Guide to Mastering Aluminum Formwork for Concrete Structures

Imagine a towering structure rising from the ground, its lines flowing seamlessly with perfectly smooth concrete surfaces that resemble works of art. Behind such architectural marvels lies the crucial role of aluminum formwork. With its lightweight properties, efficiency, and environmental benefits, aluminum formwork is gradually replacing traditional wooden templates as the preferred choice for modern construction projects. But how can builders fully leverage aluminum formwork's advantages to create high-quality concrete structures? This article examines the construction techniques through practical experience, highlighting key processes that enhance construction efficiency.

The success of aluminum formwork installation largely depends on meticulous preparation. Like preparing ingredients for a gourmet meal, this phase requires careful attention to several critical steps:

• Surveying and Marking: Precise positioning ensures dimensional accuracy. Using design blueprints, workers must accurately mark axes, boundaries, and elevation control lines on the construction site. This requires professional surveying equipment operated by experienced personnel to meet specification requirements.
• Leveling: Eliminating surface irregularities creates a level base for formwork installation. Laser levels or traditional leveling instruments identify uneven areas, which are then corrected with concrete or mortar patches to achieve specification-compliant flatness.
• Formwork Positioning: Establishing reference points using embedded steel bars or concrete protrusions creates a coordinate system for accurate template placement. These benchmarks require verification to confirm their positional and elevation accuracy.
• Surface Roughening: Scabbling treatment enhances bonding between concrete and formwork at connection points. Mechanical or manual scabbling achieves the required depth and density, creating better surface friction for stronger adhesion.
• Release Agent Application: Proper application prevents concrete from sticking to forms while protecting both surfaces. The selected release agent must be evenly distributed—neither excessive nor insufficient—to maintain optimal demolding results and concrete quality.

Following initial preparation, more detailed surveying and steel banding further enhance structural strength:

• Detailed Marking: Rechecking previously established axes, boundaries, and elevation lines ensures accuracy. Additional markings for walls, columns, and beams provide precise templates for installation.
• Steel Banding: Reinforcing walls and columns prevents deformation during concrete pouring. Band specifications and spacing follow design requirements, with professional tools ensuring secure fastening capable of withstanding concrete's lateral pressure.

As primary structural components, walls and columns directly impact building safety and stability. Their formwork assembly demands strict adherence to specifications for vertical alignment and robustness:

• Template joints must be tightly sealed against leakage, using sealant strips or adhesive where necessary.
• Supports should be rigid—typically steel pipes or wooden braces—to prevent deformation.
• Vertical alignment must meet specifications, verified with plumb bobs or verticality instruments.

As weight-bearing elements, beams and slabs influence a building's longevity. Their formwork requires level, sturdy installation capable of supporting concrete weight and construction loads:

• Base templates must be perfectly flat to prevent surface irregularities.
• Side templates require exact vertical alignment to avoid slanted beams.
• Supports must be robust enough to prevent deformation.
• Spans exceeding 4 meters need camber adjustments to compensate for potential concrete settlement.

Beyond fundamental requirements, specialized techniques further improve construction outcomes:

• Wall Template Leveling: Bottom surfaces must align perfectly with positioning benchmarks to ensure wall verticality and overall flatness.
• Beam Side Bolts: Wall beam side bolts must remain straight and parallel. Installation prohibits angled insertion, while any hole adjustments require mechanical drilling—never thermal cutting—to prevent template damage.
• Backing Reinforcement: Continuous backing reinforcement bars should cover entire sections. When joints are necessary, they must stagger by at least 400mm with minimum 200mm overlaps to enhance strength and prevent deformation.
• Beam Camber: Concrete beams and slabs spanning over 4 meters require designed camber adjustments that don't reduce cross-sectional height, counteracting post-pouring settlement.
• Embedded Components: All embedded parts, holes, brackets, and window sills must be installed per design documents before formwork assembly.
• Early-Strike Support Systems: Vertical support alignment must maintain less than 15mm deviation between floors, with column verticality staying within 1/300 of the floor height for system stability.

Aluminum formwork construction demands specialized knowledge and experience. Only through rigorous adherence to specifications and mastery of advanced techniques can builders fully utilize aluminum formwork's potential to create superior concrete structures. These insights offer valuable guidance for achieving excellence in modern construction practices.