You may hear the words ‘formwork’ and ‘falsework’ thrown around on site from time to time. While they both are used to describe supports that help to form concrete, their roles in the process differ immensely.Both falsework and formwork date back thousands of years and have been used to construct buildings, viaducts and bridges for centuries, and they still play an important role as temporary support in construction projects of today.Read on to learn more about how formwork and falsework are different, what they do and how they support buildings, big and small.

Concrete formwork is a mold or frame that holds wet concrete (poured into the formwork) until it dries and creates the desired structure that suits the purposes of a construction project. Concrete formwork can be temporary or permanent. When it is temporary, it is removed once the concrete sets. Temporary formwork is more common than permanent formwork. It can be re-used for other projects once it is no longer needed, which is of great benefit to the contractor. Because of this, temporary formwork can be resold after a project or reused on a later job. Temporary concrete formwork can be made of heavy-duty aluminum, steel, plastic, plywood, or timber. Permanent formwork, which remains in place and becomes a part of the construction after the concrete sets is often made of foam material.The process of using concrete formwork in construction is sometimes referred to as “shuttering.” A major benefit of using concrete formwork is that it aids in achieving a desired concrete shape with a great degree of precision. Use of formwork as opposed to other methods of setting concrete is quick and efficient.

Today’s formwork systems are mostly modular, designed for speed, efficiency, and increased accuracy. Pre-fabricated modules minimize construction waste and include enhanced health and safety features. The two major advantages of pre-fabricated formwork systems, compared to traditional timber formwork, are 1) speed of construction and 2) lower life-cycle costs. Minimal on-site skilled labor is needed to erect and strip pre-fabricated formwork, and modular steel or aluminum formwork is almost indestructible—capable of being used hundreds of times depending on care and application.

Concrete formwork is used in a wide variety of construction projects where pouring concrete is involved. Pouring the foundation of a building or structure, such as a house or a bridge, requires concrete formwork. Walls, columns, slabs, and floors made of concrete all utilize concrete formwork for pouring and casting. Beams, girders, and other support structures for buildings and bridges also depend on reliable concrete formwork during the pouring and curing process. Whether you own or rent your equipment, Concrete formwork plays a critical role in ensuring poured concrete takes the desired shape, meets the right dimensions, and has the strength to support intended structural loads.

Concrete formwork is a mold or frame that holds wet concrete (poured into the formwork) until it dries and creates the desired structure that suits the purposes of a construction project. Concrete formwork can be temporary or permanent. When it is temporary, it is removed once the concrete sets. Temporary formwork is more common than permanent formwork. It can be re-used for other projects once it is no longer needed, which is of great benefit to the contractor. Because of this, temporary formwork can be resold after a project or reused on a later job. Temporary concrete formwork can be made of heavy-duty aluminum, steel, plastic, plywood, or timber. Permanent formwork, which remains in place and becomes a part of the construction after the concrete sets is often made of foam material.The process of using concrete formwork in construction is sometimes referred to as “shuttering.” A major benefit of using concrete formwork is that it aids in achieving a desired concrete shape with a great degree of precision. Use of formwork as opposed to other methods of setting concrete is quick and efficient.

The construction of concrete formwork is no small undertaking; it takes time and can cost up to 25 percent of the total price of the structure. Luckily, stripped concrete formwork can be reused to reduce time and cost. Reusable forms are known as “panel forms,” while non-reusable concrete forms are called “stationary forms.”

Concrete is the most commonly used man-made material on earth. Given its particular properties, it is also among the most widely employed options for construction. This mixture of cement, sand, gravel and water begins as a wet substance unable to support its own weight, thereby requiring the use of a mold to achieve the desired shape and structure. In construction applications involving concrete, that mold is referred to as the formwork.

You may hear the words ‘formwork’ and ‘falsework’ thrown around on site from time to time. While they both are used to describe supports that help to form concrete, their roles in the process differ immensely.

Formwork is structural and is the term used for specialised concrete construction moulds. Wet concrete is poured into these supportive moulds, which are usually temporary, to set and take form until it can support itself.

Concrete formwork is used in a wide variety of construction projects where pouring concrete is involved. Pouring the foundation of a building or structure, such as a house or a bridge, requires concrete formwork. Walls, columns, slabs, and floors made of concrete all utilize concrete formwork for pouring and casting. Beams, girders, and other support structures for buildings and bridges also depend on reliable concrete formwork during the pouring and curing process.

Formwork (shuttering) in concrete construction is used as a mold for a structure in which fresh concrete is poured only to harden subsequently. Types of concrete formwork construction depends on formwork material and type of structural element.

Wood has been the concrete contractor’s formwork of choice for years. It’s relatively inexpensive and easy to understand, light weight, can be easily cut to size, and easy to replace and dismantle.However, lumber formwork also has its disadvantages. It has limited usage and cannot be reused on one job to the next. Wooden formwork also been known to absorb water from concrete when dry, reducing the strength in concrete structure. On the other hand, lumber with too much moisture can compress wet concrete and cause cracks when shrinking occurs.

Reinforced concrete is, by a large margin, the most widely used building material on earth - by mass, we use as much reinforced concrete as every other material combined. One reason for this volume of use is concrete’s versatility - because concrete is placed as a liquid, it can be used to form structures of virtually any size and shape. Placing concrete thus requires some way of forcing the liquid concrete into the shape that you want it to take. This is traditionally done with concrete molds called forms or formwork [1]. Liquid concrete gets poured into the formwork, it solidifies [2], and the formwork is removed, leaving behind solid concrete in the shape of your structure.

As a construction contractor you know the importance of good equipment for safety and efficiency. The right concrete formwork can reduce the headaches on your job that prevent smooth work flow. It’s important to consider how the differences between conventional and engineered formwork play into this equation. This is especially true considering the fact that construction formwork is 20 to 25% of the cost of structures built with concrete.

Formwork is a term that refers to temporary or permanent moulds that are used to pour concrete or other comparable materials. The shuttering moulds are supported by the falsework in concrete construction.

Concrete formwork is an essential element of commercial construction. Formwork is used to shape and support concrete structures until the concrete attains sufficient strength to support its own weight.In addition to foundations and walls, formwork is used to create virtually every component of a building including: core walls, columns, staircases, beams, suspended slabs, chimneys, and more.

Today, we'll explore the differences between falsework, formwork, and access scaffolding – three essential components of modern construction projects. These terms may be unfamiliar to many, but understanding their use and function is crucial for those involved in the industry or considering a career in construction.

Formwork is a temporary surface or mould to contain and support fresh concrete while it sets and hardens. It is commonly made from timber plywood sheeting or steel pans to form flat surfaces. Specialist suppliers can make many unusual shapes with polystyrene, fiberglass, steel, and timber. Falsework is to support formwork required at height.

horizon Systems manufactures and supplies both falsework systems and formwork and while these two products are often spoken about interchangeably, it’s important to understand that there are significant differences between the two.

Construction companies use a variety of support products when erecting a structure. The type of structure determines what products they use when creating the building or completing a project.