Eiffel 101: Concrete Considerations for Formwork Use

It’s imperative to choose the right concrete for use with your formwork and to use that concrete correctly according to its type. Using concrete with improper characteristics can affect the overall quality of your concrete construction or lead to costly issues and formwork fails. Paying attention to concrete characteristics is an integral part of the forming process, and it’s one that shouldn’t be overlooked. Below are some concrete characteristic considerations for you to keep in mind to ensure that your concrete construction goes smoothly:

Type of Concrete:

The type of concrete you should use depends on the required strength for the project as well as factors including surface finish. Additionally, you should take into consideration weather conditions and make sure to invest in concrete that will cure properly in the conditions of the project. When choosing a type of concrete, be sure to be aware of local codes that may apply. Additionally, don’t just choose a specific type of concrete because of its low cost. You want to get the best deal on concrete, but you don’t want the type of concrete you buy to compromise the quality of your concrete construction.

Weight:

You need to be sure the forms you’re using can support the weight of both wet and dry concrete. Make sure you’re aware of concrete weight. The weight of fresh concrete is calculated considering cement content, water content, density, and air content.

Temperature:

In addition to considering overall weather conditions, you should be aware of the temperature of a project site. Temperature can dramatically affect the properties of concrete, both wet and as it dries. Be aware of minimum and maximum temperature limits for the specific kind of concrete you’re using. If it’s too hot or too cold for a particular kind of concrete, it’s likely that hydration rate, slump loss, overall strength, setting, and finishing times will all be impacted.

Slump:

Slump is the consistency of fresh concrete, and it determines its capability to flow. Make sure you’re using concrete with the right slump tolerance for your desired end product and that your crew members are aware of the slump of the particular concrete they’re working with. This will help them manage its overall consistency while pouring.

Vibration:

When concrete is being poured, air bubbles can form that compromise the integrity of it and result in issues with the final structure. Vibrators help remove these bubbles and help you ensure the quality of the concrete. Use concrete vibration to help eliminate concrete problems due to air bubbles and get the most out of forming.

Be sure to invest in the right concrete for your project and to test the qualities of concrete before you begin a pour. Doing so can help you prevent formwork fails as well as inadequate concrete construction that doesn’t meet your standards once concrete is done curing. Devoting enough attention to concrete characteristics upfront pays off in the long run when everything goes according to plan while forming and you end up with premium concrete structures.

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Eiffel Trading’s marketplace inventory is ever-growing to meet the needs of heavy civil contractors across the country. Our equipment inventory ranges to include used concrete formwork systems, used shoring systems, used sectional barges, and so much more. Furthermore, we offer a variety of heavy civil materials including new wide flange beams, used hdpe pipe, used traffic barrier, etc.

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