Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

ALUMINIUM FORMWORK –
A CASE STUDY 0F APTIDCO
PROJECTS

Authors:

Manpreet Chaudhary (Manpreet.Chaudhary@shapoorji.com)

Madhava Warkhedkar (Madhava.Warkhedkar@shapoorji.com)

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................................................... 3
About the Project ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3
About the client ......................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Key features of the Project/Milestones ................................................................................................................................ 4
Project Timeline ......................................................................................................................................................................... 5
ALUMINIUM FORMWORK ........................................................................................................................................................ 6
Introduction to Aluminium formwork ................................................................................................................................. 6
ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY ......................................................................................................................................... 6
Basic Material Requirements .............................................................................................................................................. 6
Advantages of Aluminium formwork .................................................................................................................................. 11
Details of Formwork .......................................................................................................................................................... 11
Structural Requirements of the Construction ............................................................................................................ 11
Advantages of Aluminium formwork .................................................................................................................................. 12
Details of Formwork .......................................................................................................................................................... 12
Structural Requirements of the Construction ............................................................................................................ 12
Durability............................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Ease of fixing services ........................................................................................................................................................ 12
Economy OF SCALE .......................................................................................................................................................... 13
Limitations ............................................................................................................................................................................ 13
APTIDCO PROJECTS: ...................................................................................................................................................... 13
Procurement of Aluminium formwork .............................................................................................................................. 13
PROJECT PLANNING PHASE .................................................................................................................................................. 14
Design and Pre-Planning Phase ............................................................................................................................................. 14
Site Planning and Execution ................................................................................................................................................... 16
Al. Formwork Material Requirement ............................................................................................................................ 16
Labour Mobilisation ............................................................................................................................................................ 16
Steel, Cement & Aggregate Requirement..................................................................................................................... 16
Sub-Contractor Requirement .......................................................................................................................................... 16
Sequencing of Activities ..................................................................................................................................................... 16
Drawings needed for Execution ...................................................................................................................................... 17
PROJECT EXECUTION PHASE ............................................................................................................................................... 18
Receipt of Aluminium Formwork Materials at Site ......................................................................................................... 18
Initial Setting/First Setting ...................................................................................................................................................... 18
Execution ................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Quality aspects during execution......................................................................................................................................... 18

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

Safety aspects during execution ........................................................................................................................................... 19

PROJECT MONITORING & CONTROLLING ................................................................................................................... 20
Monitoring at Site Level ......................................................................................................................................................... 20
Productivity Monitoring .................................................................................................................................................... 20
Cost Monitoring .................................................................................................................................................................. 23
CHALLENGES FACED DURING EXECUTION ................................................................................................................. 24
LESSONS LEARNT ....................................................................................................................................................................... 26
PROCUREMENT/PLANNING ............................................................................................................................................. 26
QUALITY ................................................................................................................................................................................... 27
SAFETY ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 27
EXECUTION ............................................................................................................................................................................ 27

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

INTRODUCTION

ABOUT THE PROJECT

APTIDCO projects were awarded with a project duration of 15 months and a defect liability period of 24
months. The project scope included construction of three type of Dwelling Units with varying SBUA viz., 300SFT
(One BHK), 365SFT (One BHK) & 430 SFT (Two BHK). The configuration of the Block was G+3 Floors (No
Basement) with two types -32 & 48 Dwelling Units per block.

The following are the list of projects awarded to SPCPL with Contractual Start Dates:

SL. LOA
CONTRACT AGREEMEN
N PHASE PACKAGE
VALUE (CR) DATE T DATE
O
1 KURNOOL 1,043.95 09-06-17 20-07-17

2 PHASE - I NANDYAL 607.66 27-06-17 20-07-17

3 GUNTUR 898.96 09-06-17 20-07-17

4 KURNOOL 193.46 19-12-17 25-01-18

5 ANANTHAPUR 1,353.73 19-12-17 25-01-18

PHASE - II
6 GUNTUR & PRAKASHAM 1,293.57 15-02-18 19-03-18

7 WEST GODAVARI 1,312.24 15-02-18 19-03-18

8 KURNOOL 288.74 08-05-18 06-06-18

PHASE - III
9 ANANTHAPUR 1,341.23 08-05-18 06-06-18

The projects were executed by three regions namely, Bangalore, Hyderabad & Chennai regions.

Bangalore region has taken up the projects with Sl. No’s 1,2,4,5,8 & 9. Hyderabad region has taken up the
projects with Sl. No’s 3 & 6. Chennai Region has taken up the Project with Sl. No 7 as mentioned in the above
table. The distribution was done on basis of Geography & District.

The total awarded number of houses to be constructed was 1,44,286 with awarded contract value of 8,333
Crores across 38 Locations (Villages/Towns).

ABOUT THE CLIENT

The Client being a government entity and the project being under Pradhan Manthri Awas Yojana – Housing for
All (PMAY – HFA) scheme, the projects were dependant on the local elected leaders’ opinions / decisions which
were a major hurdle at a point of time. The constructed houses are supposed to be given to the poor people
by the government. So, all the local political leaders were involved to further their election agenda.

The projects were reviewed by the Hon’ble Minister MAUD on regular basis and the same was appraised to the
Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

KEY FEATURES OF THE PROJECT/MILESTONES

The project progress is evaluated on the basis of five milestones as mentioned below:

The project payment schedule as per the progress is as shown below:

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

PROJECT TIMELINE

The construction schedule submitted to client is shown below with the activity durations. The resources were
planned to complete the activities within the time frame as per the baseline MCP submitted to client.

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

ALUMINIUM FORMWORK

INTRODUCTION TO ALUMINIUM FORMWORK

ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY

The technology intends to replace the conventional steel/plywood shuttering (formwork) system with
customised engineered formwork which is manufactured in the factory set up under controlled conditions. In
this system, in place of traditional RCC framed construction of columns and beams and infill walls; all floors,
slabs, columns, beams, walls, stairs, together with door and window openings are cast-in-place monolithically
using appropriate grade of concrete in one operation. The especially custom designed modular formwork made
up of Aluminium/ Plastic/Aluminium-Plastic Composite is used for the purpose which facilitates easy handling
with minimum labour & without use of any equipment. Being modular formwork system, it enables fast
construction of multiple/mass modular units.

BASIC MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS

FORMWORK SYSTEM
Formwork system is a proprietary system and designed as per loading requirements of the structure. It has
adequate stiffness to weight ratio, yielding minimum deflection under concrete loading.

A sketch showing the arrangement along with photos of the erected formwork are as follows.

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Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

Wall assembly

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

Column & Beam assembly

Soffit Length with panel assembly

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

Beam Side

Staircase Panel

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

Slab Bottom Arrangement

Mid Beam
ADVANTAGES OF ALUMINIUM FORMWORK

End Beam Deck Prop

DETAILS OF FORMWORK
The formwork systems used are made of lightweight Aluminium. The basic element of the Modular Aluminium
Formwork is a 4 mm thick panel which is a framework of extruded aluminium sections welded to an Aluminium
sheet. Fixing of the formwork is done using tie, pin & wedges system. It does not require very skilled labour to
do the job. The formwork can be designed based on requirements of dwelling unit and the project. A repetition
of about 100 cycle is claimed (if handled and used properly), but specific to Project 40 Repetitions were
planned. (4 Repetitions per month x 10 Months of Superstructure Works).

STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION

The Monolithic RCC construction is considered as shear wall system. The walls are designed primarily for
Prop Length
loading and also for in-plane lateral load (shear) and out of plane (bending) due to wind load and earthquake
forces as per relevant Indian Standard Code IS 875(Pt.3):2015 and IS1893(Pt.1):2016 respectively.

Slab Bottom Arrangement

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

Column Collar Assembly

Soffit Beam

Column Collar

ADVANTAGES OF ALUMINIUM FORMWORK

DETAILS OF FORMWORK
The formwork systems used are made of lightweight Aluminium. The basic element of the Modular Aluminium
Formwork is a 4 mm thick panel which is a framework of extruded aluminium sections welded to an Aluminium
sheet. Fixing of the formwork is done using tie, pin & wedges system. It does not require very skilled labour to
do the job. The formwork can be designed based on requirements of dwelling unit and the project. A repetition
of about 100 cycle is claimed (if handled and used properly), but specific to Project 40 Repetitions were
planned. (4 Repetitions per month x 10 Months of Superstructure Works).

STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION

The Monolithic RCC construction is considered as shear wall system. The walls are designed primarily for
loading and also for in-plane lateral load (shear) and out of plane (bending) due to wind load and earthquake
forces as per relevant Indian Standard Code IS 875(Pt.3):2015 and IS1893(Pt.1):2016 respectively.

DURABILITY
Thickness of the wall is generally 100 mm with the centrally placed reinforcement. Therefore, adequate cover is
likely to be maintained, as a result high durability is achieved.

EASE OF FIXING SERVICES

All electric and plumbing fixtures, lines have to be pre-planned and placed appropriately before pouring concrete
in RC walls & slabs. Post construction alteration is not desirable.

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

ECONOMY OF SCALE
Economies of scale depend upon the volume of work and number of repetitions of the formwork. To achieve
economy, minimum 100 repetitions are desirable (but again the constraint is time, more the time, more the
repetitions). For very small project of less than 500 units, this system may not prove to be economical.

Other features

1) Pre-designed formwork acts as assembly line production and enables rapid construction of multiple/mass
scale units of repetitive type.
2) Varying work cycle is possible. However, for speed and economy 3-4 day slab cycle is desirable.
3) It is flexible in design and can form any architectural or structural configuration, such as stairs, windows,etc
4) Higher productivity of carpenters- 6 to 8 SqM/manday
5) No requirement of Tower Cranes
6) No additional time for wall plumbing and conduiting post concreting.

LIMITATIONS
1) A lead time of about 3 months is required for initiation of work, as the formwork is custom designed,
manufactured and prototype approved before manufacturing required number of sets of formwork.
2) Capital cost to initiate construction is high and may require regular flow of funds.
3) Post construction alterations are difficult.
4) All the service lines are to be pre-planned in advance.
5) Not much saving in construction in one storey structure.
6) All GFC drawings should be finalized before formwork is manufactured.

APTIDCO PROJECTS:
The contracts were awarded with shear wall technology to be constructed using aluminium formwork material.
As part of the financial and technical requirements, the minimum required aluminium formwork material is stated
in the contract agreements as tabulated below.

ALUMINIUM
ALUMINIUM FORMWORK
SL. PROCURED
PHASE PACKAGE FORMWORK REQD AS
NO
PER AGREEMENT (Based on Scope
Clarity)
1 KURNOOL 89,840 70,206
PHASE – I
2 NANDYAL 50,000 45,592

3 KURNOOL 17,525 0
PHASE – II
4 ANANTHAPUR 1,22,485 85,908

5 KURNOOL 25,450 4,279

PHASE – III
6 ANANTHAPUR 1,17,040 19,280

TOTAL 4,22,340 2,25,265

PROCUREMENT OF ALUMINIUM FORMWORK

The Aluminium Formwork for the APTIDCO projects was ordered on MFE and Kumkang. The lead time for
the material to reach the site is almost three months.

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

PROJECT PLANNING PHASE

DESIGN AND PRE -PLANNING PHASE

The Aluminium formwork requirement was calculated considering the number of blocks at a package level. The
sets are being distributed to all the sites based on the requirement and the same sets were transferred between
sites to get the maximum optimised output. Since the APTIDCO projects were awarded with 15 months’ project
duration, the structure period was taken for 10 months amounting to 40 repetitions per set as per the contract.

The number of houses per block in phase 1 projects was either 32 or 48 units, whereas in phase 2 & 3 all the
blocks are 48-unit type. The aluminium formwork is also ordered based on the floor plate type. Thus, in phase
1 projects, 6 types of aluminium formwork sets were ordered and in phase 2 & 3 projects 3 types of aluminium
formwork sets were ordered.

Calculation for total Number of Sets ordered for APTIDCO Projects in detail is available in the table below.

APTIDCO-EWS HOUSING-PHASE-I
Building Type
No of Mivan
S.No PROJECT NAME 300 365 430
sets in work
48 32 48 32 48 32
1 KURNOOL 4 3 2 2 5 8 24
2 ADONI 4 5 0 0 0 1 10
4 YMG-SN 0
5 YMG-MC 5 1 1 7
KURNOOL SUB TOTAL 13 9 2 2 6 9 41
6 NM NAGAR 4 4 0 0 0 0 8
7 SRBC 4 1 0 1 1 2 9
8 AYYALUR 2 1 0 0 0 0 3
NANDYAL SUB TOTAL 10 6 0 1 1 2 20
BANGALORE SUB TOTAL 23 15 2 3 7 11 61
1 GUNTUR 4 1 2 1 1 9
2 CHILAKALURIPETA 6 2 2 1 11
3 PONNUR 1 1 3 1 6
4 TENALI 1 1 1 3
5 SATTENAPALLI 0
HYDERABAD SUB TOTAL 12 4 5 3 4 1 29
PHASE 1 SPCL TOTAL 35 19 7 6 11 12 90

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

ARRIVED AT SITE
DISTRICT PROJECT NAME
300 365 430 Total
TADIPATRI 6 2 1 9
KADIRI 3 2 1 6
GUNTAKAL 4 4
RAYADURGAM 1 1
ANANTHAPUR 4 1 5
ANANTHAPUR
PAMIDI 3 2 1 6
DHARMAVARAM 2 2
GOOTY 1 1 2
PUTTAPARTHI 1 1 2
HINDUPUR 3 2 1 6
ANANTHAPUR TOTAL 28 11 4 43
DHONE 1 1
KURNOOL
ALLAGADDA 2 2
KURNOOL TOTAL 3 0 0 3
ANANTHAPUR & KURNOOL TOTAL 31 11 4 46

APTIDCO-EWS HOUSING PHASE-2 & 3

ARRIVED AT SITE
DISTRICT PROJECT NAME
300 365 430 Total
TENALI 1 1 2
PIDUGURALLA 3 3 6
MACHERLA 1 2 1 4
GUNTUR VINUKONDA 1 1 2
REPALLE 1 1
ONGOLE 2 2 4
CHILAKALURIPET 2 2
GUNTUR SUB TOTAL 8 9 4 21
TANUKU 1 2 3
NIDADAVOLU 1 3 4
WEST GODAVARI KOVVURU 2 1 3
JANGAREDDYGUDEM 2 1 3
ELURU 4 1 2 7
WEST GODAVARI SUB TOTAL 6 5 9 20

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

SITE PLANNING AND EXECUTION

At site level, project planning along with the construction manager and the project in-charge is responsible for
preparing a detailed schedule for the completion of the project as per Master Construction Program (MCP) and
to plan the resources for the same.

AL. FORMWORK MATERIAL REQUIREMENT

In order to achieve progress as per our desired timelines, major task at site level was to plan in such a way that
the aluminium formwork received at site is not kept idle and to ensure that the works are progressing as per
the schedule prepared. For this purpose, we prepared a Al. Formwork movement schematic at site level
considering an average slab cycle of 7 days to get the minimum sets required to complete our structure works
as per the MCP.

Since, we had different categories of buildings to be executed, the schedule should also encompass the delivery
schedule of the Al. Formwork materials at site (with the category), so that any foreseeable delay can be
accounted for.

LABOUR MOBILISATION
This being a mass housing project with large quantities of works to be executed with a tight schedule, the
manpower requirement for the project was obviously high and a very critical component. As there were
umpteen number of projects of the same nature being carried out in different parts of AP, the demand for skilled
labour to execute works was high. We had planned to achieve a productivity of 10-12 sqm/manday, which would
necessitate deploying about 40 labour per set for shuttering works so that the slab is ready in 5 days. To cater
to this large requirement of manpower, the services of major labour contractors who have the capacity to
mobilise large number of workers were utilised.

STEEL, CEMENT & AGGREGATE REQUIREMENT

As the whole structure is of RCC, the quantities of steel, cement and aggregates were high. We had to provide
steel requirement well in advance, usually on a quarterly basis (for 3 months) so that there is no delay in the
project due to non-availability of steel or other bulk materials.

SUB-CONTRACTOR REQUI REMENT

As all the electrical conduits are embedded within the RCC structure it is necessary that the electrical
vendor/sub-con is available at site before the super structure works are started. Also, in order to provide proper
sleeves, to avoid unnecessary chipping & concrete cutting at a later stage, it is desirable to have the plumbing
vendor also at site before the structure works are started.

Once the MEP vendor was finalised from the Regional Office, a meeting was set up with the respective MEP
vendors and the schedule shared with them so that, they can mobilise their men and materials accordingly.

SEQUENCING OF ACTIVITIES
In order to track the progress on a daily basis, a micro schedule was prepared for each slab in line with the MCP.
The basic sequencing of activities followed at site level is as below:

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

Duration
Activity
D0 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10
Survey Marking
Steel Reinforcement for
Walls
MEP Works in Walls
Wall & Deck Slab Shuttering
Reinforcement for Slab
MEP Works in Slab
Fixing of brackets
Level Check for Slab
Alignment checks for all
walls
Concreting
De-shuttering of walls
De-shuttering of deck panels
Table 1: Sequencing of Activities

DRAWINGS NEEDED FOR EXECUTION

Apart from the regular structural drawings received by the design team or client, a few drawings are also to be
supplied by the Aluminium formwork manufacturer, so that the formwork can be set up at site. The major
drawings provided by the manufacturer include:

• Shell plan layout

• Modulation drawings
• Accessories drawing
• Bracket layout

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

PROJECT EXECUTION PHASE

RECEIPT OF ALUMINIUM FORMWORK MATERIALS AT SITE

The formwork materials are usually transported in containers from the point of unloading at the nearest port.
Once the materials are received at site, the store officer assisted by a Al. Formwork engineer/foreman checked
the materials as per the packing list to confirm the receipt in full.

INITIAL SETTING/FIRST SETTING

The first setting of the aluminium formwork is the most critical exercise. There are two methods usually
followed:

I. Mock set up of the entire floor near the Al. Formwork yard and naming the plates, so that the same
can be duplicated at a faster pace on site
II. Directly setting up the formwork at the work site

We have followed the second method at site, so that we could reduce the extra 12 days needed for a mock set
up and subsequently transfer to the work site.

We were assisted by personnel from the aluminium formwork manufacturer for the first few repetitions and
also for slight adjustments/modifications needed to be done to the panels in order to accommodate brackets
and other components provided in the drawings.

EXECUTION

Execution at site followed the micro schedule given to each individual engineer at site.

Some of the key aspects to be given utmost care while using aluminium formwork are as below:

• Proper survey points for the walls to be provided before tying of reinforcement is started.
• Use of timber or ply kicker for the first level erection of the formwork
• Fixing of electrical conduits, other electrical templates and plumbing sleeves before shuttering
• CT props to be provided for supporting the deck slab
• After deck slab shuttering, the slab level to be checked using auto level or any other levelling instrument.
• All door openings to be supported using door spacers.
• Spacers to be provided over the sunken region in order to maintain the dimension
• Brackets to be fixed as per the bracket layout drawing provided by the manufacturer
• Kicker to be fixed for ease of alignment for the next level shuttering works
• All panels to be given a unique ID in sequential order, so that they are easily identified and erected in
place when the shuttering is moved to other floors.
• Transfer cut outs to be placed (as per the drawing) through which shuttering materials can be shifted
to the upper floors.
• Spacers to be provided in the staircase region to maintain the width of the stairs.
• Walers, square tubes, soldiers and other supporting accessories to be provided as per the drawing
• Next level shuttering to be carried out after aligning the shuttering with the kicker placed earlier.

QUALITY ASPECTS DURING EXECUTION

Aluminium formwork is manufactured to very high tolerances resulting in high quality components that ensure
consistency of dimensions. On removal of the formwork mould, a high-quality concrete finish is produced to
accurate tolerances and verticality.

The major quality aspect that needs to be adhered to during construction with regard to Aluminium formwork:

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

• Ensure there is no joggling of reinforcement at the base of the wall

• Provision of sufficient cover blocks along the vertical reinforcement.
• Proper cleaning/scraping of shuttering plates and application of sufficient shuttering oil
• Hacking and cleaning of concrete surface before erection of wall panels.
• Ensure all the panels are locked using sufficient number of pins & wedges
• Ensure wall ties are placed in position to maintain the thickness of the wall
• Propping to be done for the deck slab panels to support the load
• Levelling and alignment of shuttering panels to ensure accuracy in dimensions
• Careful positioning of the construction joints, so that no two construction joints of adjacent floors are
in a single line. Care must be taken to ensure that all construction joints are staggered in their position.

SAFETY ASPECTS DURING EXECUTION

As the technology being adopted is relatively new and the emphasis is more on faster completion, it exposes
workers to higher risks unless proper safety measures are taken. Hence, utmost importance needs to be given
to following all the HSE procedures at site level.

Major Safety precautions pertaining to utilisation of Aluminium formwork are:

• Provision of safety brackets which act as working platform for the next level
• Provision of double layered safety net while carrying out upper level works
• Barricading any openings or cut outs in the slab
• Extra props to support the structure after de-shuttering
• Barricading the entire slab during concreting process
• Due to extreme heat, the shuttering materials are extremely hot to be handled with bare hands, and
hence hand gloves to be utilised for the same.
• All other PPE’s to be used without fail
• Approval of safety personnel to be taken prior to de-shuttering works at higher levels.

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

PROJECT MONITORING & CONTROLLING

Given the size of the project and the tight timelines that had to be adhered to, close monitoring of the projects
was one of the most critical things. Project monitoring was carried out at two levels – one at the site level and
the other at the RO level, so that any delay or lag observed could be rectified at the earliest.

MONITORING AT SITE LEVEL

Planning personnel at each site were entrusted the responsibility to monitor the progress of their respective
site at the micro level. With the micro schedules prepared at the individual sites, the progress was monitored
twice a day and tracked against the planned work.

Owing to the horizontal spread of the project, each site engineer was given the responsibility of handling all the
works in 3-4 adjacent buildings, so that monitoring could be done easily.

In order to have a close control on the daily progress, daily meetings were arranged at the project site office
between the planning team and the execution team, chaired by the project in-charge. Apart from updating the
progress, any difficulties or hindrance in achieving the planned activities were discussed and a relevant decision
taken so that the progress was not hampered.

Progress at site level was updated to the Regional Office on a daily basis, along with the hindrances so that any
decision that needs to be taken at the RO level could be expedited.

PRODUCTIVITY MONITORING
Working with strict timelines and tight margins, labour productivity had to be monitored closely to achieve the
best results. Site engineers were entrusted the responsibility to monitor the productivity on an hourly basis and
report the same during the daily meetings.

Average productivity achieved for shuttering (aluminium formwork) was around 9-10 sqm/man-day.

The targets were to achieve all the slabs with an average of maximum 5-day slab cycle. All projects have
successfully achieved this average cycle time and in many instances have achieved cycles of 3-4 days as well. See
Annexure 2 below.

The day to day progress of the sites are monitored on daily basis. The productivity of the aluminium formwork
sets has been measured for individual sets. At RO level, the aluminium formwork sets are named, and the slabs
laid using a particular set are monitored on daily basis. The average slab cycle achieved by a set, site & package
is monitored. The table below shows the average slab cycle achieved by a site and the minimum cycle achieved
by one single set in the site respectively.

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

LOCATION/SITE SLAB CYCLE MIN. CYCLE ACHIEVED

BY ONE SET
KURNOOL 11.3 6.4
YEMMIGANUR – SN 7.8 5.3
YEMMIGANUR – MC 8.0 4.0
ADONI – SPCPL 9.9 5.9
NANDYAL NM NAGAR 6.6 2.3
NANDYAL SRBC COLONY 7.5 4.9
AYYALURU 15.8 5.4
SPCL AVERAGE 9.6 4.9
ADONI – VASCON 17.0 11.2
VASCON AVERAGE 17.0 11.2
PHASE 1 AVERAGE 10.5 5.7

LOCATION/SITE SLAB CYCLE MIN. CYCLE ACHIEVED BY

ONE SET
YEMMIGANUR 0.0 0.0
DHARMAVARAM 29.1 28.8
HINDUPUR 17.6 10.9
PAMIDI 24.2 11.8
PUTTAPARTHY 22.0 15.0
GOOTY 48.0 41.8
KADIRI 23.0 9.9
TADIPATRI 27.0 9.3
KALYANADURGAM 0.0 0.0
PHASE 2 AVERAGE 21.2 14.2

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

The following table shows the month on month planned vs achieved slab cycle at package level:

KURNOOL & NANDYAL PH-I

SLABS UNITS AVG. Slab
MONTH Remarks
Planned Achieved Planned Achieved Cycle
NOV'17 16.5 176
DEC'17 95 77 984 758 8.9
Initial Setting
JAN'18 141 129 1420 1264 7.9
FEB'18 187.5 180 1898 1784 5.8
No much problems
MARCH'18 219.5 208.5 2212 2074 6.2
APRIL'18 247 184 2508 1876 6.8 Labour count reduced
MAY'18 251 202 2576 2090 6.4 due to summer heat
JUNE'18 238 216 2440 2222 6 Due to Monsoon
JULY'18 270 207.5 2756 2106 6.4 period cycle time
AUG'18 239 210.5 2608 2130 6.4 increased
SEP'18 238.5 215 2398 2168 7.5 Additional sets
OCT'18 202.5 162 2042 1632 10.7 received and initial
NOV'18 207 177 2088 1802 8.5 setting affected
DEC'18 237 150.5 2344 1504 10.4
JAN'19 207 126.5 2260 1262 11 Due to delayed
FEB'19 192.5 90 1950 904 14.9 payments from client
MAR'19 142.5 57.5 1422 582 25.9 the slab cycle affected
APR'19 98.5 44.5 986 438 32.4 due to non payments
MAY'19 70 44 664 392 18.3 to sub contractors
JUN'19 42 10 412 100 78

KURNOOL & ANANTHAPUR PH-II

SLABS UNITS AVG. Slab
MONTH Remarks
Planned Achieved Planned Achieved Cycle
SEP'18 20 15 240 180 8 Additional sets
OCT'18 37 35 444 420 8 received and initial
NOV'18 51 49.5 612 594 6.7 setting affected
DEC'18 99 69.5 1188 834 10.7
JAN'19 112 46.5 1344 558 18 Due to delayed
FEB'19 110 25 1320 300 31.4 payments from client
MAR'19 54 19 648 228 50.6 the slab cycle affected
APR'19 76 41.5 912 498 22.4 due to non payments
MAY'19 76 52 912 624 18.5 to sub contractors
JUN'19 29 2 348 24 495

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

KURNOOL & ANANTHAPUR PH-III

SLABS UNITS AVG. Slab
MONTH Remarks
Planned Achieved Planned Achieved Cycle
FEB'19 20 2 240 24 98 Due to delayed
MAR'19 29 0 348 0 0 payments from client
APR'19 28 3 336 36 90 the slab cycle affected
MAY'19 31 10 372 120 34.1 due to non payments
JUN'19 12 2 144 24 195 to sub contractors

The average slab cycle is affected because of the following reasons:

1. The transportation of the material from the manufacturers MFE & Kumkang took more than 2 months
2. The site to site transfer took more than 2 months
3. The accessories were not transferred to the recipient site by the surplus declaring site which lead to
the idling of the resource
4. The non-availability of aggregates due to force majeure events also affected the slab cycle
5. Delayed payments by client also affected the slab cycle (because of non-utilization).

COST MONITORING
Major costs that needs utmost attention at site level are the labour costs for Al. Formwork and the cost of
accessories procured apart from those initially procured at site.

Labour rates were fixed after prior approval from Regional Office and were strictly adhered to.

The other major cost involved was the cost of accessories. Any wastage during utilisation of the accessories
would result in higher costs incurred. All site engineers and the construction managers were entrusted the
responsibility to keep a close watch on the utilisation of the accessories, so as to keep a tight control on the
cost.

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

CHALLENGES FACED DURING EXECUTION

Using a new technology, especially in such a large scale comes with its own share of challenges. Although
meticulous planning was carried out right from the inception phase of the project, certain unforeseen factors
(few of them not under our direct control) posed challenges which have delayed the project in comparison with
the original plan.

The major challenges faced during the execution of the project:

Delay in handing over of land: The lands were not handed over in full at all project sites and hence, the
projects could not commence as per initial plan.

Change in beneficiary list: The list of beneficiaries as per the initial LOA were revised on a further date,
which delayed the procurement of our aluminium formwork materials. Aluminium formwork materials being
procured from Malaysia and South Korea need a minimum of 40-50 days before arrival at desired unloading port.

Delay in mobilisation: As the project started during peak monsoon season and the soil condition (black cotton
soil) was not favourable, the initial mobilisation was delayed. Erection of batching plant was severely delayed,
which hampered concrete production.

Availability of Sand: Due to various government sanctions and orders, there was a severe shortage in the
availability of raw materials at crunch situations, which hampered our progress.

Mobilisation of manpower: As similar projects were being carried out in different parts of the state, there
was a high demand for skilled manpower, which did delay the mobilisation of manpower. In many cases, the
shortage of manpower delayed the activities as per our schedules.

Availability of Steel: Due to high demand of steel across the state - especially 8mm diameter-there were
phases in the project where the suppliers could not meet the project demands, resulting in delays.

Standby machinery by sub-contractor: Constant breakdown of machinery due to over utilisation of

machinery at peak times led to phases were there were no machinery available for concreting works, delaying
the progress.

Finalisation of MEP vendors: Due to delay in finalisation of electrical vendor, rework had to be done in initial
few buildings to rectify the embedded electrical conduits and plumbing lines.

Delay in procurement of above terrace work formwork materials: The sets initially procured did not
include materials for above terrace works and hence, this caused a huge lag in the total completion of the
buildings.

Utilisation of refurbished sets: Few old sets transferred into AP sites from earlier projects were refurbished
as per requirement. The productivity greatly decreased while using these sets- cycle times of 12-15 days as
compared to 5 days using new sets.

Availability of Al. Formwork accessories: As there are very few agencies supplying Al. Formwork
accessories in India, the huge demand created by the projects in AP often delayed the supply of accessories to
site. Coupled with delay in vendor payments, there was a constant delay while procuring Al. Formwork
accessories.

RA bill clearances:

Labour & Sub-contractor payments: Delays in payments to sub-contractors led to sub-contractors

demobilising their labours at site which affected the progress at site.

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

Inter-site transfers of aluminium formwork materials: As there was no central coordinator to facilitate
the transfer of aluminium formwork between sites, in many cases the sets were not received in full which
hampered the progress and also the utilisation of the sets.

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

LESSONS LEARNT
Finalisation of layout/architectural plan in advance: We faced considerable delays due to alterations in
the layouts which resulted from changes in the beneficiary list. This changed the quantity of aluminium formwork
material required for each site. As these materials are shipped from outside the country and are manufactured
to order, the lead time is considerably high. In future projects, to avoid any such delays due to procurement of
Al. Formwork materials, it is better to have a layout finalised well in advance.

PROCUREMENT/PLANNING

Ordering of materials in full: Initially, the sets procured weren’t inclusive of materials (panels) required to
carry out above terrace works. By the time, the above terrace work materials (parapet, Staircase head room)
materials arrived, about 12-15 blocks of super structure were complete without doing the above terrace works.
To deploy manpower just to carry out small quantities of above terrace works was a challenge. If the materials
for above terrace works would also have been procured along with the rest of the set, the delays caused and
also the extra cost incurred in carrying out the above terrace works by paying the labour extra rate could have
been reduced.

MEP sub-contractors on board before super –structure works: A sub-contractor deployment scheduled
should be prepared in such a way that the MEP sub-contractors are available at site with their resources
mobilised before the start of super structure works. There were delays in the finalisation of MEP vendors at a
few sites and their consequent mobilisation. To keep up with the planned schedule, the sites went ahead with
the super structure works and hence, had to incur extra costs for rework for the embedded MEP items.

Plumbing grooves: If the MEP drawings are finalised at the time of ordering Al. Formwork sets, the same can
be shared with the manufacturer so that the plumbing groves can be incorporated in the Al. Formwork panels
at the shop before delivery to the respective sites. Here at our sites, the aluminium formwork materials procured
were without the pre-installed grooves and the grooves later procured could not match our requirements as
the depth of the grooves was just about 5mm. Pre-installed plumbing grooves would have negated chipping and
other ancillary works and thus, also, reducing the timeline for carrying out finishing activities.

Inter-site transfers: In coordination with regional office, the surplus sets from a site would be transferred to
another site based on the requirement. In this process of movement of sets, there were instances where the
materials or accessories were not transferred in full. If a person with sound knowledge of aluminium formwork
would have been deputed to look after the movement of the materials at site level (transferring from site to
site) the issues of incomplete sets/accessories being shifted would have been reduced. There were instances
when the receiving sites faced delays due to partial set delivery, which could have been minimised with the
deployment of one dedicated staff for this purpose.

Multiple aluminium formwork products at site: Initially the aluminium formwork materials procured was
that of MFE and later Kumkang. As per the layout of the buildings, there was an expansion joint between two
adjacent buildings. Since, the change in formwork at a later stage was not clear during the initial planning at site
level, the Al. Formwork movement was planned keeping in view a single manufacturer’s materials. But due to
the change in manufacturer, the holes in the wall panels to provide the expansion joint would not match and
hence, few sets had to be kept idle for a while and the movement revised.

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 Aluminium Formwork – A Case Study of APTIDCO Projects

QUALITY

Use of rubber mallets during concreting: Since the entire structure is of RCC, in the initial couple of
buildings due to non-usage of rubber mallets while concreting there were voids observed in joints and along
reinforcement grids. The same issue was eliminated by the use of rubber mallets in further structures.

Construction joints in slabs: The construction joints provided in the buildings act as a weak joint and the
slabs usually failed the ponding test at this joint as there was leakage observed in majority of the construction
joints. In the later stages of the project, the same has been rectified by casting the slab in full without provision
of any construction joint.

SAFETY

Provision of Corner brackets: Brackets are provided all along the periphery of the building in order to
provide a safe working platform for the people carrying out works on the external face of the building. But, as
per the bracket layout provided by the manufacturer and also the materials received there was no provision for
a bracket to be installed at the corners of the building which proved to be a potential risk for carrying out works
at higher levels. This issue was addressed later at the site level by fabricating brackets as per site requirement to
be installed at the corners.

EXECUTION

Labour Mobilisation: Due to high demand for skilled labour all across the state, there were instances where
there was severe shortage of labours. As the Al. Formwork work is a repetitive job, we tried to engage a few
gangs of conventional formwork labours by training them in Al. Formwork with our available resources.
Although, we could not achieve our desired productivity with those gangs initially, as the repetitions increased,
we could extract maximum productivity from these gangs as well.

Labour deployment: Since the flats were very small, there was minimal place for movement within the
building. Hence, the scope to carry out parallel activities was minimal. The labours had to be deployed in parts
to get optimum output. Hence, to ensure proper productivity, both shuttering and reinforcement activities were
given to a single contractor, so that the coordination between the gangs would be better. Labour rates were
worked out on square feet basis and paid so that the contractor carries out all shuttering, reinforcement and
concreting works.

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