CVEN2101 – Engineering Construction

Coordinator: Associate Professor Mohsen Kalantari

Workshop 4 – Temporary Structures

1. What are the main objectives of using temporary structures? List different types of temporary structures.

Providing access, support, and protection for the construction project and assuring the safety of
the workers and public

 Formwork
 Scaffold
 Fence
 Cofferdam
 Falsework
 Shoring system
 Dewatering system
 Underpinning support

2. Define formwork and falsework and explain their differences.

Formwork means the surface of the form and framing used to contain and shape wet concrete until it is
self-supporting. Formwork includes the form on or within which the concrete is poured and the frames
and bracing which provide stability. Although commonly referred to as part of the formwork assembly,
the joists, bearers, bracing, foundations and footings are technical referred to as falsework.

Falsework means the temporary structure used to support a permanent structure, material, plant,
equipment and people until the construction of the permanent structure has advanced to the stage where
it is self-supporting, Falsework includes the foundations, footings and all structural members supporting
the permanent structural elements. Falsework can be used to support formwork for in situ concrete,
prefabricated concrete elements, steel sections or sone arches, for example during bridge construction.

3. What are the requirements of formwork materials?

 Robustness – to ensure reuse

 Ease of stripping – to avoid damage to concrete surfaces
 Standardisation – to promote economy
 Strength – to carry imposed loads without any failure
 Watertightness – to avoid moisture or paste loss causing segregation of concrete
 Stiffness – to maintain specified shape and avoid distortion and deflection of concrete
4. Explain and compare two conventional and engineered types of formwork.
CRICOS Provider Code 00098G

Conventional formwork is typically constructed on-site from timber and plywood with supporting
elements such as frames, shores, and bracings. Conventional formwork is too time consuming to
 assemble and strip specially for large structures, and its material usually lasts around five to ten times
for normal uses.

Engineered formwork is designed and built with standardised panels and components. Materials are
made of steel and aluminium which can be used for a long time. Using engineered formwork speeds up
the overall process and requires less labour on site.

5. Explain different classes of scaffolds according to AS/NZS 1576 Standard.

Light, medium, heavy, and special duty

6. What are the scaffolds’ fall protection systems?

Types of fall protection systems

 Guardrail systems
 Safety nets
 Personal fall arrest systems (PFAS)
 Barricade area below the scaffold
 Sidewalk canopy (hoarding)

7. Explain three different scaffold tags.

 Green - indicates that the scaffold has been inspected and certified as completely safe to use
 Yellow - marks caution. It may indicate that a scaffold is safe to use, but only for those with the
proper safety equipment such as PFAS.
 Red - usually marks danger. It marks scaffolding structures as unsafe, and workers should not
use scaffolds under any circumstance.

8. The concrete of the walls of a large industrial workshop is planned to be placed in one day (8 working
hours). The width, height, and length of the walls are 300mm, 4m, and 800m, respectively. GP cement
with retarding admixture is used, and the anticipated temperature and density of concrete is 30˚C and
2400kg/m3.
a) Calculate the maximum lateral concrete pressure imposed on formworks if concreting takes 8 hours.

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 b) Calculate the concrete supply rate if the used formwork cannot bear more than 45kPa with the safety
factor of 2.
W – 0.3m
H – 4m
L – 800m
C1 – 1.5
C2 – 0.3 + 0.15
Density – 2400
Tc – 30
K – 0.61247637051
Vol = 960
Rate of placement = (4/8) 0.5m/hr

P(hydrostatic) = (2400 * 4) /100 = 96kPa

P(harden) = 36.74kPa

Pmax = (minimum 96, 36.74)

Allowable pressure = 22.5kPa

R = 0.08
Concrete supply rate = 19.2 (800 * 0.3 * 0.08)

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