Choosing the Right Formwork

Formwork is available in different materials: wood, steel, and plastic. Here are a few points to help you choose the best material.

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Wooden formwork

Wood is one of the most widely used materials for formwork construction, as it offers several advantages:

• It&#;s an easy-to-cut material, which makes it suitable for small, intricately shaped elements.
• It offers many compositional possibilities.
• Its texture makes it ideal for exposed concrete structures and complex, non-repetitive structures with varied textures.

However, there are several things you should bear in mind:

• The boards should be thick (27 to 40 mm) to prevent warping.
• The wood must be lightweight and free of cracks.
• Plywood panels are recommended for large, flat surfaces.

The main disadvantage of wood is that its characteristics change over time. It loses porosity and the surface wears away, which can affect the color and appearance of the concrete. Wooden formwork can therefore only be reused a limited number of times.
If you need to reuse your wooden formwork many times, choose waterproof marine plywood panels with a thickness of 16 to 19 mm. They make the formwork more durable.

The hollow plastic panel is an environmentally friendly building panel that is blow-molded after being modified and heated by PP (polypropylene), a derivative of petroleum. The hollow plastic formwork does not absorb water, does not deform, and is incompatible with cement, so it does not need to be brushed with a release agent and can be reused more than 100 times, several times that of high-quality wood formwork.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Trico Building Accessories. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Hollow plastic formwork is rich in types, and its shape and size can be customized according to the requirements of construction projects.

• It can be reused and lasts a long time

Hollow plastic formwork can be recycled and reused to reduce production costs. Compared with other templates, it makes full use of waste raw materials. Due to its light structure, it is widely applicable to various buildings and bridge structures. It has the advantages of high strength, good impact resistance and good wear resistance, so the service life can be extended.

• Good toughness, water resistance and corrosion resistance

1. The hollow plastic formwork has sufficient toughness and tension, and is not easy to warp and break.
2. Due to the characteristics of plastic, even if the plastic formwork is soaked in water for a long time, it will not delaminate or bubble.
3. It has good anti-corrosion properties. It can be used in special projects such as coastal areas, river dams, mines, etc., and does not require any anti-corrosion treatment, and will not pollute the concrete surface.

• Easy construction

Due to the lightness of plastic building formwork, it can be operated conveniently, quickly and safely, which is conducive to organizing construction and improving construction efficiency.

PP vs Wood vs Bamboo vs Steel Formwork

ProductReuse timesFeaturePP FormworkMore than 50 timesHigh hardness and strength, fire resistance, waterproof, light weight, convenient transportation, many times of turnover, low cost, easy to disassembleWood Plywood Formwork1-20 timesEasy to absorb water and expand, reused times is less, waste forest resourcesBamboo Plywood Formwork5-20 timesEasy to absorb water and expand, reused times is less, waste forest resourcesSteel Frame FormworkMore than 20 timesHigh cost, inconvenient disassembly, consume labor power and the weight is heaviest

Advantages of TOPOLO Hollow Plastic Formwork

The surface of TOPOLO hollow plastic building formwork is made of CFRT (continuous glass fiber reinforced material), which greatly enhances the strength and toughness of the formwork. Its surface is smooth and smooth, and the splicing between the formworks is tight and smooth. After demoulding, the surface finish of the concrete structure exceeds that of concrete using wooden formwork, and no repairs are required; and the demoulding is easy, no release agent is required; it is stable and weather-resistant, and the mechanical height is strong. Under the temperature condition of -20°C to +60°C, it does not shrink, swell, crack, deform, and has stable dimensions.

Specifications

• Size: xmm or customized
• Density: &#;650kg/m³.
• Thickness: 10~18mm.
• Surface material: Continuous fiberglass reinforced thermoplastic
• Core material: PP(polypropylene) Hollow Plastic.

Technical Parameter

Inspection ItemUnitTechnical RequireInspection ReferenceInspection ResultDecisionShore Hardness (D)///&#;58GB/T -ConformityCharpy Notched Impact StrengthKJ/sqm&#;14GB/T .1-.4 (N)ConformityBending StrengthMPa&#;58GB/T -ConformityBending ModulusMPa&#;58GB/T -ConformityHeating Rate &#; Crosswise%±0.2JG/T 418-.2.7-0.06ConformityHeating Rate &#; Lengthways%±0.2JG/T 418-.2.7-0.1ConformityVicat Softening Point&#;&#;80GB/T -ConformityWater Absorption%&#;0.5GB/T -.412Conformity

TOPOLO, as a professional composite material manufacturer, customizes ultra-high-strength building formwork for your project.

Basic Installation Requirements

• The joints of the formwork should be tight and flat without misalignment.
• The joints of the formwork should be on the wood/steel frame. If there are gaps, tape should be used to seal them.
• The hole direction of the hollow plastic formwork should be perpendicular to the horizontal plane, and the hole should be sealed with adhesive tape to prevent the cement slurry from seeping into the hole.
• The connection between the hollow plastic formwork and the wood/steel frame should be firm, and no relative displacement should occur during construction.