(PDF) A Review of Formwork Systems For Modern Concrete Construction

3/28/24, 12:29 PM (PDF) A review of formwork systems for modern concrete construction
Download full-text Recruit

PDF researchers Download
Join for free Login
citation Copy link
Article PDF Available
A review of formwork systems for modern concrete construction
April 2022 · Structures 38(1):52-63

DOI:10.1016/j.istruc.2022.01.089
Authors:
Wei Li Xiaoshan Lin Ding Wen Bao Yi Min Xie

RMIT University University of Liverpool RMIT University RMIT University
Citations (65) References (118) Figures (8)
Abstract and Figures
Concrete is a principal construction material in building industry. Formwork plays an Discover the world's
important role in assisting geometry realisation and strength development of concrete research
elements. It is also one of the major costs in the construction of concrete structures. The
25+ million
use of formwork has a long history, and various formwork systems have been used in
members
different projects. In the design and selection of formwork system, the requirements, such
as safety, cost, structural geometry, construction time and surface quality need to be taken 160+
into account. This paper presents a comprehensive review of various formwork systems in million
concrete construction, including their raw materials, flexibility, fabrication methods, publication
applications in concrete structures and environmental impacts. The advantages and pages
current limitations of different formwork systems are compared and discussed, and finally 2.3+ billion Join for free
recommendations are given.
citations
+3
Classification of Average Jubilee Church in CNC milling of Optimised

formwork… roughness of… Rome… EPS formwork… structure…
Figures - uploaded by Yi Min Xie Author content

Content may be subject to copyright.
Sponsored videos
Public Full-text 1
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358399799_A_review_of_formwork_systems_for_modern_concrete_construction 1/21
Download full-text PDF Download citation Copy link

Content uploaded by Yi Min Xie Author content
Content may be subject to copyright.
Article published in
Structures, Vol. 38 (2022) 52–63
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2022.01.089
A review of formwork systems for modern concrete construction
Wei Li a,b, Xiaoshan Linb,*, Ding Wen Bao b,c, Yi Min Xieb
a
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Durability for Marine Civil Engineering,
Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
b
Centre for Innovative Structures and Materials, School of Engineering, RMIT
University, Melbourne 3001, Australia
c
School of Architecture and Urban Design, RMIT University, Melbourne 3001,
Australia
ABSTRACT
Concrete is a principal construction material in building industry. Formwork plays an

important role in assisting geometry realisation and strength development of concrete
elements. It is also one of the major costs in the construction of concrete structures. The
use of formwork has a long history, and various formwork systems have been used in
different projects. In the design and selection of formwork system, the requirements,
such as safety, cost, structural geometry, construction time and surface quality need to
be taken into account. This paper presents a comprehensive review of various formwork
systems in concrete construction, including their raw materials, flexibility, fabrication
methods, applications in concrete structures and environmental impacts. The
advantages and current limitations of different formwork systems are compared and
discussed, and finally recommendations are given.
Key words: Formwork; concrete structure; concrete construction; digital fabrication;

recyclable materials
*
Corresponding author
Email address : susanna.lin@rmit.edu.au.
Download full-text PDF Download citation Copy
1 link
1. Introduction
Concrete is a principal construction material in building industry. It has been widely
used in the constructions of residential and commercial buildings and infrastructures
not only because of its excellent building properties, such as structural performance,
sustainability, accessibility and low cost, but also due to its formability to achieve any
shapes regardless of geometric complexity. Formwork is essential for the construction
of concrete structures. On one hand, it could shape concrete into the desired geometry;
on the other hand, it allows fresh concrete to gradually develop strength to support
structure.
The application of formwork could date back to the Roman Empire [1]. At that time,
the wooden shuttering was used by Roman engineers as formwork for the construction
of concrete vaults and arches [2]. During the Renaissance period, formwork was
increasingly used in the construction of concrete buildings. Compared to stone masonry
buildings, much less construction efforts were required for concrete buildings, and the
use of formwork could benefit the construction of regular concrete structures. By the
time of 20th century, various types of formworks had been developed, and they had
become an essential part for the construction of concrete structures. According to the
material rigidity, recyclability and fabrication techniques, formwork systems can be
classified as traditional formwork system, flexible formwork system and recyclable
formwork system, as shown in Fig. 1. Traditional formworks have been used in concrete
construction since early times, which are made of rigid materials and usually used for
the structures with regular geometries. Wooden formwork and metal formwork are the
two most commonly used traditional formwork types [3]. With the increasing demand
for structural efficiency and aesthetics, flexible formwork system has been developed
and applied in the construction of geometrically complex concrete components and
structures in recent decades. Fabric formwork and digitally fabricated formwork
systems are the two major forms of flexible formwork system [4-6]. In addition, as
building industry has become a major source of greenhouse gas emission and the
climate change has drawn worldwide attention in recent years [7], the use of recyclable
and environmentally-friendly materials, such as sand and ice, as formwork has emerged
in recent years, and they have been tested in the fabrication of customised concrete
components [8].
Fig. 1 Classification of formwork systems.
In this paper, a comprehensive review of various formwork types will be presented,

including their materials, characteristics, fabrication technologies and applications.
General requirements in the design of a formwork system will be firstly discussed in
Section 2. The traditional formworks and the structures built with traditional formworks
will then be briefly reviewed in Section 3. With the advancement of science and
technology in recent decades, various flexible formwork systems have been developed
and applied in engineering constructions. In this study, a detailed review of flexible
formwork systems will be presented in Section 4. Section 5 will introduce the
innovative formwork systems using recyclable and environmentally-friendly materials.
Then, a detailed discussion and comparison of various formwork systems will be
conducted in Section 6. Finally, the conclusions will be drawn as regards the advantages
and current limitations of each formwork system, and the recommendations for the
future development of formwork system will be proposed.
2. General requirements in formwork design

Formwork is a temporary support for the construction of concrete structure, which is
mainly used to shape and maintain fresh concrete until it reaches adequate strength. The
final geometry and surface quality of the completed concrete structure are highly
dependent on the formwork system employed in the construction [9]. Therefore, the
selection criteria and the basic requirements of the formwork system should be
thoroughly considered before the commencement of construction [10, 11]. First of all,
a formwork system should have good quality in terms of strength, durability and rigidity,
and the safety of the construction process should be guaranteed [12, 13]. This requires
Download full-texta PDF
careful analysisDownload
of possible
citationloads, especially
Copy the
link lateral pressure, that would be applied
to the formwork. Suitable formwork material and scaffolding system that have adequate
strength shall then be selected to sustain the loads. Generally speaking, rigid materials
3
like wood and metal have high strength, which can be directly used to hold fresh
concrete, whereas soft materials such as textiles would need extra supports like rigs and
frames to maintain the desired shape for concrete casting.
In the selection of formwork system, cost is also an important factor, which includes
the material cost; labour cost in making, assembling and removing formwork; the cost
of equipment required to handle the formwork; and the cost of release agents when
removing formwork [14]. The cost of formwork system may account for up to half of
the total construction cost for cast-in-place concrete structures [15]. Therefore, the
reduction of material and the possible reuse of formwork are of great significance in
the selection and design of formwork system. In addition, the formwork material which
is sensitive to weather condition would also lead to the increase in maintenance cost
and the reduction in service life. It is generally recommended to use materials that have
sufficient resistance to considerable damage and corrosion. For example, in a constantly
rainy area, plywood formwork is considered to be more suitable than steel formwork,
as the corroded steel would not only reduce the lifespan of formwork system, but also
introduce damage to concrete surface.
Moreover, the ergonomics and versatility of formwork are also key factors in the design
of a formwork system [16]. Formwork ergonomics refers to the ease and efficiency of
assembling formwork members and casting fresh concrete. Formwork versatility means
that concrete components can be shaped by a formwork system in various geometries
and at different locations. For example, fabric formwork can be constructed using a
single sheet of textile, which is comparably time efficient. At the same time, the
flexibility of the fabric formwork allows it to be manipulated to form irregular
geometries.
In addition, the surface quality of the completed structure shall not be ignored in the
selection of formwork system. A high surface quality can boost both aesthetical value
and mechanical properties of a concrete structure. Both formwork material and release
agent would have significant influences on the quality of final concrete surface. Megid
and Khayat [17] investigated the effect of various formwork materials on the surface
quality of final concrete elements, including permeable polyester filter and
impermeable plywood, steel and PVC. The permeable formwork was found to produce
concrete surface with better quality compared to the formwork made by impermeable
materials, as permeable formwork could provide an efficient path for the entrapped
air/water bubbles and bleed water to escape. On one hand, the area of concrete surface
occupied by voids, related to the total area of concrete surface produced using
permeable lined formwork, can be limited to 0.05%. On the other hand, permeable
Download full-textformwork
PDF could Download
eliminate any bleeding signs
citation Copy that
link may show up on the formed concrete
surfaces such as the honeycomb and the aggregate transparency. In general, concrete
surface quality can be measured by surface roughness. The most commonly used
roughness parameter is the average roughness (  ) [18] as shown in Fig. 2. For
simplicity, it is usually defined as the average deviation of the profile in relation to its
4
mean line, which is given by

1
 ≈ ∑=1 | | (1)

where  is the number of discrete measurements, and  is the amplitude of each

measurement which indicates the distance between the specific profile point and the
mean line. Based on the roughness parameter, the surface roughness can be classified
into four categories, i.e. very smooth ( is not measurable), smooth ( < 1.5 mm),
rough (1.5mm ≤  < 3mm) and very rough ( ≥ 3 mm).
Fig. 2 Average roughness of concrete surface ( ) [18].
3. Traditional formwork system

Traditional formworks are usually fabricated with rigid materials such as wood and
metal for the construction of concrete structures with regular geometries. These
formworks are usually constructed manually by skilled craftsmen. As the application of
traditional formworks has a long history, the techniques involved in fabrication such as
cutting, assembling and erecting of formwork members have been well established. In
this section, a detailed review of the characteristics and applications of wooden
formwork, steel formwork and aluminium formwork will be presented.
3.1. Wooden formwork

Wooden formwork, also called timber formwork or lumber formwork, is the most
commonly used formwork type in engineering practice, which is usually fabricated on
site using wood members. Both timber and lumber are made from wood. Timber is
usually used to describe wood members with larger size, whereas lumber is used for
smaller size wood members [10]. As a formwork material, wood has many advantages.
It is relatively light in weight, making it easy to be handled during construction.
Download full-textFurthermore,
PDF wood can be
Download cut and fastened
citation together
Copy link so that various configurations can
be achieved through different combinations of wood members with standard sizes.
Besides, wooden formwork can be used to form curved structures such as arches, shells
and domes. The successful applications of wooden formwork in the construction of
curved concrete structures can be seen from a series of shell structures [19]. For
example, in the construction of a tennis hall, as shown in Fig. 3, the wooden formwork
skeleton was firstly established. A shell membrane was then laid on it to improve the
5
surface quality of the concrete structure.
Fig. 3 Tennis hall under construction using wooden formwork [19].
Plywood is a common material used in wooden formwork. Plywood is a wood product

manufactured using thin sheets of cross-laminated veneer and bonded under heat and
pressure with strong adhesives [20]. Plywood panels have superior dimensional
stability and excellent strength-to-weight ratio. They are also highly resistant to impacts,
chemicals and changes in temperature and humidity [10]. The use of plywood as
formwork material has many advantages, such as its smooth surface, availability in a
range of standard thickness and length, and ease of handling during construction. Also,
the plywood panels can be easily removed, reversed and used on different sides, which
could increase the number of reuses [21, 22]. With the rapid development of real estate
industry, a great upsurge of high-rise residential and commercial buildings has been
seen all over the world. Formwork system with high load-carrying capacity and overall
stiffness is usually required in these modern structures. To improve the quality of
wooden formwork and obtain a high-performance plywood for modern constructions,
composite plywood was investigated by Liu et al. [23]. Fast-growing poplar and
eucalyptus veneer were used as base materials due to their high strength-to-weight ratio
and low cost. Carbon-fibre fabric, which has low density, high strength, high modulus
and stable chemical properties, was used to reinforce the composite plywood. It was
found that both impact resistance and flexural properties of formwork could be
significantly improved by using the composite plywood compared to ordinary wood.
Although wooden
Download full-textare
PDFnot
formwork has been extensively used in construction industry, they
without Download citation
disadvantages. On oneCopy link wooden formwork usually requires
hand,
extensive labour for cutting and assembling wood members, which is time-consuming
for constructing large structures [24]. On the other hand, the reuse of wood members is
limited to structures with similar geometries, and wood members usually has a short
lifespan [25, 26]. Besides, wooden formwork cannot retain its shape when heavy loads
are applied, and an extra scaffolding system is usually needed, which is inefficient and
unsustainable [27].
3.2. Metal formwork

Metal formwork system is another traditional formwork system widely used around the
world. Steel and aluminium are the two frequently used materials in metal formwork
system. Compared to wooden formwork, steel formwork has several advantages. Firstly,
steel formwork can not only provide adequate rigidity and strength, but also be erected,
disassembled, moved and re-erected rapidly [10, 28]. Secondly, the cost could be
reduced by multiple reuses, especially for structures with orthogonal shapes. Moreover,
the surface smoothness of concrete components cast by steel formwork is usually good.
Although steel formwork is most suitable for the fabrication of orthogonal concrete
components, it can also be used for casting curved concrete components. Jubilee Church
in Rome shown in Fig. 4 is an iconic structure constructed using steel formwork [29].
The three spherical walls were made of several post-tensioned precast concrete panels
with curved surfaces, which were fabricated off-site using steel formwork with
spherical surfaces [30, 31]. Furthermore, steel formwork is also suitable for the
construction of long-span structures such as warehouse and gymnasium [32]. Through
proper design, steel formwork may serve as permanent formwork, so that long-span
steel decking system s can be achieved, leading to the reductions of construction cost
and time. The number of supporting components, such as beams and walls, may also
be reduced, which would provide outstanding open-plan designs.
Fig. 4 Jubilee Church in Rome constructed using steel formwork [29].
Download full-textDespite
PDF many advantages, the disadvantages
Download citation Copyof
linksteel formwork should also be noticed.
First of all, the cost of steel formwork would be high. It would be uneconomical to use
steel formwork unless it can be repetitiously used. Moreover, steel formwork has a large
self-weight, which may require additional lifting equipment during construction.
Meanwhile, steel formwork may slow down the concrete curing process in cold weather,
and it may also become rusty during rainy season, which may affect strength, duration
and surface quality of concrete components.
In addition to steel, aluminium has also been used as formwork material. Due to its
lower density, aluminium formwork is much lighter compared to steel formwork.
7
Aluminium formwork is usually made into modular formwork system which consists
of members with standard size. By using aluminium modular formwork, the
construction work is cost-effective, and the concrete components with good surface
quality could usually be achieved. The nature of the modular formwork system also
allows easy fitting and removal of formwork members, which means the construction
can be highly efficient with little deviation in dimension [33, 34]. A typical application
of aluminium formwork system can be found in the construction of the new Wembley
National Stadium in London [35]. In this project, mobile table formwork was built using
aluminium members with various configurations and sizes to support the construction
of large scale in-situ reinforced concrete slabs with high efficiency and minimum cost.
Additionally, as aluminium can be chemically attacked by fresh concrete, it is desirable
to use aluminium alloy in formwork system.
At present, steel and aluminium formworks are mostly used to cast orthogonal concrete
components for which repetitive use of formworks is possible. For concrete structures
with complex and customised geometries, these formworks are not commonly used.
This is mainly due to the difficulty in the fabrication of metal formwork members into
complex shapes. Also, the fabrication and maintenance costs of steel and aluminium
formwork are relatively high. Moreover, the formwork used for casting customised
structural elements cannot be repetitively used, leading to a further increase of the
overall cost. In addition, as metal formwork is impermeable, the entrapped air would
result in the formation of blowholes in inadequately compacted concrete.
4. Flexible formwork system

Different from traditional rigid formwork which requires large amounts of material and
manual work, flexible formwork has potential to create non-standard geometries while
significantly reduce the formwork material and labour cost. In this section, two most
commonly used flexible formwork systems, i.e. fabric formwork system and digitally
fabricated formwork system, will be presented.
4.1. Fabric formwork

Download full-textFabric
PDF formworkDownload
offers acitation
fundamentally different
Copy link approach for casting concrete. Unlike
traditional formwork systems, fabric formwork is flexible, which can be easily formed
into complex geometries. In this section, both formwork material and fabrication
method of fabric formwork will be presented.
4.1.1. Formwork material

Fabric formwork is usually fabricated using textile sheets (usually porous) made of
synthetic fibres, e.g. nylon, polyesters and polypropylene [36]. The selection of fabric
formwork material is dependent on different load-bearing requirements. For example,
stiff textiles like carbon fibre textile could be used when a high resistance to
deformation is required. The use of fabric as formwork material for constructing
concrete components could date back to 1899. German pioneer Gustav Lilienthal
8
successfully cast concrete floor slab on top of fabric hanging between floor beams [37].
During the 1960s, as new fabrics, such as synthetic polymerize textiles, with higher
strength and lower cost became available, the widespread application of fabric
formwork began to grow [38, 39]. The architectural and esthetical possibilities of fabric
formwork was first quested by a Spanish architect Miguel Fisac [40]. Smooth and
flexible polyethylene sheets hanging around rigid frames were used in his study to
create formworks for casting a variety of precast walls and facade panels. More recently,
a comprehensive study on fabric formwork was carried out by West and his co-workers
[41-43]. In their studies, a series of textiles, including woven textile, knit textile and
non-woven textile, were investigated, and non-structural columns, walls, beams and
trusses with irregular geometries were successfully constructed. In addition, a glass
fibre reinforced plastic formwork was proposed by Gelbrich et al. [44] using
unidirectional-reinforced fabric, which allowed large-scale singly and doubly curved
textile-reinforced concrete elements to be manufactured.
4.1.2. Formwork fabrication method

Unlike rigid materials, fabric is flexible and could be easily shaped into desired
geometries with appropriate techniques. In this section, three most commonly used
methods for the fabrication of fabric formwork will be discussed, i.e. tensioned by
external support, tensioned by air pressure and stay-in-place knitting.
4.1.2.1. Tensioned by external support

To achieve desired shape, fabric formwork usually needs to be tensioned using rigs,
frames and other external supports. During concrete placement and curing processes,
with the help of concrete pumping technology, the mould can be forced into precise
shape under the self-weight and transverse pressure of pumped concrete [45]. For
example, in the construction of a Y-shape concrete branching column as shown in Fig.
5 [46], a flat fabric sheet was pre -tensioned and fitted into the void of a timber frame.
By attaching two matched frames face to face, the fabric mould for the branching
column was obtained. Besides, fresh concrete could be sprayed directly on the surface
of fabric formwork,
Download full-textformwor
PDF
especially for shell structures. A novel cable-net and fabric
systemDownload
k citationby Méndez et
was used Copy
al.link[47] in the construction of a thin-shell
concrete roof as shown in Fig. 6. The fabric shuttering was installed on a cable-net
structure which was tensioned from stiff boundary beams. The fabric spans the distance
between the cables, supporting wet concrete and sagging under the self-weight of
concrete. The fabric was designed to be slightly smaller than the actual cable-net
geometry, which could limit sagging and maintain the fabric shuttering in the desired
shape. The entire shell was cast by one continuous spraying process with the intention
of avoiding the formation of cold joints in concrete. In this project, the fabric formwork
system was demonstrated to be efficient in casting concrete shells with complex curved
geometry, and the minimal material waste and a high accuracy could be achieved.
Fig. 5 Fabric formwork (left) and Y-shape concrete column (right) [46].
Fig. 6 Fabric formwork (left) and concrete spraying (right) [47].
Although textile is not a rigid material, concrete components with targeted geometries
could be obtained using fabric formwork with the assistance of computational
modelling. Through numerical modelling, the formwork shape can be defined for fabric
assembly. In the design of fabric formwork, both formwork deformation during
concrete casting and the necessary pretension of fabric shall be predicted. As fabric can
only be loaded with tensile stress, fabric pretension is essential, and the deformation of
y p
Download full-textfabric
PDF after concrete casting
Download citationcould be limited
Copy with
link sufficient pretension [48]. Based on
digital modelling and the control of the applied prestress on fabric, two prototype shell
structures were built by Veenendaal et al. [49]. The deviations between the constructed
shells and the designed geometries were found to be small and satisfactory, which
indicated the effectiveness of the prestress control of fabric. In addition, a new form
finding approach for the shape design of flexible formwork was proposed by Mele et
al. [50]. This approach utilized an overall optimisation process to find the closest
possible tension-only equilibrium surface to a given target surface under the appropriate
loading (i.e. self-weight of concrete), which could help the geometry control of final
concrete component.
4.1.2.2. Tensioned by air pressure

Fabric formwork can also be tensioned by air pressure to form pneumatic formwork.
The use of pneumatic formwork was introduced by Bini [51] in the middle of 20th
century for the construction of shell structures (Binishell system). The technology was
10
based on a reusable pneumatic membrane made of synthetic materials, such as nylon

reinforced neoprene [52]. In the construction process, a ring beam foundation with
groove was firstly constructed to permit the attachment of internal pneumatic form. The
air inlet pipes were then laid under the foundation and connected to an air-pumping
station. In this way, the membrane could be inflated to lift the freshly distributed
concrete with steel reinforcement, and the structure with desired geometry could be
obtained rapidly and economically. By controlling the air pressure, the shape of
pneumatic formwork can be precisely controlled [53]. Furthermore, the strain and stress
of textile could be predicted by numerical modelling so that pressure control with higher
accuracy can be achieved [54, 55]. In the study conducted by Kromoser et al. [56, 57],
curved concrete shells were constructed using pneumatic formwork as shown in Fig. 7.
The prefabricated pneumatic formwork made of nylon foil was lifted by airflow and
gradually transformed the initially plane concrete plates into a free‐form shell. The
joints between concrete elements were filled with grout, and then an additional layer of
sprayed concrete with 30 mm thickness was applied to smooth the surface of final
structure. The pneumatic formwork is generally suitable for the construction of irregular
thin curved shells [58].
Fig. 7 Free-form shell constructed using pneumatic formwork [57].

4.1.2.3. Stay-in-place knitting
In addition to air inflated formwork, knitting is another fabrication approach for fabric
formwork. Knitting has been used extensively in garment industry, but has slowly made
its way into the world of technical textiles and composites. Knitting has demonstrated
the possibility of creating three-dimensional geometries, variable widths and openings
without the need for cutting textiles. Stay-in-place knitting formwork, which combines
textile reinforcement and fabric formwork, would allow lightweight and material-
efficient concrete structures to be constructed [59]. The fibrous materials, such as alkali
resistant glass fibre and carbon fibre mats, would allow a greater flexibility in shaping
reinforcement [60]. Compared to steel reinforcing bars, time and labour costs for
bending and installation of fibrous reinforcement could be saved significantly.
Moreover, the non-corrosive fibrous reinforcement would lead to a reduced concrete
cover thickness, and thus much thinner concrete elements could be realised [61]. A stay-
in-place hybrid formwork system for the construction of a prototype concrete shell
bridge was investigated by Popescu et al. [62] and shown in Fig. 8. In this formwork
system, a knitted fabric was shaped and pre-stressed by adjustable elements and ties to
11
Citations (65) References (118)
... For the formwork to work accordingly, certain boundary conditions need to apply. These are subdivided into type and
characteristics, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. They vary in importance depending on the application, and are directly linked
to each other and the resulting effort (based and adapted on the classification by [32, [36] [37][38][39]) behind the
applied system, which is clarified in detail for different formwork materials and fabrication methods in Fig. 3. The amount
of needed resources, both economic and environmental, often rises with increasing effort (from simple to custom), with
the LoA decreasing from simple to complex and rising, mainly due to 3D printing research, again for custom
manufacturing. ...
... As previously mentioned, an overarching classification according to formwork type can be made, differentiating in
reusable, lost or disposable. The subdivision is similar to that of Li et al. [36] who categorises formwork in traditional,
flexible and recyclable. ...
Advances in formwork automation, structure and materials in concrete construction

Article Full-text available
Mar 2024 · AUTOMAT CONSTR
Peter Gappmaier · Sara Reichenbach · Benjamin Kromoser
View Show abstract
... Freeform concrete shells have recently regained popularity thanks to computational tools, which allow the designer to
manipulate and explore complex shapes interactively. Novel digital fabrication techniques have also narrowed the gap
between digital shape and fabricated structure [1, 2]. However, the actual fabrication of concrete shells, even on a small
scale, still poses challenges of feasibility and cost. ...
Computational design of segmented concrete shells made of post-tensioned precast flat tiles
Mar 2024
Francesco Laccone · Sandro Menicagli · Paolo Cignoni · Luigi Malomo
View Show abstract
... Concrete's widespread use in construction, attributed to its strength and versatility for complex geometries [1] ,
makes it a preferred material for parametric façade design. The primary limitations in freeform concrete façade
realisation mostly lie in fabrication technologies rather than structural performance. ...
Geometric Variability and Viability in Designing and Fabricating Concrete Façade Components-A Systematic Review
Conference Paper
Feb 2024
Deyan Quan · Christiane Herr · Davide Lombardi
View Show abstract
... 3D printed pulp fabrication is used to print complex modules in shape, which are then assembled into a column and
bonded by growth. (Goidea et al., 2020) As previously known from concrete applications, textile-based formworks
provide excellent reinforcement as well as shaping ability during solidification processes (Li et al., 2022; Veenendaal,
West & Block, 2011) and offer advantageous opportunities on design control of geometries and surface patterning (Pal
et al., 2020;Sehlstedt, 2021;Yan et al., 2020). This is illustrated in the KnitCandela project which is a pavilion based on a
CNC knitted shell formwork providing approx. ...
Knit-Mycelium Hybrids: Designing and scaling up with bio fabrication systems based on Mycocrete injection in 3D
knitted tubular formworks
Conference Paper
Sep 2023
Romy Kaiser
View
... While the construction sector recognizes the promising capacity of 3DPC, traditional concrete is inherently brittle,
necessitating the inclusion of reinforcement to meet basic construction requirements like ductility, load-bearing capacity,
and resilience (Yu et al., 2018; Li et al., 2022a; Vinet and Zhedanov, 2011). Additionally, 3DPC showed lower strength
compared to conventionally cast concrete due to factors like reinforcement absence, mix compaction, and homogeneity
issues (Singh et al., 2022;Xiao et al., 2022). ...
Application of metaheuristic optimization algorithms in predicting the compressive strength of 3D-printed fiber-
reinforced concrete
Article
Dec 2023
Mana Alyami · Majid Khan · Arbab Faisal · Yaser Gamil
View Show abstract
... Moreover, with the availability of advanced structural analysis software, capable of performing shape finding and
optimizing routines, solve geometrically and materially nonlinear analysis, considering orthotropic materials and layered
shell finite elements, it is nowadays possible to perform accurate predictions of the final geometry and the structural
performance of concrete structures produced with flexible formworks. A non-exhaustive list of recent research includes
references [44]- [45] . ...
On the use of flexible formworks for concrete structures

Jan 2024
Murilo Soto · Ruy Marcelo Pauletti · Leila Meneghetti
View Show abstract
Terrene 2.0: Biomaterial composites design & shellular structures development for augmented earthen construction
Article
Mar 2024 · Mater Des

Liam Lasting · Mostafa Akbari · Destynn Keuchel · Laia Mogas-Soldevila
View
Evaluation of Concrete-Steel Friction for Automated Tunnel Segment Extrusion
Chapter
Feb 2024
Andrea Marcucci · Arslan Javed · Stefano Guanziroli · Liberato Ferrara
View Show abstract
Experimental Study and Design Approach on 3D Printed Concrete Walls under Eccentric Axial Compression
Article
Jul 2024
JingSong Wang · Peng Zhang · Jian Feng · Jianguo Cai
View
Penggunaan Bekisting Modular Dalam Transformasi Proyek Konstruksi

Article
Nov 2023
Ardi Priyatna · Inayah Tulillah · Laelatul Milleniasih · Mahdika Putra Nanda
View Show abstract
Show more
Recommended publications Discover more
Sponsored content
Discovering the world's oldest wooden structure

February 2024
A research team led by the University of Liverpool excavated the world’s oldest wooden structure on the archaeological site of
Kalambo Falls, Zambia. Collaborating with international and interdisciplinary experts, working with local communities and using novel
technologies, we’re using...
View post
Sponsored content
Out of this world research
February 2024
At the University of Liverpool, we are collaborating with the UK Space Agency and Kayser Space Ltd to carry out research
experiments on the International Space Station to help solve the puzzle of why our muscles get weaker as we age and find possible
ways to prevent it. Physical fragilty is a...
View post
Sponsored content
Clearing the air for a brighter future
February 2024
Across sub-Saharan Africa more than 90% of schools rely on wood fuel and charcoal for cooking for students and staff. In Kenya
alone this translates to more than 1.3 million metric tonnes of wood being consumed each year by its schools and colleges. This has
huge environmental impacts on forest...
View post
Sponsored content
Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Chemistry to accelerate research innovation

February 2024
The University of Liverpool will co-lead a new research hub to develop state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Chemistry and
accelerate its adoption. The AI for Chemistry Hub, AlChemy, will bring together leading academic researchers, industry, and other
stakeholders to promote a...
View post
A sustainable formwork system based on ice pattern and sand mould for fabricating customised concret...
September 2022 · Rapid Prototyping Journal
Wei Li · Yi Min Xie · Xiaoshan Lin
Purpose Optimised concrete components are often of complex geometries, which are difficult and costly to cast using traditional
formworks. This paper aims to propose an innovative formwork system for optimised concrete casting, which is eco-friendly, recyclable
and economical. Design/methodology/approach In the proposed formwork system, ice is used as mould pattern to create desired
geometry for ... [Show full abstract]
View full-text
Conference Paper
Volumetric Intersections – Modularization approaches for Freeform Prefab Concrete Construction
March 2022 · Civil Engineering Design
David Stieler · Tobias Schwinn · Achim Menges
The pursuit for more load‐adapted, individualized, and at the same time precise building geometries is driving innovation in digital
fabrication with concrete towards greater formal freedom and higher degrees of prefabrication. This paper reviews the opportunities of
using 3D‐Printed formwork in the context of pre‐fabricated concrete construction. It identifies the geometric specificities future ... [Show
full abstract]
Read more
Chapter Full-text available
Mesh Mould Prefabrication

June 2022
Jaime Mata-Falcón · Ammar Mirjan · Carsten Rieger · [...] · Matthias Kohler
The Mesh Mould technology combines formwork and structural reinforcement into a robotically fabricated construction system. This
method allows for the industrial and full-scale realisation of complex curved, steel-reinforced concrete structures without the need for
conventional formwork. The paper presents a new material and cost efficient industrial robotic prefabrication process of 3D ... [Show
full abstract]
View full-text
Conference Paper Full-text available
Identifying Levers for Mass Market Penetration of Digital Fabrication
June 2021
Patrick Bischof · Jaime Mata-Falcón · Walter Kaufmann
The construction industry produces buildings and infrastructure and, hence, satisfies basic needs of modern society. It provides a
considerable portion of total value added and worldwide jobs. At the same time, it is responsible for more than 11% of CO2 energy-
related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions worldwide. Digital concrete fabrication is a young, yet already broad research discipline which
... [Show full abstract]
View full-text
Company Support Business solutions
About us Help Center Advertising

News Recruiting
Careers
© 2008-2024 ResearchGate GmbH. All rights reserved. Terms · Privacy · Copyright · Imprint ·

(PDF) A Review of Formwork Systems For Modern Concrete Construction

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

(PDF) A Review of Formwork Systems For Modern Concrete Construction

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

3/28/24, 12:29 PM (PDF) A review of formwork systems for modern concrete construction

Download full-text Recruit

Article PDF Available

A review of formwork systems for modern concrete construction

April 2022 · Structures 38(1):52-63

Wei Li Xiaoshan Lin Ding Wen Bao Yi Min Xie

Citations (65) References (118) Figures (8)

Abstract and Figures

Classification of Average Jubilee Church in CNC milling of Optimised

Figures - uploaded by Yi Min Xie Author content

Download full-text PDF Download citation Copy link

Structures, Vol. 38 (2022) 52–63

A review of formwork systems for modern concrete construction

Concrete is a principal construction material in building industry. Formwork plays an

Key words: Formwork; concrete structure; concrete construction; digital fabrication;

Download full-text PDF Download citation Copy link

Fig. 1 Classification of formwork systems.

In this paper, a comprehensive review of various formwork types will be presented,

2. General requirements in formwork design

mean line, which is given by

where  is the number of discrete measurements, and  is the amplitude of each

Fig. 2 Average roughness of concrete surface ( ) [18].

3. Traditional formwork system

3.1. Wooden formwork

surface quality of the concrete structure.

Fig. 3 Tennis hall under construction using wooden formwork [19].

Plywood is a common material used in wooden formwork. Plywood is a wood product

3.2. Metal formwork

Fig. 4 Jubilee Church in Rome constructed using steel formwork [29].

4. Flexible formwork system

4.1. Fabric formwork

4.1.1. Formwork material

4.1.2. Formwork fabrication method

4.1.2.1. Tensioned by external support

Fig. 6 Fabric formwork (left) and concrete spraying (right) [47].

4.1.2.2. Tensioned by air pressure

based on a reusable pneumatic membrane made of synthetic materials, such as nylon

Fig. 7 Free-form shell constructed using pneumatic formwork [57].

Download full-text PDF Download citation Copy link

Download full-text PDF Download citation Copy link

Download full-text PDF Download citation Copy link

Download full-text PDF Download citation Copy link

Download full-text PDF Download citation Copy link

Citations (65) References (118)

Advances in formwork automation, structure and materials in concrete construction

View Show abstract

View Show abstract

View Show abstract

View Show abstract

On the use of flexible formworks for concrete structures

View Show abstract

Mar 2024 · Mater Des

Evaluation of Concrete-Steel Friction for Automated Tunnel Segment Extrusion

View Show abstract

Penggunaan Bekisting Modular Dalam Transformasi Proyek Konstruksi

View Show abstract

Download full-text PDF Download citation Copy link

Recommended publications Discover more

Discovering the world's oldest wooden structure

Out of this world research

Clearing the air for a brighter future

Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Chemistry to accelerate research innovation

Article Full-text available