Flexible formwork systems according to the modular principle

The build-up or expansion of a flexible formwork inventory does not necessarily have to be accompanied by high investment costs. High-quality, durable and reliable formwork solutions can also be put together cost-effectively - thanks to the modular principle. The article provides an overview of the three systems that formwork specialist Ratec offers its customers as flexible modular solutions for numerous formwork tasks, and which can also be implemented without a high initial investment.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Work-sun.

The basis for all these formwork systems is the switchable magnet box SPB. The Standard Pro Magnetbox has become a classic and is used in many factories around the world. The magnet box is equipped with holders to attach adapters or formwork skins of any kind. The hole spacing originally defined by Ratec for accommodating the screw fittings is now standard in numerous competitor products. Due to the strong and reliable holding force of the magnet boxes - from 450 to kg - many applications are possible with just a few components.

Practical tip

In practice, it is striking that often far more magnet boxes are used than necessary for a given formwork length and height, in keeping with the motto “a lot goes a long way”. With original Ratec magnet boxes, however, you usually need far fewer magnets for the target length and height of an element. As a rule of thumb and recommendation, the manufacturer prepared an overview for the necessary number of magnets depending on formwork length, height and holding force of the magnet box, which are available in the catalogue and on request.

The classic – PSV Pro System Vario

For more than 20 years, PSV has been successfully in use with its variability and user-friendliness. PSV stands for profitable, systematic and variable, or Pro System Vario for short, as it al-lows formwork height variability from 100 to 500 mm as well as telescopic length graduation in the millimetre range. The formwork system is used on stationary tracks, tilting tables and circulation plants and can be relocated and assembled by hand or using the handling crane. Both wood (Betoplan, alkus, etc.) and steel for high series are used for the formwork skin. The formwork can be prepared independently of the tilting table or the circulating pallet. This helps to keep form-work skin material waste as low as possible.

Practical tip

With the standard C-rail length of 250, , and mm, any formwork length from 550 mm to mm can be implemented without gaps. This means that maximum flexibility can easily be achieved with the standard components. The manufacturer offers an overview of possible combinations for the flexible length grid in its catalogue and on request.

PSV is:

• Flexible in height by changing adapters for heights from 100-500 mm
• Flexible in length due to standard length grid of the C-rails for formwork 550-3.500 mm
• Extendable with an extension arm and a special corner bracket for use with recesses
• Easy to handle due to quick fixing and detaching of the formwork skin using Dywidag bolting of the C-rails
• Advanced version PSV² for shuttering and demoulding without re-measuring

The lightweight for manual handling and concreting on both sides - MST

The modular formwork beam MST stems from the desire to offer a system that is simple, versatile and, above all, lightweight, while being able to cover many different formwork tasks. The MST is universally applicable for the production of wall and ceiling elements from 100 to 500 mm thickness. The system combines the advantages of various other solutions as it is flexible in both length and height, consists of few individual parts and impresses with its low weight and easy handling. The formwork beam is attached to the magnet box SPB by clamping brackets and serves as a base for attaching the formwork timber or front sheet.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website modular shuttering systems.

The very good static properties, which were tested in the precast plant, and the special variability of the MST make this formwork system a real all-rounder. With its low weight, the modular formwork beam is optimised for manual handling and remains below the BG standard with a weight of less than 21 kg per 3 m length. Two special features characterise the MST: it is stackable, so that precast concrete manufacturers can realise almost all required element thicknesses with just one height of the base beam. And the MST can also be coupled for use on both sides, which saves space on the pallet and reduces effort. With smart accessories such as an extension arm or window corners, the MST can also be used for recesses or for upstands.

Practical tip

For individual lengths, the MST base profile with standard length of 2,980 mm can be cut to lengths of 532, 940, 1,348, 2,164 and 2,573 mm. Ratec can provide a corresponding pattern if required.

In summary, the MST is:

• Stackable for wall thicknesses from 100-500 mm
• Flexible in length as the base beam can be cut to desired lengths or “extended” with connecting plates for the longitudinal butt joint of two MST base beams
• Expandable with an extension arm for the production of upstands
• Couplable for double-sided use
• Easy to handle due to fast (re)setup time and low weight

TECON Modular Formwork mainly consists of AluLITE Formwork, Steel LITE Formwork and Plastic Formwork TP60+.

For any villa project, a low-cost housing project, especially with hundreds or thousands of houses at the same plan and size, modular formwork can maximize site productivity and greatly save labour costs.

On some occasions, even with conventional building methods such as bricks and concrete hollow blocks and others, built with rebar and concrete via modular formwork, will still benefit you from lead time and total cost per house, though the initial investment seems higher than traditional bricks and timbers.

Modular formwork can build the wall and slab separately and build the wall and slab together in one time pour with customized formwork planning and fabrication. Very little timber and even no skilled workers are needed due to their easy to learn assembly sequence.

Advantages of Modular Formwork/Shuttering

The modular formwork system is designed with standardized panels and components to reduce or limit cutting materials on site. This speeds up the entire process and therefore reduces on-site labour. They can also be interchanged with conventional methods. Commercial, civil, and industrial contractors can replace the traditional methods of cast-in-place concrete engineering by using modular formwork systems and quickly achieve one-time casting, thereby minimizing the financial expenditure of labour and materials. By choosing to lease, contractors can gain more benefits in reducing the costs associated with regular procurement. Once the work is completed, this also eliminates the need to recover the purchase cost by reselling the materials.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of tunnel form contractors. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.