Last updated on September 26th, 2022 at 01:42 am
Plastic formworks are used for construction to keep the fresh concrete securely in position. It is retained till such time that the concrete hardens and gains strength to be in place by itself. On site benefits of plastic formworks in concrete construction are many, but mainly helps in shaping the concrete into place as required.
Timber and steel are also used to make formworks. However, plastic steals a march over the other materials due to its versatility. The on site benefits of plastic formworks include durability, flexibility and cost-effectiveness.
Construction of formworks usually takes up a lot of time. And money. It costs around 25 per cent or more of the entire budget for construction. Thus it is a major component in the success of a project.
Thus, it positively impacts the safety, quality, and speed of the project, besides the cost. Use of Plastic formworks also reduces the setting time for concrete. The time taken to assemble and dismantle it is rather low and doesn’t require too much manpower either.
On site Benefits of Plastic Formworks in Concrete Construction
Plastic formworks out-performs other types of formworks and hence their benefits far outweigh that of others. As already discussed, the durability, flexibility and cost of formworks affect the budget of a construction project greatly. Formworks making also uses up a large labour force.
The efforts employed to present a formwork system that is cost-effective led to the creation of plastic formworks. This has been a kind of revolution and the concrete construction industry today revels in it!
Needless to say, this evolution in the making of formworks has been long overdue and welcomed all around the world. It has become so easy to assemble, dismantle and handle plastic formworks that the labour, too, is happy about it.
Advantages of Plastic Formworks
The benefits of plastic formworks in concrete construction are many. We enumerate the main advantages here:
Cost-effective: The making of formworks is time-consuming as well as costly- formworks make up 25 per cent or even more of the total project cost. However, the cost of making plastic formwork is very low when compared to other materials. This effectively brings down your whole budget considerably.
Durable: Plastic formwork, when compared to formworks made of other material, is more durable. Its prodigious strength and toughness make it longer lasting and can actually be used in as many as 80 to 100 projects if handled with care.
Flexible: The suppleness of plastic is only well known. The extreme flexibility of plastic makes plastic formwork more useful when compared to others. It can be employed in different shapes during the course of your construction.
Labour friendly: Plastic formworks is the most labour-friendly formwork system. It is not only lighter in weight but also fits and plugs easily. Therefore, it can be easily carried by the labour and fixed into place as well. This saves a lot of time and hard work and translates into saving money.
Eco-friendly: Another benefit of plastic formwork in concrete construction is that it is eco-friendly. The use of timber, on the other hand, results in rapid deforestation as it does not last long enough. The long lifespan of plastic formwork makes it the preferred eco-friendly system.
Low maintenance: Needless to mention, plastic is also almost maintenance-free when used carefully. Since concrete does not tend to stick to plastic, cleaning the formwork after use is ‘very easy.
Versatile: There is nothing to harp about regarding the versatility of plastic because it is only too well known! Moulding it into the required shape, its low weight, easy storage etc., makes it the most versatile material to use in formwork systems.
v° No nailing or oiling required: With the use of plastic formwork, no nailing or oiling is required. They fit into place seamlessly. Concrete can be filled directly without oiling because it does not stick to the plastic surface. It has an auto levelling system and hence does not need manual intervention. Takes lesser time to assemble or dismantle compared to other systems. Does not cause leakages. Leakage is a cause of bother because it can cause what is known as ‘honeycombs’ in concrete structures.
Water and rust-resistant— plastic is water and rustproof and does not react with alkali substances. Therefore plastic formwork is especially suited for underground areas etc., where dampness is a factor. Cleaning of plastic formwork is easily done with water and doesn’t consume too much time. Formwork made from other material is difficult to clean and takes up much time. Cracks or minor damages in plastic formwork can easily be sealed with a low voltage hot air gun.
Conclusion
Plastic formworks are thus, without doubt, a modern innovation to have happened in the construction industry. The on site benefits of plastic formworks in concrete construction mentioned in this article is but the tip of the iceberg. To sum up, plastic formworks are influential in speeding up the concrete construction process as well as reducing costs. They are reusable as much as 30 times more than the other formwork types. The toughness of plastic, its flexibility, and labour-friendly aspects are other attributes that add value in the construction field.
