary auxiliary elements (fittings and fasteners), etc.

Remember that building technologies are developing quite rapidly, and what was natural a few years ago may be outdated and irrational today. Depending on the desired end result, you should choose the appropriate wall formwork technology according to this article, but keep your finger on the pulse. Perhaps tomorrow there will be fasteners and materials for formwork structures with new characteristics that will make the process even more efficient and financially profitable.