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John G. Richardson
at concrete
The Concrete Society

at concrete
John G. Richardson FlCT

A practical look
A practical look at concrete

John G. Richardson
ISBN 0 946691 83 5
Ref: CS 132
0 John G. Richardson
Design and Production: Jon Webb
Published by The Concrete Society, 2002

Further copies and information about The Concrete Society, including membership, may be
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servants or agents.
..
II
Contents
The issue of Concrete in which the page first appeared is shown in italics
A few words about Cubco man

vi
few words about the author vii
Publishers Note viii
EXCELLENCE 1
Excellence 1 Jub/Atgust 1991 2
Excellence 2 Septeniberl October 1996 3
Standards Stpteniber 1982 4
Quality assurance Azgust 1981 5
Efficient construction Jub/August 200 I 6
Testing Jatzuary/ February 1993 7
More testing Jub/At/gr/st 1996 8
The Concrete Society January 2000 9
Awards October 2002 10
COMMU NICAT10NS AN D DETA1L 11

Drawings November I98 1 12
Geometry 1 Janiiary 1982 13
Geometry 2 February 1982 14
Detail: the need for communication October 1983 15
Detail: people’s input April 1981 16
Detail: concrete March 1981 17
Methods and communication Jub 1979 18
Panel joints June 1980 19
Computers in construction March 1999 20
Computers Jub/Aigi~st1993 21
Computers and design June 1997 22
FORMWORK AND FALSEWORK 23

Setting-out points January 1979 24
Detail: formwork June 1984 25
Kickers 1 Septenzber 1977 26
Kickers 2 October 1977 27
Nibs and corbels November 1977 28
Cores and formers December 1977 29
Ramps and intersections February 1978 30
Staircases June 1983 31
Circular work August 1979 32
Props and propping December 1980 33
Striking formwork August 1982 34
Aluminium forms November 1980 35
Trough and waffle floors October 1980 36
GRC formwork March 1983 37
Formwork failure January 1981 38 ---
- --
Formwork March/Aprill992 39
Formwork systems March/Aprill996 40
Falsework 1 October 1982 41
Falsework 2 November 1982 42
Falsework 3 Deceniber 1982 43
Formwork and falsework 1 March 1998 44
Formwork and falsework 2 May 2001 45
Formwork and falsework 3 June 2002 46
...
111
REINFORCEMENT 47
Reinforcement 1 Jatiuay I999 48
Reinforcement 2 JanuaryylFebruary 1994 49
Reinforcement 3 October 1978 50

Reinforcement 4 M q 1979 51
Reinforcement, fittings and accessories M q 2002 52
Reinforcement and accessories March 2001 53
Cast-in fixings Janualy 1978 54
Locating inclusions September 1983 55
Ties Jub 1984 56
Reinforcement accessories M q 2000 57
Fibres September 2002 58
PRODUCTION AND PLACING 59

Preparing to concrete February 1979 60
The pre-concrete check 1 March 1979 61
The pre-concrete check 2 April 1979 62
Production, plant and equipment Februay 2001 63
Construction joints November 1978 64
Production and handling Jub/August 1994 65
Placing concrete 1 Jub 1978 66
Placing concrete 2 January 1983 67
Batching Jub/August 1998 68
Concrete mixing and batching plant September 1997 69
Ready-mixed concrete 1 February 1997 70
Ready-mixed concrete 2 September/ October 1992 71
Ready-mixed concrete 3 February 200 1 72
Ready-mixed concrete 4 June 1999 73
Slab construction M q 1981 74
Flatwork September 2000 75
Hot- and cold-weather concreting Juh/Aigust 1999 76
Winter workmg September 198 1 77
Concrete in adverse conditions Mq/June 199s 78
Placing, compacting and caring April 2000 79
Self-compacting concrete March 2002 80
SURFACE FINISH 81
Surface finishes 1 M q 1977 82
Surface finishes 2 June 1977 83
Surface finishes 3 Mq/June 1993 84
Surface finishes 4 AuguJt 1977 85
Surface finishes 5 September/ October 1993 86
Surface finishes 6 ANgtlst 1980 87
Fixing to concrete September 1980 88
Surface retarders September 1979 89
Architectural concrete November/December 1998 90
Concrete surfaces September/ October 1995 91
Maintaining concrete finishes February 1999 92
Protecting concrete January/Febmay 199s 93
Cleaning concrete Januay 1998 94
Weathering June 1981 95
Repairs and remedial work December 1978 96
iv
HANDLING A N D SAFETY 97
Lifting December 198 I 98
Lifting equipment June 1982 99
Safety October 1979 100

Sitesafe '83 Februay 1983 101
Moving loads Jub 1980 102
Supervision October 1981 103
Cranes August 1983 104
Cranes - communications December 1979 105
Getting things moving J M 1983
~ 106
Ergonomics Murch 1984 107
Safe working with small dumpers December I983 108
-
PRECAST A N D PRESTRESSED CONCRETE 109

Precast concrete: samples and prototypes October 2001 110
Precast concrete 1 October 1999 111
Precast concrete 2 Nolieniber/ Deceniber 1991 112
Precast concrete 3 Februay 1984 113
Prestressed concrete 1 M y 1978 114
Prestressed concrete 2 March 1980 115
Prestressed concrete 3 M q 1997 116
Prestressed concrete 4 Mq 1982 117
Concrete moulds for precasting June 1978 118
Mould design April 1980 119
Polymer moulds and liners March 1982 120
Flexible moulds A p d 1982 121
Concrete ingredients Mq 1998 122
Concrete as a mould material March 1978 123
Precast erection 1 - general Noveniber 1979 124
Precast erection 2 - site factors Januuy 1980 125
Concrete sculpture Noiieniber/December 2000 126
Decorative concrete and finishes Jtily/August 2002 127
Lightweight and foamed concrete NoveniberlDecember 1996 128
glass fibre-reinforced concrete April 1984 129
Tilt-up construction April 1983 130
Slipform and tilt-up construction March 2000 131
Bridge construction Noveniber/ December 2001 132
Bridges NoveniberlDeceniber 2002 133
INDEX 134
V
A few words about Cubco man
Cubco man was employed by Cube Company
Limited (trade name Cubco). Cubco originated in
the Leonard Trotter* series of articles published

in the Journal Precast concrete (now Quality concrete) in
1972. The firm was a small (imaginary) manu-
facturing concern whose entrepreneurial spirits
foresaw a market for concrete specimens of such
a standard that they would have a 99.9% chance of
meeting any given specification. Rumour has it
that, long before fibres of any kind were used
elsewhere in any concrete application, Cubco
introduced micro-fine and virtually invisible fibres
into the specimens they produced, thereby
ensuring the required pass rate for the product.
Jack Barfoot, then editor of Concrete, saw these
illustrations as a means of conveying practical information to his readers and the page was
born. Since May 1977, in the pages entitled Ilooking atitpractka/&, we have attempted to convey
the practicalities of the use of concrete in construction. We have detailed methods for forming,
casting, handling and finishing concrete, and touched on planning and organisation as well as
critical details of safety. Early pages consisted of simple details, with few - if any - people to
be seen in the illustrations. In 1978, the need arose to introduce the human element and Cubco
man was pressed into service.
Cubco man has developed with age. It could be said that his character has become rounded over
the years. Initially he was concerned with the intimate details of construction, kickers, starter bars,
stripping fillets, noggings and suchlike. These days, while still maintaining his interest in the finer
detds, he is involved with greater things, industry-wide. Cubco man today appreciates such things
as the advantages to be obtained from new materials and methods, the benefits to be gained by
applying techniques such as networking and value analysis and even the use of computers in
design. Although his ability to appreciate the marvels of new technology and the seemingly
infinite range of products designed to speed construction and improve quality has advanced over
the years, he sull retains an essentially practical attitude to such developments: a ‘feet upon the
ground’ approach, as he would put it.
The page Looking atitpractica4 has been used as a training aid by major contractors. The author
used it as such for many years in the course of nearly 20 years working as a lecturer in
construction topics at the Cement & Concrete Association (now BCA) Training Centre at
Fulmer Grange. near Slough, Berkshire. As well as these applications, Cubco man has variously:
advertised the Advisory Service of The Concrete Society, appeared in exhibitions, illustrated
research reports and information bulletins, popped-up in a series of CD Roms for Continuing
Professional Education of Engineers, and instructed site personnel on the installation of
precast elements.
Since 1978, he has gone from strength to strength to the point where his image is to be found
on notice boards on construction sites, within works, offices and laboratories. The pages are
often annotated with names of persons with whom, in the mind of the viewer, he has been
associated by deed or action.
Over the years, several people have suggested that a compilation of the pages would make a
useful book, recording the practicalities and introducing possibilities of emerging techniques to
the reader. The suggestion was taken up with enthusiasm by Nick Clarke, Publications Manager
and Managing Editor of Concrete. So here it is!
John G . Richardson FICT High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire November 2002
* Pen name of Philip L. Owens HNC, MPhil, FICT, MCIWM, and n o connection with Del Boy or any of his
family!
A few words about the author
O n leaving school, and before joining the Royal Engineers, John worked briefly as a n
architectural draughtsman, meanwhile studying architecture which in those days involved tuition
in mechanical and still life drawing! Following an introduction to army life with the Infantry, and
the Mons Officer Training School, the FE16 RE OCTU at Newark provided an education in
construction, erection and demolition.
After the army, employment as a
draughtsman and study at the renowned
Brixton School of Building served to feed
John’s interest in concrete work and
prompted a specialisation in formwork.
During this time, further education was
received from contact with his all-time
hero, Cyril Parry, a formwork consultant
whose works included the floating jetties
used in the Normandy landings of World
War I1 and the notorious Sellafield
chimneys.
Formwork design and detailing with
Holland, Hannen and Cubitt, a major
contractor of the time, embraced mould
design for precast and prestressed
concrete leading to a move into precasting
as a mould shop supervisor. What seemed
a natural progression led through site
supervision of formwork with Scaffoldmg
(Great Britain) 1,td to formwork manu-
facture and then employment as a
John at work on Cubco man ...
production engineer with Trent Concrete
Limited, at Colwick and Hoveringham
Works, Nottingham. A move to the lectur-
ing staff of the Cement & Concrete
Association followed some years as works
manager for Concrete Limited at Iver,
Bucks. These latter employments afforded
the opportunity to study works manage-
ment at evening classes and as a day-
release student.
Concurrent with the service at the C&CA
and during the following ten years as a
self-employed consultant and lecturer,
John worked as Technical Assessor for the
British Standards Institution in their
Firms of Assessed Capability Scheme. A
varied (somewhat chequered) career has
provided a wealth of contact with all
manner of people in construction, from
the man on the job to top management,
from steelfixer to designer and from
consultant to concretor, both on site and
in works. Indeed, much of these worthies’
knowledge has been incorporated in the
pages Looking at itpractical4 in Concrete!
... and Ctlbco man returns the compliment!
vii
Publisher's note
John R~chardson's Looking at it practica& pages published in Conmete magazine

since 1977 cover a wide range of topics and present a wealth of advice on safe,
practical concrete construction. Some of the pages were prepared to draw
attention to a new code of practice or guidance document, and new editions of
some of these documents have since been published. Some of the site practices,
materials and systems shown in these pages may also have been replaced or
improved by more efficient approaches. Mmor amendments to the captions
have been incorporated to highlight these but as far as possible the pages have
been retained essentially in their original format, reproduced from the printed
pages of Conmete magazine.
Readers should make sure that any standards, codes or guides they refer to are
current and relevant to their situation.
...
Vlll
I
EXCELLENCE
T
he general acceptance of quality assurance in construction processes and products
has focussed Cubco man’s attention on standards of performance, Unlike the past
where h s only measure of accomplishment was comment - or, even worse, lack
of comment - on his product or outputs, there are now published procedures he observes.
His work is carried out using these and incorporating h s suggestions. No longer are thngs
done the way that ‘our Mr Smith or our Mr Jones always did’.
In his home life, he has become accustomed to awards and award ceremonies for
everything from television soaps to good housekeeping, so that the existence of accolades
for ‘Excellence in concrete’ comes as no great surprise. Cubco man has always felt pride in
his work. He is aware that, as well as earning his living using concrete to build a bridge,
hospital, or somethmg as down to earth as a road or drainage scheme, he is contributing
to the welfare of the community as a whole. Thus an award for ‘Excellence in concrete’
seems wholly appropriate and more meaningful than many other awards.
Excellence 1
111 /i,& of n i e Coiicrete Society Awards, our bnejivas to consider E X C E L L E N C E We pondered tlir
inputs necessary to achieve the standards exliibited by the i u i u n i t ~ ~prqerts
q ..
ENCIh‘EERIiVG skills and ability E X T E N S I V E plaizirin~qevidenced by die outcome

a of die operations . .
t r \
!
2
Excellence 2
3
Standards
\
We are using the word in the uppearunce

corite.rt...
No, don P get excited - we know the word
‘sturidard ’ is e.rtrenielv eniolive! ._.and, while a lot is said ut nieeriiigs arid
lectures...
.._we clre well u w r e that people are

sometimes
real thing!
disuppoirited wheii they see the
i
E.speciully rvheri they have taken coruideruhle
cure over desigii mid detail.
_..about the dangers of sniull samples -

products of the sample-maker i skills...
... it reconinieiid.y that. using site riiuterials

Where there are speciul detuils, feattires, ctnd the intended equipn~ent...
day joints, tie holes. kickers. strrrters.
retirrris ctnd so on ...
The Formwork Report* has some good

advice to off..
U niodel shotrld he mude to emitre that Of cotme. not every . .job cuii ,qet (111 rnvard -
._.especially the skills on site. .. stundurds are established for cletuil,Jeuture but at least evetyoiie knows what the
und jiriish. ucceptahle staiiclurds are.
* Concrete Society Technical Report No. 13. Since revised as ‘Forinwork - U guide to good practice ’, The Concrete Sociery, 1995.
4
Quality assurance
F i r m wisliing to become regi.stererlJrin.s of The qiirrlity niuiiiiul produced by /lie/hi ... rrnd upproved by BSI Qirolit)~
assessed cupubiliijv within /lie BSI scheiiie Iias to he ~sirbinitted... Asslrrunce Depurtrnent.
first tlrrash out [heir quulity po1icie.s and
nominute resporuihle people.
Theri an ussessnient of the conrpuny 1s people. ... /he qirulity coritrol system of checks is
proc/uct.s rind systeiiis will be nifide to ensure thut. eyuipnrent is up to scrcrtcli. ripercited us it shoirld he...
.slrlckirlg. stocks.
... clruwing office uric1 orguriizution of qiiulity Tliut routine testing

procednres [ire in orcler:
4 7 ... loucling proceciiires, mid the...

... segreplion und disposul of.suhstondurd
units w e ull curried out in the upproved
IJlrInnel:
The resir// i s Certificutiori - und N continuing
surveillarice to ensiire [lie niuintenunce of u
reudy supply of Q u r r l i ~Assirrecl
~~
speedy und economic constr~rctiori!
prooclrrctsfor
5
Efficient construction
With developments in information technology and coinpiiter ... nor has he enjoyed SiiCh high levels of comnniriication oii site.
applications proceeding apace, never has our mail been so aiuare Indeed, the term ‘information overload’ may yet appear in his
o f t h e POW of information i n the desigii and planning stages of le.xic01i of comtriictioii terms!
a Contract ...
Rationalised details are ensuring speedy reitiforcement installation ... the skilled workforce, many of whom are certificated, and
and economic reiise of expensive formwork iuith II rediiced operating sophisticated eqiiipnient at previoiisly tinimagined
learning cycle for. .. olitpllts.
Materials obtained from approved, quality-assit red srippliers ... con1bining at site ivith ‘state o f t h e art’ technology iuhere, for
contribute to the maintenance of qiiality standards ... example, magnetic impulse arid iiltrasonic piilse readings provide
immediate rneasiires of performance.
All these fentitres make for sotind and efficient comtriiction. As a resiilt o f t h e rediiced incidence of ‘snags’ on completion, and
ensiiring that gainful work for all disciplines is available throrighoiit with less cutting and re-remaking during construction, the use of
the uarioiis stages of the constrrictiori process. electric hammers and ciittirig tools has become something of a lost
art to oiir niflti!
6
Testing
TTiere appears to be tio end to t h e tests w e are We may have to 'slump ir'. . . 'Juiii test' ir,
required 10 apply to corrcrete i n irs various states.. .
break it, in a variety ofititeresrirg ways Orr site u x may be called upotr to buzz thirgs Jigq' it..
through i t . . .
',iIll11 $,
Botrtice thirgs o j i t , and getrerally mistreat it! It's a salutary thought, however, that although we as u d l as the samplirg procedures, u h a t we mostly
put a lot ofstore by the results ... atid whatever the test is.. . the specimen producer/selector, the tester
boy$rrs come u p with next, and the test equipment!
7
8
More testing
The Concrete Society
Although his firm had not yet won an award for excellence in our man was prompted to find orrt more about The Concrete
concrete.. . Society. I n the magazine CONCRETE, he found descriptions of
the varied activities ...
such as site visits to prestigious contracts around the coimtry exhibitions and deminars providing a forum for demonstrations
(safe. bitt not always for the faint-hearted!) along with ... ofmethods and eqiiipment.
He noted that seminars and meetings were held both locally and He realised, too, that many of the reports and current practice
nationally, often in cooperation with other profcssional bodies, and sheets that had proved so helpful with his knowledge of concrete
that the Society participated in, and coordinated, research and testing and interpretation of results were Concrete Society
development programmes. piiblicatioris ...
and that the chap who had come onto site the day he had a With all these benefits in mind, our man decided to join and, not
probleni had been an engineer from The Society's Advisory being inclined to hang about, filled in his membership application
Service! form and posted it straight away!
Awards
...........
Learniiig of the factors assessed by the judges while considering the difficulties rbey would experience in comparing the (excellent)
submissions for Concrete Society Certificates of Excellertce, our man achievemeitts of one team of architects, erigitieers and coiistructors, with
visualised.. . those o f similnr teams!
On sire, it is unlikely that the ground worker, impressive in action, ... or the crane driver. workiiig with his bauksmnn and slinger t o meet t h e
c t i o ~...i
demands of the ~ ~ ~ i ~ t r i i team,
or the team members busy ‘assistrng’ the rendy-nti.ued truck driver t o or the fnlseworkrrs arid formuiorkers, together providing safe support,
deliver the right mix t o the right place at the right time ... access arid working co?lditlonS atid determirlhg the Shflpe and fiplish O f
the completed structure, ...
or even the concretors, responsible for sound compaction, would have But, of course, whatever their task, everyone involved in a Concrete
had much time during construction t o consider the importance of their Society award-whining project will he proud t o have shared in the
contribution t o the excellence o f the structure. achievement mid will enjoy the reflected glory!
70
COMMUNICATIONS AND DETAIL
D
uring h s working life, our man has seen great changes in the way contracts are
organised and the skills of the individual are developed. H e worked on site for
some time before he was told how to judge good compaction, and longer before
he was instructed on the importance of weighng the constituents of the concrete mix
rather than batching by volume. Much of the learning process and acquisition of skills,
apart from trades such as those of the carpenter, depended on observing the work of
others, not always the best s u e d examples!
The tide has turned and these days many employers carry out training on site as well as
encouraging training by sending staff on courses. Certification is now an essential
requirement of many facets of construction, particularly where the safety of others
depends upon satisfactory performance.
Our man is aware that knowledge is strength and is always keen to learn of new materials
and techniques. Technical representatives of the firms servicing the construction industry
make a major contribution here by demonstrating their wares, instructing on their use, and
providing a follow-up to their supplies.
Computers have become an essential tool in the construction process and are used by
workers at all levels. The batcherman, the designer and the production engineer all use
computers in the course of their day. Cubco man still has his reservations but has to admit
that drawings and schedules are more legible than in his youth, that goods are delivered
when required and machme maintenance is better organised than ever before. It seems that
even his wages are dispensed more accurately than when they were calculated by a
timekeeper with a calculator in his hand and a pencil behind h s ear!
c
Drawings
t-1
17
‘Wbs,k cbt
?\ dimAi-T
‘b ML.4
We trust you w i l l excuse our presrmiption in Our eight yews 011the drawing board
warning against such things as redundant warned of the dangers of over-riotatioii
dimensions.. . - the criticul bit might be missed!
.._uti-informative notation and revisioii - ut

this stage uiiarchy sets in!
Handing was always a problem. And the iiote which said ‘all us MK13 RH We were sometimes caught out by the thickness
but ... ’! of a h e... oii a 1.1 scale things (ire a little
differeii t.
It ivas often /ielpJirlto try to sketch the item we dimensions were usefirl where linear
Riiririirig We learned that the check in the oJke ~ v ufar
s
had just drawn to eiisure enough information work was concerned. eusier than the oiie made 011site. Often thefirst
had beeii given. time a drawing is checked is rvheri the carpenter
constructs his forni!
Try to remember that the draughtsnian (or Ajier all. often the only time they get to site Such as when some unintended geometry
draughtsperson) caiiriot possibly foresee all the is when there are diJfic‘cUlties. creeps into the system.
site problems.
12
Geometry 1
B
zzIzI=_ T-
As we were saying ... i t k sonietiines rlifficuli to Crrreful sectioning reveuls we ’vegained two more Take a balcony - squure in p h i wiih
visualise the inzplicaiions of a line on the firces than were originully uppureni -plus sonie upsiand wall - niodify the plan (tlie
drawing. fbrniwork problems. although tlze resirlis in the urcliiiect j.prerogative!)
Reading Centre are excelleni.
Change /he section (/he engineer will be niirch The result - ifnot ccrrejiilly plumed - is problems in Let :s go back to an old bogey ... raking
happier with this thickening at tlze rooi of tlie consirlrciion. colirnins on U ‘cooler’ .._iliere:s a /rap
cuniilever). here!
Well, w e could either construci spiral Le: :s wuich our circulur work. However; setting We ‘re rlealing wiih well knowii (to us)
cohrniris. set them on an a.ri.7 independent of constnrction fabric nornzal io /he uxis avoids iricln, principles ... how /hough can we help the
/he tower geometry - or make iheni circulur: form munilfaciitre, such as development of ellipses form worker?
cznd bevelled members.
Well, le/ :s remind hini to look f b r true lines and Now just forfirn, design somefiwniwork for this - OK, so now if :s puzzle time - how do we
dimensions: these und sonie carejirl thought cas/ in two 1iJi.s. Eusy with our nice ~lastic’,,fieslz produce /he suine appearance wiih hvo
allow developnient of&zce.s. concrete. We ‘veto niuke euch face icleniicul in separuie precust elenienis A & BY
uppearance. (Possible but highly iniprobable!) Answer
on nexi page.
13
Geometry 2
I \
Continuing from the previous page ... you Seriously though -previous precasting of the The precast pieces are assenibled into the base
could precast them this way. Possible but critical bits ofien resolves tricky problems. of the main mould, Here we are casting the
improbable - the trick is the diagonal double bottom block upside down.
dovetail! We could improve the joint by
tapering the dovetails.
The cured rubber strip can be peeled froni Now let’s consider the nuts and bolts. You see,
Moisture curing silicone rubber sealant
the concrete. When the casting is completed, when precasting we con (structural clesign
applied by gun can be used to seal between
the concrete will be unmarked. permitting) cust elements in U variety of ways.
mould sides and concrete, and so on. Carefirl
to overconieproblenis ofjinish, cornpaction. etc.
about waste - it’s expensive st~@‘
7-
There’s no right answer, but an essential Stopends deterniine the section and length. Lijiing eqtiipinent is a separute topic -
feature is a stable base which ifcombined with Seals are iniportant, particularly in moulds precasting is a mechanical hoiidlirig-iritensive
a side or sides governs geometty. fortning visual concrete. operation.
Steel must be accurately locaterl - sockets Precasting today implies mechanisulion in A good casting term coupled with a rigid QC
bolted to sides and ends can position lacer some form or other - watch the geonietty - arrungement and our main worty will be
bars -failing that, there are always plastic hinged cornponents niu.st clew US in door where to stuck the product!
spacers - choose the right shape and niuterial. geometty.
* ‘The manager :s responsibility for safety ’, The Industrial Society, London, 1979.
14
Detail: the need for communication
Whui toe board? Whai :v ihe extension? The salesniun said it was thixotropic!
4 d 0 d Q ' Y 0
d Oo d o
When :s the nexi sire nieeiing? Are you sure ihe dosage wus 5000ml? These high-frequency vibraiors niake
all ihe diference io ihe produci!
1 -
The nianual said 7 tonnes! Who checked ihe drawings? There nnist he anoiher type!
Hard whai? Where b the nieihod staietneni? Perhaps ii k ihe plunib bob ihai b 'our'.
15
Detail: people’s input
Of course there has ulways beeri the problem Although such sitiratioris do provide un It must be renternbered however tliut trrilike
of ideiitrjcation with the product! exercise in coriiniunications other iridiistries where =+0. 05 nim will
“do”, w e have to be spot on!
.-
..
-
I_ - - -.
i-
Of coiirse formwork is an urtfonii in its own And the sl~upesthat the dedicated steel man Regarding concrete... the way we mix it...
right... can achieve have to be seeii to be believed!
I
and compact it, huve a vital impact on the Otrr service iridirstry is second to nom; this
finished product! despatcher was calculuting the lady :s
reqrrirerneritsfor her jsly~orid!
We do get a bit “blosi” however. The passing The comment here was - “ I said all along When all is said and done, how eve^ we huve
comnieiit was - “ l f l was pimping 25m3/hour it said ntmiher 5 1 ! ” a great spirit of cooperation.
1‘d want to know where the other end is.‘I
16
Detail: concrete
1
n
Badly-located drips can cause a loi of The 'joiriersfiietid', ihe quirk, is a usefir1 A layer ofresiri-itipregiiated glass niat on
problenis - etiswe adequate space for device to help in curtailing exposed ply nioulclfaces assisis in reducing crazing,
aggregate and sufficient substarice to aggregaie - watch coricreie cove< otherwise occurring on sniooih faces.
avoid damage during striking. however:
Slightly undersize kickers allow insertion Recessed kickers can look well and The implication o f lines on drawings spring to
of foam gaskei to ensure groui-tighi joini solve diJficirliies of colutnri/kickerjoint. light on site - we don P ruie the chances of
wheri casting column. survival of t h i s deiuil very highly
Norniul variabiliv can upset the most Filled iie boli holes look well whenjill is Talking uboirt pinching - watch out for grooves
nieticulous of details. remember forms arid kept jusi below surjuce -plastic filler plugs und features which trap fornis - expensive
mould spread arid growili ' down P alwuys get pinched' and are noi reconinierided! damage rnay result. toform face and concrete.
occur outwards.
,
,
J -
Surface reiurder 011 face offeutures which Forrners casting deep ji.aiures such us light An odd one from ihe deseri! Plastic downpipe
ure Iaier to be iooled ea.ses stripping and recesses, cable entries and so on, strip eusier proiects plirnib line froin wind - what about
frrcilitates tooling. with returder applied by brush or roller: danipirig bob in j a r ofwatec then!
17
Methods and communication
The most inipressive chart is useless fi it Cliarts are conipletely useless fi out of
cannot readily be interpreted by the date or not niaintuined!
siniplest per.son to be infornied.
Overlaps ensuring continuity of work

are essential
Out-of date drawings are dangerous,

V inark tlieni careful1,v - keep one set
Histograms identify peaks and are easy 10 for reference.
understand.
Keep those 'dim ' books and site diaries too -

they w e vuluable sources of basic dim.
To check a drawing for full information

tvy to draw the elenient or detailfroni
inforniution given.
.
Siniplicity improves cornni~rnicatiori-
\ nuniber 1iji.s and operations an master
sheet, rind use numbers us reference in
conversation.
I.
Work at severul levels ut one time ensures
continuityfor all trades.
,. , , , . , , , .. . . , , . . ... ,_, A method statenierit or hundbook Even U blackboard on the wall in the site
Don 'r leave stairs behind, however - the avuilable to all provides the knowledge office is a start towards more coniplete
aniount of deck rapidly diniinishes. essential to safe working. conimunication!
18
Pane1 joints
Rugged treatinerit of corners will resrilt in The use of chunfers rind margins 'tidies lip The iritrodiictiori ofcliunlfers cind
rugged uppearunce ofjoints - .some joints ' und makes for N better production. bitllnozing also a v o i h ragged edge.s -
urchitects like this. allowing aggregute to fill the nioiild - the
corners are ulso susceptible to duniage.
Regurdirig joints - we shotild renieniher that Movenienrs are mother considerution. We And how it bows when restruined... these
inaccuracy in any one panel may afect the huve been aniozed how IJiohik concrete moverrieiits must he considered in design
perforniunce of any of the 24 other panels or cun be in e.rtrenies of teriiperatiire. how it ofjoints.
elenients. cifects other eleiiierits.
Joints which are nurrow do not necessurily

work well - the sealants cuii onlv ucconiodate
niovenients of about 25% of their owii width.
Where possible. serilunt set into the
thus, works well.
structure
Where seulurits [ire used, defects cuused by tl~e

moulds uhsorbing conipactive efort arid
cuusing eritrapnierit of air arid writer: niust be
filled and a siiituhle primer applied.
Norniul vuriubility of production can also be a

prohleni. Look ut the nianufiicturing dates -
pre-groding of panels is possible - and
"visucil adjtistnient will avoid local
" Use the snnie .sealant teain throughout the
Drflerentiul citririg resultingfroni orientation in exceptionul joints (if it was OK for London constrnction. Their pride in their work is S O I J ~ ~
tlte stuck can resiilt in iricicciiracies. Bridge it niiist he acceptable elsewhere!) guaruritee of sulisfactoni work.
79
Computers in construction
--_--------
Our man is impressed by computer-aided design techniques, He appreciates the ease with which details can be produced (and
but hopes that the people in the office fully understand the modified) and wishes that revisions could be made on site with just
implications of their output. a click of a mouse!
1 . 1 I t , / .
He is aware'that databases ease the work of the estimator... and has always done his utmost to work within the rates they set,
as well as meeting the production demanded by the network
experts. However. ..
while realising the economics achieved by computerised stock and noting that many demanding operations - such as comparing
control of the product of repetitious processes, such as flooring and process data in the course of slipforming operations ...
block manufacture, as well as in warehousing and similar tasks...
and element checking in precasting - can be computer controlled, as they are in industry, computers aren't able to predict the lottery
our man is at a loss to know why... numhers that would transform his role from that of producer to
client!
20
Computers
b . . * I ,
- "
! I I I . .I ,k
I L,
The irripact that niicroprocessors ivoiild have ori oiir Sirice tlieri aiitoriiaied cirttirg arid beridir!q corrrpiiter cor?mil/ed arid recorded checks or1 precasr
indiistry becariie opparerrt with thefirst aritorrratic riiachirres.., elerrieirts...
batclziry arid iiiuirlg plnrit!
arid die skillsof the rriari sprayiyy-trp GRC being Nor orily lras C A D revoliiiioriised the draiviry
by rohtics, are arrrorg app/icatioris that
riiiirirriised l$ce.. .
have cor$rriied their poteritid.
. .~.
At tlreforrnworkfabricators, the CAD systerii trot 6irl also coritrols triadiirres iri the works, re-orders With all this, it ioori/dri'~be siirprisirtq tofirid oiir
orily prodrices desigrr and derail.. , riiaterials arid plaris the iise o f ~ ~ c i i t s ! clrap o r i site 6qyitiriirg to ivoiider iiil~erihe is to be
replaced b y a 'chip'!
21
Computers and design
Our man k briefJlirtatio,i with his home PC .., he had to admit to a srieaking admiration His thoughts went back to the days when
had come to an end and, although they were - f o r the CAD operators he met in his work! most design arid detail work was done lorig-
to his way of thinking -part of 'hew Onefirm had seveii CAD statioris operated hand ...
technolog '... on shifis!
... when engineers used the techriolog of the He only hoped the present-day CAD man The last approximutiori our man had met was
day - slide-rules arid calculators in many could recognise an approxiniatiori when he while coririectirig up a pipe behveeri silos!
sliapes and sizes - all claiming to get the best eiicoimtered one.
approximatioii to a result!
Mainl,v, however: he recognised the benefits .._such a pleasant chungefroni the He thought to himself ' I should Jirid out
of computer output such as handy-sized drawings of yesterday, especially in had more about tablets. layers, overlrrys cud so
drawings (many including the bending weather or exposed conditions. on. The way things are going, a little bit of
schedule)... extra know-how will stand me iri good stead
for theJirttrre '.
22
FORMWORK AND FALSEWORK
ur man has seen reports produced by experts on all manner of formwork and
0 falsework matters such as safe loads on props, the development of concrete

pressures, achievement of surface finish, wind and friction loadmg and so on.
These and many other topics previously comprised the ‘folk lore’ of formwork. H e believes
that the publication of the collective knowledge of such committees must have made the
site a safer place to work.
As well as seeing permissible lift heights change from a few feet to many metres, he has
witnessed the emergence of sophisticated equipment and methods. H e estimates that, as a
result of the adoption of equipment such as table forms, jump forms and slipforms,
outputs per man-hour have increased more than tenfold. Safety, particularly at heights, has
similarly improved.
Much of his work has been simplified -by kickerless construction, for example, and by the
adoption of expanded metal stopends in even the largest lifts of slab and wall. In the
simplest of construction tasks, he is aided by the huge range of accessories such as small
panel systems including ties and spacers as well as disposable forms for use in the ground.
23
Setting-out points
Perhaps less well known is the ply

And the use o f u n equi-marked batten square used to describe semi-circles 011
to divide spaces into equal purls. a given radius and ...

These are well known techniques arld
Perhaps we may he excused for very practical. too.
metitioning the 3, 4, 5 triangle iri
estuhlishing right-angles!
f Thejlewing surface is widely misunderstood,

We have seeii checks for square made hy where one coriter is out ofplurle ofthe other
_..the batten to plot arcs of large measuring diagonals! The small figure has tliree theii we have aflewing surface. Watch out
radius kriowirig the chord lengtli and equal diagonals, check side lengths as well! -forms and coristructioii are expensive.
rise.
With hoppers and mitshrooms rememher

When usirig builder k level and a When setting up datunts. initial and to deal with true lerigths - the splay cut at
board to traii.fer datums. rotate date your level and record meaning X i s determined by 90' cut set out ajkr
hoard to average out any A record ofirzaccuracies may save top arid bottom bevels have beert struck.
discrepancy in either. time in months to come.
Ellipses caii he plotted by intersections of Tlie mortar dot 011 concrete improves line
Cones mid caps are easily developed horizontals and verticals run ji-om points where accuracy and the cost of a permuiient opticul
usirig radii ah and ac - visualise comnioii radii cross circunferences of circles bused base will ofreri he amply repuid hy ease of
unrolling slieathirtg until length of top on major and miiior axis - otherwise use a tratnmel setting out. Provide lockable cover to keep
liiie equals circunference. with ama and ami marked and travel these points intruders away!
along vertical and horizontal axes.
24
Detail: formwork
There's not a lot to say,for the results of (I Built-in features. wliile more costly originally, Bull-nosed corners can he neatlyforiiied
planted ' chamfer fillet! cast crisper detail and provide grout-tight and the orrisesfilled with aggregate rather
joints. than paste.
Precasters find the extruded plastic or allo,v Featurefillet just blanted' onto tlieforni,face ... a secondaiy layer of thin ply or hoard
sections ideal f o r forming small chamfers. becomes displaced arid trapped by infiltration avoids the problem and provides butt joints
ofpaste but .._ to resist grout. The )>encil' rounds help in
striking operations.
Wherefillet must remain in the coiicretefi)r I f square sides clre speciJied to recesses, a ... aid.s striking. Half the feature reniairis
sonie tinie, saw kerfing aids eventual two-piecefornie E . . fixed to the forni and the reniaiiider is
renioval. stripped out as a secondaty operation.
LU
Larger foriners,Jirhricated and bolted to the ... eau he fieerlafler inairi form renioval by Detai1er.s can assist in uchieving excellence
forni face using tapped plates or plates with reinserting bolts. Thejacking action against b,v masking horizontal joints in striated
welded nuts at the concrete/form interface ... the concrete Juce gently yetjrmly strips work in the shadow of a recess but they
,former: Renieniber end splay or draw! ninst he alert to maintenance of cover
25
Kickers 1
Shallow kickers of what would be scrap

Kicker forination is an ersentral .part of" the concrete form possible points offuiliire.
constriictioii process. Whenever possible 15Onini + depth of kicker allows correct
Kickers brought to iiniforni level help to
kickers should be cast monolithic with slabs coinpaction. Ruled joints should be
simply$ succeeding lijis.
included fi a fen tiire of general
construction.
Depth of kicker provides scope for levelling

Kickers are essential in circular and
forni.
geometric work -providing a check 011
accitracy of setting out arid governing line of Kickers provide restraint. ensure grout-tight
fornis above. $1of forni and assist in locating openings.
Kicker blocks set in blinding can he used ...to provide bearing for props and pages
Where coniplicated columns are set on rake,

kickers provide acciirate location and simplify
fornis above.
0 *. .
. .
Siinple cast criiciform concrete blocks.. Space forms arid govern floor zone as well Providing Jixing for urigle steel kicker
as... fornier.s.
26
Kickers 2
Kicker foriiis coil be siiiiply secured

bv V-slotted ply cleots driveii onto
reinforceiiieiit.
9
A plute bolted iiito tie udjoceiit to kicker eusesjbriii
locutioii.
A soc~iidlyconstrircted re-usohle kicker foriii

puys oflwlieii iiioii,v kickers liuve to be foriiied.
steel reiiiuiii us periiiuiieiit foriiiwork.
27
Ni bs and corbels
Nibs are to walls as kickers are to slabs - _..at cross-wall locations .__and where spandre1.s spari between
they provide grout-tight purchase f o r return columns.
bay formwork ...
Nibs CUII be simply formed within first layer Corbels ofren determine the horizontul In precast arid i n - s i t ~ iconstruction, it is oJen
of form carcass. cons/riictionjoint position. Corbels at top of permissible to insert previously cust corbels
lift ullow good compuction and control of into the main casting.
sleel location.
Corbels in precast elements present Rotate the unit to bring corbel to top: mould JScastface down, mould must allow unit to
dfjculties in fill. must be free to drop away u s urrowed. slide when form is rota/edfor stripping.
Striking pieces allow the in-situform to be ,.. so slow clownfill arid inspect for Bolted pcids within main form allow corbel
struck largely by own weight ... compaction frequently in locality of corbel casting without damage to main form. Thiri
and don 'Iforget strippingJllet! p1,v forms template to locate projecting steel.
28
Cores and formers
Tiniberjilleis ciiid ply diuphrugiiis foriii Coiicreie blocks loccrie siressed wires: U wruppiiig
economic cores: pins ihrough hoiisecl ofpolythene or crujk puper conipleies core. *
buiieii preveiii tiplift. *
Meiul pluies locuied ( I ) by ritbber inotrldirigs
mid (2) by irljlaied iubes, ure eusily collupsed
for recovety *
Sieel iuhes und fubricuied c0re.s renioved hvo hours cfter cusiirigforni cuvities ecoiioniicully fithe is
hvisied to strike. Boih c m be pulled itsirig ‘rutcheibourd’ mid lever:
Throitgli holes cuii he foriiied usiiig iiniber
bohhiris, dowel reduces size of hole in form
Spiral woirrirl curd iiibe peels from wuriii
greeii coiicreie.
Tiinber,fornier depend.7 on wedgiiig actiori Fouiii-plusiic-filled po[viheiie iuhe restruined by

witliiiiforrii uperture to inuiriiuin shupe. siressiiig wires. *
Eusy to strike.
Expuiideleclpolysiyrerie wrupped with plusiic
bourd resists inipuci of pokers. Adequuie
resirairit is esseritiul.
P
Coricreie blocks w e iridestriictihle. The wruppirig of ihiri e.vpuiided polysiyrerie simplifies release. Oiiejor the iiiriovuior! Root veg shririks oiri US
niper erisiires ihui block does iioi full ihroirgli sluh ut time ofstriking. ciiririg proceeds. Sirgur retards fuce of cuviiy!
* Puieriied
Ramps and intersections
Forms for spiral ramp sofits are dificult, especially Simple standard trusses of timber uiid plv cull he
when splayed sofJt is involved. prefabricated on site or in yard.
iSet radialb, the trusses resolve the geometry and simplify

shealhirig operations.
Where special unit or table type forms are required,
constnrctiori is eased by assemb1,v over Jiill-size set-out on slab
or plv deck.
Tumiel inlersections with shujis cari present problems of formwork Tumielformers built over projles allow sheuthiiig-sh(~t
geometty. Here an oflset intersectiori is set out uwuy from the lining iiiter.section to he plotted urid shearhing
actual job. ProJles spot tuririel h i e s relative to section of shaJ developed.
lirling.*
Chocks generate otherwise difficult-to-generutefairing. Fairing is sheathed usiiig multi-layers ofthiii ply or
hardhourd.
* The uuthor is indebted for this to E Consdale of Edmimd Nuttall Lid.

Staircases
4 15-4
/‘
On a riuniher ofsite.s, stuir construction highlighring the need for eurly provisiori Geonietry aiid varying thickness of head
governs overall progress in constructioii ofthe drawings finish are trapsfor the U I I M J U affecting
~~
concrete profile ...
so a capuhle sraircuse hand is riecessary He has experience on his side and niuny Machiiied or pressed sections can save tinie
tricks up his sleeve. Keep an eye on the aiid iniprove coricrete profile where it is
wuy he achieves support, however! critical
To avoid rhe prohlenis resuliingf,.oni the and the use of reiiforceinent as,footholds! Our friend is hest used as a specialisr. moved
use offornis as a ‘right of ~ q ~ ’ , . , Alternative nieuiis of uccess should he fioni job to j o b os he is needed
indicated
Precasting offers econoniy in speed as well as Edge casting eiisures two faces and one Site precasting is best carried out where it
simpifying the inclusion of special finishes, striiig of ex-niould finish, as well as allowing provides ‘hospital’work and where concrete con
riles, Iread~s,carborunduni for non-slip gang casting about afixed centre f o r m Doli P he siniply placedfroni the truck,for example.
purposes forget rheflrrt-lij points by the wa,v!
31
Circular work
._.today, even with all our urniouty of

materiuls and techniques,first sight of the However, we have managed for years using
drurvirigs is oJen startling! traditional lined rib arid laggirigforms...
Although we understand thot the Romans
used greut heaps of eurth...
Recently we even smv ‘Iiorsed’ concrete

The carpenter has many ways of deuling nioiilds f o r special elenients.
with corners arid curves.
__.timber arid ply for camhers, concrete
for skewed camhers.
Ply or liardboard. a double diugorial hoard At the other end ofthe scale, lightweight
over radial ribs gives double curvature - Modern materials, extruded hollow sectioris expanded plastic coated or sheatlied witli derise
spun steel skeet provides mould liners. arid polyurethane can he used to cast detail plastic is great for large voids, transitions, etc.
work. The casting poly allows us tofeature hiit watch out for Jloration and displacement.
sphericul sheathing.
Thin sheet glass-reinforced plastic and ,.. and when it gets real1,v repetitious or
glass-reinforced cement, either used as For barrels and arches, the proprietary complicated we mustri P forget the speciul
standalone materials or backed with supplier provides an economical solutioii ... formwork supplier with his electronics arid
concrete, provide excellent mouldsfor hydraulics!
shuped elements and products.
32
Props and propping
Huving seen this x i - l i p recently we thought a This convinced us ofihe wisdom of our
Huvirig tuken u close look - we withdrew
look at props could be helpjiil flclions!
to iliink ihe iopic over!
-
c
And this - riuils und re-bar just won ? do Oiri-ofplumb and eccentricully loaded The jilted pins of special steel niust be used to
props lose about 50% of their cupacity enstire that liublished SWL call he swiained.
System props provide a bid! in assiiratice - Common props niiisi be laced and hruced - Always constilt the makers inutiuul. Soinetitnes
spucing, lacing arid bracing are provided f o r large diuriieter couplers are needed on ouier the height io which U prop can be closed is as
tubes. irnportani as thai to which it can he extended.
Good foundutions are criiical -plenty of Pltonb-in one or two props in euch Firidly - take advice on striking and easing
spikes arid whenever possible siipport from direciion and eye-in the rest. The well props iri tnulii-storey work. You build so quickly
mature concrete. calibraied eyeball is remarkably acciirate these duy.s that problenis lend io get huili in!*
* See ‘Forniwork - u guide to good pructice ’, The Concreie Sociey, 1995
33
striking formwork
OK. So the concrete is OK - what about A great deal of lieart-searching goes on over Tightjoints mid nice points of form
the forniwork! types of release agents and so on. construction [ire ul.so most important to resist
grout infiltration.
Ideallyfornis should he free to drop on The thin 'dog? tail' wedge, whilst being Earlv striking (conihined with an approved
release of ties. irridesirahle in other operations, helps b,v allowing curing reginie) avoids hang-ups caused by
air in to break the vaciiiini at the forni/concrete shrinkage and swelling.
interface.
Moirld treatments are best applied as Precasters frequently mop off after application Rollers provide e.rcellerit applicatorsfor release
mist sprays. to leave the nierestjilni at the suflace. agents and returders.
Avoid the use ofcranes in striking ruther Openings afford ciccessfor wedging Hydraulics to the rescue - severalJirms
than handling - the man who swings the reluctant forms - avoid the pinch market sniull potent jacks which used
block is a danger to hiniselfarid to bar though. strutegically ease the striking imniensely.
others - and the concrete element.
34
Aluminium forms
A lot of the odvertising niutericil is reminiscent oj Bit/ there k little doiiht that lightnes.s can pay And the size of tribles in oliirniiiiiini have 10
an advert for a well known Irish )ick-nie-iip '. off- 2 forms can he handled at (I time for he seen to he believed!
e,r.rcIniple...
Available systems can be used for both walls There :s been lot of disciissiori regrirdirig And of coiirse /lie Aiiiericans mid Canada
arid floor forms. the .stiff.sections rillow the pro :s and con :s of ~ilaininiani. huve been iising 'ulli ' f . r years.
siihstantial support and tie spcicings.
They iise chemical release agents to avoid Some of the system cornporient.s are Circiilrr work can he curried out using the
'gassing', cind piit 011 a coat of lacquer every compatible with timber: Sections include Jrriiig pieces rind .substrintiril plates bolted
10-12 uses in case of di,fjicult,v timherJ7llet.s f o r p(v or shecithirtgJ7.rinring. 10 webs.
P
We 've looked close1,v at sites where altnniniinii A hit dfferent to timber where we've seen They '11 hove (i job with this olwninitins -
systems have been iisedfor months (in one case men clciniber over piles of short ends tojind hope the suw i s a borrowed one.
more than a yeor) arid have yet to spot N a long lengtli - to clit down to size!
dcimaged section. The niaferial is clerin to work
with too.
35
Trough and waffle floors
A Concrete Society working party worked A s to sections and sizes mid the code We've seen superb results, from varied depths
hard to produce a guide ... requirements - there is however plenty of of w@'e for e.raniple.
scope for specials.
Formers are extremely robust although They can be phy.sically designed hut Care is required regarding choice of
sometimes almost transparent. deflections ure critical rrnd cc117 affect rnateria1.s irt those countries which see the
striking. The specialists have this 'weighed- sun.
up' of course.
. ..
Uneveri application of striking force cun Excessive local application of release agetit 111 case of sticking very thin wedges allow air
jamb formers and cuuse hang-ups. has been known to cause retcrrdation thus / o irifiltrcrte arid free former -give it time
negating lead allowed 011 former: Control however:
the application which must be by mist
spray.
The air vent is not a gimmick, air has to Quickstrip is eased in 'traditional ' supports Rentember to irljorm this chap crboirt care for
percolate into interface or former sta,vs put. by providing 1mm+ clearance overjoist equipment, / S l l , O O O of us readers cl0 it the
Don 't forget to tape the vents prior to filling. dimension. System supports of course ullow message must get through!
normal quickstrip action with support at
intersections of ribs.
GRC formwork
Glass-reinJorced cement permanent forms allow the Pre-inspection offornl puriels ensures Location of distribution steel is
designer coitsiderable freedorn as regurd.s te.xture arid satisfactory fii1islie.s to concrete structures governed by h0.u stfleners on form
features. bejbre ariy concrete is placed. panels.
\-=-----
The use of GRC form punels allows the provision of In conjunction with polymer form liner.s, The GRC punels can be munually
special finishes - white cement arid exotic aggregutes interesting testure.s can be provided: no rieecl hundled with euse: impact re.sistance is
without resorting to through-mixes in horizontal, for lead and draw here! good.
vertical mid sloping faces.
PuneIs can be clesignerl to reduce or eliminate Eliminution of striking operatiori free.s men jor Munr~acttrreis relatively
support requirements. more productive work. straigliqonvard using simple moulds to
generate many form units,,.
... mid QC nieusures using 'bag m i d bucket 'for As well usformwork, moulr1.sfor precast (and A soon-to-be published design manual from the
exumple maintoin adequate control. GRC) are ided products. GRCA * will prove invuluable to specifying
uuthorities, designers and producers.
* Guide to GRC perincriieiitformw~~rk.
New edition in prepurution (2002). See also Permanent forinwork in construction. CIRIA Publication C558.
37
Formwork failure
... .. ..
Not all form failures are drarnatic -

although this is how the author k interest in Failures of the less dramatic kind happen Quite apart from the initiul urge to do
formwork came about! quite a lot - especially in other people :s something about them ...
concrete!
oh) u ) A L L
Once we recognise the symptonis (such as Similar deflections cause nibs under day
local sheathing deflectiori at overlaps) we joirits and constructionjoints in slabs.
cui1 take steps to correct them.
We can overcome the problem by inserting an
a t r a backing member at the joint with
previously cast concrete.
Another old chestnut is the nib criused by It 5. amazing how heat (hydration), pressure and Fewforms are seldom quite "correct to line
second deflection where we stop-offa pour ntoisture cause quiltirig, but then that 5. how we and level", it k the second layer of carcassirig
part way up N form - an anchor or pigtail in make bent-wood chairs! Reduce spacing of which controls line.
thejrst part of the lifi secures form. backing members.
Stopends rarely get the attention necessuy A t the risk of being boring we must mention A little time in stacking or ruckingforms
to achieve good results. A s much as 60% of high incidence offiles caused byflutter between uses can provide r e d econornies in
labour can be in stopends and day joints - induced by vibration und darkening at corners terms of enhanced reuse.
care in design can make substantial savings cruised by leakage.
and avoid unsightly defects.
Formwork
CL--- ---\- _. -.__
Time to get down to some detail! CONCRETE Stopends. seldom designed or detailed, O~~eriirig
former.s are another key area...
presents a commentary on the skills employed, must sustain the same pressures as the rest pressrrres from placement build up, causing
for ever Nfter of the form. Deflections here will be surprisingforces,
evident on the finished face.
Have no fear! Help is available in The I~formationfrom the "Guide with input
" ... importance of kickers in geometrical arid
lnstitiition of Strirctitral Engineers and The from the practical man on site ensure visirul work, providing locution arid a seal
Concrete Society publication 'Formwork - a attention to critical detuil such as... against grout loss... provided the support is
guide to good practice' ... It's a "good read" for applied correctly.
wet days in the office!
Special formwork manufacturer.s have some I n Just tracking ond less critical work. Stopends should be fixed through into
neat details f o r sealing joints (A). I n traditional forms may be located employing kicker- backing members, e.yternal ties support
workfoani strip can be effective (b) ...__ but less techniques ... using proprietaryfittings wide stopends from form carcass. Joint rule
beware displacement. For critical work one- (A), />recastblocks in slab (B), spacer.s fillets are as effective here as they are at
part, moisture-curing sealants are effective (C). (C&D). external plates (E) or plastic horizontal joints.
channel spiked to slab (F).
Sheathing deflections con occur at stopeds Sheathing must be soiindlyfixed to Of coiirse concrete placenient and vibratory
located within contirnrous forms, and in slab bearers, flutter causes upset to vibration, techniques inlist be matched to the form
construction against previously cast bays. 111 the resultant line of which can be rerid on design and method ....we will look at this
both instances it is unlikely that joints coincide the&rce and may prove to be up to 50mm another time!
with backing members. Avoid "curtains" by deep when the face is tooled.
inserting extra "noggings 'I.
39
Formwo rk systems
Leavitg his collea~rresto nraintain the wntc/r./or ‘brigs’ He rccaalled the ‘rrenr mortal corirl~t’endrrred in nsirg d srcppliers ivould provide proditct
He ~ r o t ~that
i n the cotnlniter, oiir man thrrtnl~edthroigh a brochrrre what was ahvays knorvn as traditionalfurmrvork siipport based rrpon experience p i n e d in the course
dcscribiii,y proprieetaryforriru4,rk~irksystems ~Jprestigioirs contracts aboirt the world
Proprietary equipment* he learned, corrld s i g n f i c a d y The cost ofmakii;yformioark ivoirld also be rediiced. 1t1 brochrrre illrrstratiotrs, he noted that thefabric of
redttce the number ofthroirqh ties reqirired. (771is For example, i n circrtlar and tapered iva//iig steel mnc/r proprietary formumrk permits srrbstontial sections
pleased him os he had experienced some problems in edyin‘gs, soldier menibers,fork arms arid tribes arc’ iised to be handled without dismantliirg beriveerr uses, thus
the past, particrrlarly hen extracting toper ties thin in coi~iinctionwith turn biickles so that plyfacinys can reducirg work content and speedirg the construction
endjrst) be radinssed to match a template - no more expensive cycle. The ivorkiig plalforms travel too
shaped ribs or rolled sections
Althorrglr the dazzling ormoirry of components the technical ii?forination, drawiqs arid method Bearing in mind his concrete techtiology, oiir man
available from the catalogne umuld obvioirsly present statements pttblished by the supplier m(fht well reckoned that, b y capitalising on the benejts of
him toith plenty of options on site.. . prevent some problem in the coirrse ofstrikirgforms.. . proprietary formwork in combination u i t h sound crrring
j o m a canrilever,for instance practice and establishment of striking times r r s i r ~ y
reinperature-inatclled specimens, considerable savings in
Readen will appreciate that our man finds it difficult to identify any specific supplier’s equipment time and @rt ivoir/d be achieved onfrctrtre contracts
unless, that is, he can see the colour of the paint
40
Falsework 1
A greui deal ofhord committee work... ... and some considerable public comment
preceded.. .
._.the ~JUh~iCaliOn
ofthe new
Code BS 5975: 1982 Falsework.
T-
It rnukes gripping reading - udvising umong
other things...
.- .
_
... the uppointineitt of a falsework
eo-ordinuior directly responsible io
the site ntunuger: The Code seems to be devised so that a
suitable yiraliJed persoit could
disappeur into a site office...
._.and emerge some time laier with a The Code points out ihai every detuil of
sertsible formwork design! the sclieme must be considered...
... and decisions made on method.
I%-
-
The muterials are usually second-hand and so We are told tkui falsework failures ure ofren Oh, and that'sjusi the beginning.
need partictilar1,v carefiil inspection. sideways und that we should identify the load
patterns and take steps io contain them.
41
Falsework 2
Reverting to the Code, Falsework BS .._are warned against drilling milituty trestles ... .._are given useful guidance on wind
5975: 1982, we are reminded ofsafe forces.. .
working loads for adjustable props ...
I-- ? TL&.\J \ r
_..and on ensuring the stability (and Table 31 raises some iniportant points on No, not an advert for 'Juws 11' but a source of
qualiry) of individual members. uristiffened webs acting as columns. information on wave forces f o r the advanced
falsework designer:
Puzzle corner? Figure 25 dealing with Figure 10 is representative o f a lot ofjobs This rings a bell somewhere - a warning bell
concrete pressures gives plenty of food we've seen - even as f a r as the 'Kamikaze perhaps.
f o r thought. dumper driver:
We are also warned ofthe dungers of Regarding impact loading, we are advised that There is also a warning about the eflects
impactfroni floating objects and the the larger the load, the more carefully it is likely of vibration!
need to avoid a build-up of debris. to be placed.
42
Falsework 3
The code BS 5975: 1982 reminds us to and at the head! Expeviencing the accumulation of debris from
check extensions at the foot of frrie cleaning/boiler scalirtg wliicli inay have a
standards... clensit,v of 1600kg/m' (and thus impose
substantial loading on platforms)...
A-
... may pronipt LIS to seek a glass of the The comment on spilluge adding I.Skg/ni/ o We tliougkt 'Bailey Bridge Fatigue ' was ail
well known cider advertised in Figure the niass of tube mqv provide a solution to the army complaint warrunting M + D until we
28A! (Oh no, it is a coninient on rotational age-old problem of where the estiniator .s 5% read page 59!
and positiorial restraint). w s t e went! v
It wus nice to see our old friend Figure 13: so much nicer thuii this uttenipt! The code stresses the iniportance of details -
the code would be incomplete without it... otnissiori o f a bolt or wedge...
We have found the prototype for the map the All irreverence aside. however; there can he
.._or failure to tighten N bolt could l e d to
~veathermurishows us on TV (notice how no doubt that the code provides a sound basis
local instability that might endanger the
eveiything revolves around London). f i r those designing, constructing and
structure.
checkingJiilsework.
43
Formwork and falsework 1
With safety In mind, our ntan reflected upon such as formwork detail that had escaped out-of-plumb props and sirbstandard pins,
the nature of the work of the steeplejack the eagle eyes of the foreman carpenter. .. the despair of the site engineer...
“Nothing. he thotrght “Could induce me
”
to go up there!” But, remembering some

of the hazards encountered at site and
highlighted in The Concrete Society?
best-selling guide ‘-
rrnbraced and unlaced supports, not in support taken from poor foundations, changes in placing method. made without
accordance with the proprietary suppliers to be discovered, we hope, in the reference to the planning engineer and the
manual ... pre-concreting check ... formwork designer...
and striking procedures other than those he thought that, all things considered, he then he thought again!
set down in the method statement - might be safer up a chimney. ..
Formwork - a guide to good practice. 2nd Edition. The Concrete Society. 1995
44
Wheir forniruork a i d falseruork corisrstcd i m r r i l y of ncres of A/thorrgb most coristrrictioirs iiiere robitst a i d strrtctrtrally sortid.
p/ywood aird stmidnrds of tiriiber sripported by n seii of props, riinriy left irtirch to be desired. The iiioir on the 106 drew O I I Iiis
riiitch of t h e iiiaterriil ruas rirorrhoirdled hetiueeii uses. csperieiice h i t ofteii ium rtriniurrre of t h e prcssrrres mid forces
dClW/lJped lU/JCIl COlICl’efeZlWS /)/ilced.
With falsework, the cnpncity of props ruas siidly overestiriiated. Fai/rtrrs focused the nttottioii of reports, stniidnrds mid codes, mid
Apart frotit forriiiirg air nccident bazrrrd, props tbnt ruere csseritid cl~eckirigovd ccrtificntioir tuere ititrodrtcetl. As n resitlt, tue
ecce,itrically loaded or wer-c.uteridcd caitsed
~~rtt-of-plit~rrl~, 1iotii haiic skilled, sofc ciird efficieirt use ( J / O vast rouge of materinls mid
prohleiirs of displacemerit nird loss of litre and level. techriiqiies. Spoce perittits orily o fciv e.uniirples h t t it is cielrr thnt ...
... iiieclJniiicnl haiidlitig 110s iiicrensed oritpiits. as IJns slipforiiiiiig - Speciol fiirislJes. oiice so costly to produce. call he foriiied simply
particrtlnrly jiinipfor~ni~ig. iulieru iritegral platforms improve access mid efficieiitly froiir II iiariety of h e r s . s(iirre hespoke to meet a
arid rvorkiiig coitditioris. desigrier’s reqiirreiireirts. Brit thcy coil be I J ~ L W ~so
, Iroiidlr11g
teckriiqircs require stirdy
T l ~ foriiiruorkeri
c bogey - crtrveti oiid sh~petiiuork, oirce a iiiiijor L o ~ ~ k i t rntg illrtstrntiorrs of iiiajor comtrrtctioirs. oitr r m v i gets t/JC
item of cost - call I I O I U Be prodiiced ecorrorrrically rtsitiy oire of fee/iirg that formuork mid falseivork desigil often preseirt grenter
several systems that permit geometry to be achieved with a titrir prob/eiiis thrr those ericoiiirtercd 111 desigriiitg the stritctitre itself!
of tr screiu.
45
Originallx forntinork iiias the province o f die cwiteri~r- ii,itb toolkit

liriiited t o a liamnier, saw md rinilhi~r.L a t o thc iimrk rleiioli~e~l
upon
the cnr/)enter, perrnitted t o iise nll the tools ofbis trirdc.
The forrnruorker arid the inoiilrhiiiker rrirn lit ~ ~ c - i r r mi y d finisl1. T h e Alt/migli qirillity arid acrriracy of finished concrete reflect the
latter works to an accrirasy 6ettcr t h i iI n i n i in tlic prodnCtion of of skills arid teclinology employed, it has to be
~-oni/1iri~7ti~wi
many elements, sirch as tirnnel segrnerrt prodric-tiori. renzenz/~ercdtlmt the concrcter has a major impact o n the finished
prodlict.
W e n a particiilarly coniplicatctl picre of forrriicwk is reiliiircd" Ue/nii> groiinil. systenis /or forming groirnd beiinis irsing expanded
(occasionally the geometry c m i 6e akin t o that of hoot or ship/riii/ifin,y) plastic-s are light t o handle, easy t o install and thern~allyefficient.
the s k i h of a//are tested. /nnoiialiorrs can sinip/i/) tbc mristriiction tiisk. A h i e growid...
_._
proprietary systems can droniiitically rcdirce r-ysle times. /.i7rgc.- A ukit t o the Conrrete ~ooks/Jop roI/l
at iuiuii~.concretebookshop.cor?i
panel systerns and jiiinpfornis rcdirce the need for fi7lseiuork imi otlJer relied ti rueiilth of pirblzcatioiis proiiidiiig iriforniation oiid giridance
siipport, mid incorporate access plrrtforrrrs. /or tbc forin arid falsework designer, sirpplier and constriictor.
REINFORCEMENT
0
n his travels, our man has seen historic examples of decaying, spalled concrete
and rusted, exposed steel resulting from poor concrete, poor compaction, poor
location of steel, or where spacers have been omitted. They made him feel
uncomfortable! He is more aware than ever that he is responsible for ensuring that cages
are properly secured and supported to avoid displacement during concreting.
Much of the steel he now uses is fabricated into cages before deliver): couplers are a boon
in making longer bars easier to handle and. the fabricated sets of starter bars and shear
assemblies speed the whole construction process.
He sees greater use of fabrics and has used stainless steel reinforcement in critical locations:
he has even taken delivery of fibre-reinforced concrete and knows that fibres are used in
cladding production and in many of the drainage wares he installs.
Schedules and details have improved considerably during h s time on site. Ths, coupled
with the availabhty of an immense range of well designed accessories such as chairs,
spacers, couplers and tie systems, has simplified the whole process of ensuring the correct
cover and maintaining reinforcement position.
47
Reinforcement 1
/ir passiirg, rue shorrld iiwirtioir that our iirair npplarrds the detailer
iuho /)rodrtces scliedrrles that are legible a i d ‘riser frieirdly’ iii srte
COfIdltl(JflS!
Reinforcement 2
I t rrrny he CA R E S approved .ctcr/, ritt orid hcvrt irr

qrrality nssirrcd r~ir~di~i~irrs.. . oirr rrrcrr rnii soorr
i i p s ~ ttliot Iroivcvcr.. . ivntclr~fiirtlrnt lntc lood!. . .
properly irisrollrd with rlrr corrcrt spncrrs **rri locnrc
nrrd rrioirrtnirr h a t iriiportnrrt rover. Irr case

rlirrrr,
c$rxposirrr, iwd cover cmr bejrrsr ns Irir/iortnrrt
elsiwlrerc.
* Scc t h e Coiicrcte Society Iccport Tl<.OlKi 'Stand:ird reinforcrd concrete dctnil<'
** Scc t l i r Concrrtc Society Report CS. 1 0 1 'Spccrs for reinforced COIICTC~C'
49
Reinforcement 3
Watch that appropriute spacers Home-made spacers often Ferrules are usejirl to ensure Cage labels left projecting
are used - stools for vertical inadvertently break rules of location. Visual check can be made confirm use of correct
location, rings for horizontal. cove,: before making good. assembly
Ember or bar lacers avoid Ply tentplute governs Fillets ease location of bars Count bars ~ ~ t i i a l l y
formation offtinnels in top projecting bar location in cranked back to forms for reinstated: they can be
surface of Ift. oversize hole through form. subsequent use as sturters. easily missed.
Early erection of formwork with Staggered joints iii vertical bars ensure flow Dummy stopends ensure projecting bars
formers in position provides template of work and avoid peak steel-fixing demand are accurately located.
for steel fixers. in any one liji.
A brush with grout avoids rust and the A bar at the threshold of precast panel will Plastic cups or rag 'Jags' may avoid
staining of cancrete by runs of rusty avoid cracks in leg. Small prestress applied serious injury where steel projects in
water to wires in head helps. access ways.
50
I
Reinforcement 4
Poor tyirig arid lack of spacers arid chuirs can result Etid cover is ofleli overlooked 0s is the rll.st SpiruI ties atid clips, while siniple to use,
iti defects, sonie of which onl,v appear years after transferred viu mould oil. We have eveii seen c m slip on niild steel atid after all ...
casting. where the tying wire has rusted!
... therei really nothing quite like the inan We rorely see the ties illustrated, so here goes .... A, the ... D.the 'ring slash ' ond E, 'ring hairpin ',
with the nips in his hutid! 'slash ' tie/ (reversed at A,) suitable for itiJill: B, the prevent sideways displucenient of bar utid F:
'hairpin ' excelleiit for key bars; C, 'crowti ' f o r setting up the splice tie. at least two per splice.
arid springy bars
. . Beware the late loud of steel which Avoid the *.specialist' who uses U tube to correct
Caged steel should alwa,vs be handled by spreader is burred o f i static1urd.s also are diverted steel. The otily sutisjicton, way is to use a
heam oti bur: especially if the steelfirer foremari is a boutid to fall. dog.
big chap!
.
:.
Tarturi mesh simply cropped and folded yields Control that butidled steel: they always say Perhaps the cheapmt piece ofplatit, yet one
excelletit cages, ideal for export work. it is f o r the tiext bay _..hut! of the most useful - the steel rack. Tube and
concrete are usuallyfreecv available. Failing
thut, use sleepers atid but:
51
Reinforcement, fittings and accessories
Our m a n rcmeinbers when most reinforcing steel was crrt m d h i t on ... and 011 cold winter inornirigs. ends of steel - possibly bent round
site, ofien in ncdiineiitury shelters. \Vithorrt progrurnineti ctittiirg there trrandre/s of the tvrong nidius or, dare we say, siibstontiard steel -
was a degree ofroostage ... t U O t l / d fly OCI’OSS f/Je bar ShCIp!
Some designs appeared to be based on the ‘Birdcage principle’: i f a Basic skills /taue clionged little, though today’s operatives are more
bird rnight escape froin the ‘cage’,then inore reinforrrrnent IUOS likely to have rrndergone fortrial training - essential as reinforcernent
needed! hecornes inore ~ o p h i s t i c ~ ~ tiendhylirid,
, construction for instance.
Today, spiral ties. clips and tuelding of suitable steel are freqnetitly ... the ‘h‘iirpin’tie A (esccllent for key 60rs), the ‘crown tie’ B (for
einployed in cage prodrrction. Traditionally. on contracts large orid i ’ C (for infill ties).
setting-tip and tying springy liars), and the ‘ s l ~ ~ ltie
small, steel fixers have tied criges nsing ...
A.
The ‘ring slash’ tie D and ‘ring hairpin’ E prevent 6ar displacetnent. With reuiscd shape codes and rationalised steel dctailf, few problems
Splices require ‘it least two ‘splice ties’ E olthorrgh t o d a y i splices are wise with shapc and locarioit. Fortrmotely. our inan rarely has to
ofteii swaged connections or wiesltanic-a/ couplers. reqrrest altcrations to prepared cages!
* See nlso I.ooking a t it practically, COX‘CRETE,January 1999, May 2000 ,ind &larch 1001.
t iimards ratinrwlising rritrfnrre,nort fnr cnnc’refc sfnirlimx Rrpurr of n Cnncretc Society \Vwking Party. Technical Report 53. The Concrrtc Society. Crowrhonie, 1999. 40pp.
52
Reinforcement and accessories
T~~rinibirrg throiigh h i s past copies of CONCRETE. our moir iroted Mariy irinouatioits had been described. srrch as the desigil economics,
the mnuy iiiformatiue articles oir reirrforcemerit. Some p i p hiid sltorteiied cycle time aitd rediiced form reqtciremeirts resrtlting from
CUCll fCatlIrCd his t/Jfllf&'/ttS011 tbe SltbieCt. the cotitrolled applicatiori of prestress t o floor slabs.
Of course, the greatest i ~ i n o ~ a t ihris

~ ~ itor he the rritrodiictrorr of From b i point
~ of uieiu, some of the best imiouatioris resrrlted from
BS 8666: 2000, eucii thorigh our mmi feels h e may miss some of site stiidies mtd irrprrt from acadenrin, siich as stiid rail systems that
the I I Preferred Shapes that have been removed, along rvrth s o i i t ~ simplify coliimn/slab connectioirs while beiirg quickly atid easily
of the Other Shapes h e had met in the past. installed *.
Reading descriptiom of irouel eqiripment employed iir the precast As he read on, he came across illustratioirs of accessories he was
industry to lay-rip composites, he iuas remiirded of the vast range already using ...and some that Ite wortld uery mtrch like to me!
of materials, iir additioir to steel, auailnble for coricrete
reinforcement.
iV/Jile obu~orts/yextremely effective, the retro-reiirforcemerit of T ~ Jarticles

C generally coirfirmed that methods atid materials that
slabs atid beams rising fibre reiiiforced polymer composites provide .advantages arid economies are eirthiisiastically accepted by
reniiitded him of attempts at domestic DIY decoratioii. the concrete industry.
53
Cast-in fixings
Plated holts in conical holes allowf o r variation in Avoid "wriggled in" sockeis. Centering from Poorly located sockets cause bending in bolts
setiing-out holding down bolis. Expanded nieial forms ensures good qiruliiy concrete and possible failure.
tubes provide excellent hole former: surrounding socket.
For accurate locaiion of cast-in fixings locate

from dairim marked on all forms.
Projecting plates orfittings can be protected Cast-in holt.s,for lifting should be linked to
againsi vibration in or out ofform by positive main sieel to avoid tearing action when units
holting to sribstantial bracket. are placed.
When custing-in column guards, siair nosings

b
etc. brighily painted wing nuis and washers
ensure removal prior to striking.
Although dovetuil batten is easily fixed by Sticky rape or po~vsiyrerieavoids grorri
nuiling to forni.face. nails form extreme infillrution when casting-in tnusofivydots
hozard afier stripping.
Steel bars support plasiic conduit againsi A seasonal note - remember that lifting hooks Also in cold weather it is advisable to fill
displacement during casting process. Draw strings are more brittle in cold weuther; take greui, care , sockets, holes, checkouis arid pockets
'prove" conduit and corks prevent grout infiltration in slinging io avoid "working" the bars. rviih 'koly" to avoid frost damage.
during jointing processes.
I Locating inclusions
Misalignment arid inaccuracy can be very service iristallatio,i su@er.s. D U ~ U Ionforms

IIS help with correct location.
frustrating .._
aI
.-
a
It may help $(with perniission) groups of Cast-in Jixings do have their problems .. although traditional kchniques overcome
formers ure combined into U larger opening. normal variations (now called the
'characteristicaccuracy 7 of concrete*.
Cliannel inserts give freedom in one direction Counter-slotted brackets allow ,some ThroughJixirigs niade to hardened concrete
and, when conibined with surjke-fixed slotted adjustment. Cast serrated brackets allow solve some problems of location...
back section, completefreedom ipi the plane of adjustrnerit on assembly and restrained
the surface. movenient thereajier:
.. and in lighter applications good accuracy is The accuracy of the mechanical engineer can The patent foani embedded techniques do
achieved by powder-actuated Jixings. be matched by motrntingfixings onto a cast- much the same for starter bars: check the
accurately positioned through attachment. in light sacrificial jig. number of bars ajier reinstatenient!
*BS 5606: 1978 Code ofpractice for accuracy in building
55
Ties
' . ..:a:
.
There are those anioiig us who can remeniber There's still a lot to be said for ordiiiary tie Snap ties used with a proprietary systeni
'shuttering' that was tied with windlassed wire rods, perhaps using a barrel spacer or set in a provide speed and effficiericy. The 'official'
- and very effective it was too! spiral wound tube or concrete spacer. tool does a niirch betterjob than the claw
hammer by the way!
U
The coil tie is of course a positive tie arid Coils allow us to clinib theformwork, one side Coils permit us to go back and re-use
spacer and the bolt is simple to clean. Large at a time, giviiig steel fixers easy access. It is strategically placed arichorages when
washers are desirable. advisable to keep the 'clip' to a serisihle infilling, etc.
minimum, ensuring a tight joint yet avoiding
upset to plumb.
Anchors are invaluable in single-sided ... avoid 'curtains' where we must cast a part lifr Taper ties are good in water-retaining
work and... to accommodate a beam or other intersecting situations, correctly oriented to the water side
nieniber: (watch the maii who withdraws them,
however!)
v-
Substantial ties with fast threads can be ._.as can the 'she-bolt ' assembly that combines a A neat fill is iniportant and systernatic
thrust through theform ... spacing and tying action. The nice big plate spacing of ties improves the overall
washers reduce bearing problems and the angle appearance of a j o b well dune.
plates allow ease of battered wall construction.
Reinforcement accessories
Use of loop type ties has improved our man's site-tied cages Steel kickers have improved cycle times, arid allow final adj~rstment
beyond belief! of form position.
Joint formers incorporating continuity steel avoid forests of Bar couplers resolve 0 lot O f prohler?is, nlthorfgh their use with
projecting steel, any o f which can take a sleeve out of a jacket cranked bars calls for care 111 select~on!
(or possibly an eye out o f a socket!).
Experience has taught our matt t o use the correct type of spacer he midst ensure stainless steel wire I S used iti site-produced
for a specific applications - chairs for vertical support and ring o r concrete spacers to avoid annealed tying wire in the all-iinportant
wheel type for horizontal location - and that ... covercrete.
H e understands that proprietary chairs ensure correct location H e appreciates the excellent support that proprietary strip spacers
(and spacing) o f fabric in slabs and that 'lattice girders', which are provide /or fabric, partrcrrlarly in narrow or awkward areas, but
similar but of heauier construction, combine top spacer and expects practice will be needed in bending them to the more
transverse reinforcement economically. complicated shapes!
57
Fibres
.../ I P hr7d errcurrritered f i l m arid cloth tuheir Zenrdrairr coirtrolled

perrrtealility forrriirrrer (CPFJ ruas rued. The /iiiis/i tuns dcirse arrrl
rvrtrtdly Olciiiish-free. /-/eium reriiirrtl(~iof other rrioteriiils irrcorporirtirrg
c l o t h iirid fihrcs.. .
.-‘
,
At the triirc. he thorfght tltere r r ~ i r s tbe N better way! He was right! 7iiilay
rrrec/iarrisntIiirr aiid nrrtormtrorr are eiirployed in the production of
elepirrt iirorrlds of coirsistort qirnlity /or irrrtltiple re-rise!
CK C cvrrrpositcs d s o allirw dcsigrtcrs arid rrrairtifactitrcrs to detail oiid

proilircc thiri-sectiori iirchitcctrrral elcnreirts with highly articirlated srrrfaces.
their light rucight prooidrrig srrBstantial ceoiroriries i?i trailsport arui handlirig
C K C rnanirfactirrcrs provide a ruide raiige of prodircts - srrcli os Our iirair hod see?i fibre-reinforced polyiriers (FRI’) fiibric used i n the
nrchitectrrral feirtrrres, service drrcts. nnd field driirniige elcriiciits - thnl retro-reirrfi)rL.ciiieiitarid protectiorz of strrrctriral clenierrts and as plates t o
coriipare fnvorrriibly I ~ cost
I orid /ierforrmrrcc with iilteririrtirie r~r~iterinls, protect iirrd strcngtheii circitlar ctrlii117rrs,w i t h groiil iiijectcd into the
irrrrrtrlrrs. IVhnt next. IJC roondercd!
58
PRODUCTION AND PLACING
T
he ready supply of quality assured concrete from the local ready-mixed concrete
depot has made starthng differences to our man’s work. Enquiries about delivery
status no longer elicit the reply ‘The truck just left the depot!’ Instead, he can have
a hard copy of the intimate details of the batch printed by the computer that has controlled
the whole process. He is also aware that, in the event of breakdown, the plant operator can
get a ‘fix’ online from the manufacturer.
Cubco man can just remember when compaction was controlled by the ganger who
regulated the pouring of concrete from prams brought to the point of placement by a
hoist. On critical work, these prams were fitted with egg-timers and any concrete not placed
by the specified expiry time was scrapped! (He is amazed that these days concrete can be
chemically ‘sent to sleep’ until it can be placed during the next shift!)
More general use of cranes, particularly the tower crane, revitalised the whole handling
process and the next development was the concrete pump. The first pump our man met
was a monstrous wheel, set up on land adjacent to the site and squirting concrete through
a massive static six-inch pipeline. These days, his pump arrives on site in the morning and
by the afternoon can have left, having placed 200 cubic metres or so of concrete.
From pump or skip, placing concrete - whether ‘ordinary’ concrete, flowing, fibre rein-
forced, foamed or what have you - demands skill. And whatever the means of handhng, our
man knows he is the final link in the chain for acheving acceptable well-compacted concrete.
59
Preparing to concrete
First of all let k eiisure that those involved Take a look at the drmvirigs mid schedules Be warried, there is a traditioiiul ganie of “Snakes
understand the problenis and the likely - are they the latest? (and are they und Ladders which goes oti at the bottom cartier
”
result of oniissions. legible?) of niatiy drawings! - doli t be caught out.
5
What has theformwork designer got in mind, The concrete techiiologist has a contributiori No doubt the weuther will have sonie
rtiuybe we cati help with ideas arid local detail. too - he cati advise on tlie eflects of iriJlirence on aperutions too!
admixtures atid their likely impact oti tlie
rlieology oftlie mix!
Planning techniques (atid unplanned The concrete pump is a poterit tool and demarids Good accessfi>rplant and concrete supply is
changes in method) can vitally ulter rate of good uccessf o r distribirtion. Full heod criticul to the concreting operation. lf we C N I I
.fill AND THUS FORM REQUIREMENTS. conditions can otherwise develop in minutes. get these trucks sorted out by next month we
will tuke a look at the pre-concretitig check!
60
The pre-concrete check 1
Are f o r m "correct io line and level"? Does Is the sheathing of siritable standurd free Have gaskets or tapes been installed at
the carcass maintain line? Watchfor distoriion from holes and burns? sheathing joints?
due to overtightened ties
a t
Has the steel been correctly locaied and Is the approved oil or pariing agent Are ties at correct centres horizontally
ure forms free of debris, clippings, etc? applied trni$ornily? and veriically? Are the,v complete?
What nhoirt those props? Straight, plunib, Have proprieiaty clips, etc. been used Were those "tentporaty works "
hruced, taken to suituhle foundation? correctl,v? Has top offorni been conipleted?
stgened with walers?
61
The pre-concrete check 2
Of coiirse the check i m s t continire during This is when niovenients arid displacentents We watch for signs of distress!
the concreting operation. tuke place. wedges slip. screws and bolts
unwind etc.
Particularly where local deflections cause We go hack and check on the placing And watch for spofs where oiir bracing wus
difjiculty in fitting doors, at kickers. and techniques. iiot too ne11 thought out!
where second dejlections o c c u ~
In case ofproblents. slow dowri or stop Insert butteit at top offill to form straight And theri prepare for the quality discussions
the Jill... line,,. If it :r bad send for the fire hrigude! which must ensue!
62
Production, plant and equipment
There is nothing so frustrating as a breakdorun, tohatever the ... particularly where concrete supplies on site are concerned - and
equipment and ruherever it occurs ... especially in mid-pour!
Apart from frayed relationships, breakdowns can be a potenri~11 Fortrrnatel): attitudes to marntenance, so essential i n a u o l d ~ t ~ g
source of accidents when haste over-rules commonsense. Safety lmakdoruns, have changed. Instead of using ’elboru grease’, the
engineers beware! ‘lttmp’ hammer, or the trtnibled half-brrck so beloved of old ...
... eqiri/ment is n o w most easily cleaued by hrgl~-pressurespray or Preventive maintettance is generally employed, and the experienced
by treating surfaces with chemical release paints or coatings. plant fitter with his prognostic abilities is always alert to sounds or
vibrations that may signal problems.
Usually there is access t o a sensible stock of wearing parts, or Today, breakdoiuns are ofteti resolved by fitters or electricians,
standby equipment ‘on tap’. In marry breakdowns, ]IT (just it7 prompted via a laptop on line to the manufacturer at home or
time) techniqrres would be I N S (just not srtfficielrt)! abroad. Indeed, rather than tuinditrg nuts and bolts, they are more
likely to replace a card in the control system!
63
Construction joints
Scabbling is a tedious and The traditionalist k ‘bucketof Joggles congest mouth ofjorni Joggleforniers entrap air arid water
sometimes destructive process. grout ’ can weaken the rendering cornpaction dfjcult. leaving unsound concrete at critical
construction. point
\ 0/
Fornis to frrrther lifkcan cause Early age washing and brushing Grit-blasting provides un The ideal joint surface is free of laitance
damage adjocent to joggle. is sintple and positive. e.wellent joint sirrjace - take and presents clean aggregate faces for
core over safely aspects. bonding purposes. Sound joints have
been achieved up to 100 days.
Modern lacquer-type retarders This ‘rope trick’ ensures a good Expanded metal is simple and Ear1,v removal offornis eases
provide an excellent surface to key. Rope i s j x e d with lost head cheap to use - fi leaving it in place joint preparation - precaslers
cast against. nails to stopends and is observe rides of cover do it all the time.
transferred at striking.
3:.
Poor conipaction in first cast causes loss Thoughtful joint location Provision ofjxings adjacent to Sound detailing puts joints in
of workability adjacent to joint and thus siniplifies construction. construction joint eases form the shade!
substandard compaction in fresh lift or j x i n g - use ties or additional
bay. Supplement surface effort by using inserts - watch cover!
poker’ locally.
64
Production and handling
.C --- ' .
eiisirrc n corrtirricoiis supply ofrorirrete c?fcorisisteii/

qrioliry nrrd ~r~orknbility 01 the roristrrrctiori site., ,
Placing concrete 1
Check the forms, propping, bracing, etc

Beware the ‘teniporaty’ prop used in
erection.
reduces clean-up time and reduces form
Remember access, withou/ which placement weight!
and conipaction will be skimped.
Ensure that vibrators penetrate previous

layer: few people realise limited radius of
activity of poker:
Air bubbles cease. surface glazes, and Fill at one Tide ofwrridoiv openings ( I ) until
sonietinies sound changes when good concrete surges at A , only then begirifill at
compaction is achieved. (2).
e A b . c 4
. .. . . .
-‘r
~
~1 M 1% YA i%
A similar technique will ensure fill under

large voids. Watchfor displacement offornier:
T
Retarder (subject to approval) will avoid
T
possibility ofdty joints between layers in Retarder (subject to approval) avoids
deep fi1I.v. differential deflections with deep fills.
Removal of workability fines on completion

offill, and replacement with good fresh Surplus concrete ’$titled’ with lifring hook
Systernaticfilling ofbatteries, from one end concrete vibrated in, ensures a sound su f o c e can be removed and speedily and cheaply
only will avoid production of ‘thick and thin ’ ready for brushing or washing. ‘themorning after the night before!’
units!
66
Placing concrete 2
Cureful joini preparaiion is aii essential puri Wuier bur ($specified) niiist be secured Wiih permission, ii is worih iakirig out a ihird of
of ihe process - achieved by wash arid brush, agciinsi displaceinerit - the strrfiice fixing ihe coarse uggregaie front the firsi baich. The
grit blasi or reiardeK types have a loi io off;?. posie ihen coats skips arid equipnierii as well as
proviriirigfiries to improve ihe joint - e.~cessis
broiighi up the forin during conipciction.
External vibrators niust be curefully locuied Secure yet easily ,nude Ji.ririgs ure esseniial - We ure siill likely io need ihe ver.saiile poker,
io ensure energv is delivered where ii is vibraioty action niay be tuned by angling the poriicularly ivhere ihe forin is ininiobilised by
required - in ihe concrete. axis of ihe irnii. bolting to previously cast concreie - at the
sides and the kicker!
.~ .. . .. .___
A planned fill eiisures ihe absence of voids
/ ‘
... the latter is a hazard in congested sections. Of course, skip design is critical: a nice chuie.
and bridging ... I n precasting we used io ‘doctor ’ the shovels a ivheel to uid conirol of discharge and a
to avoid choking the rnou1d.s. vibratorfor low slunip inaierial.
-
The use of fivo skips ‘uncouples’ Mortiior the forins ihroirghout ihe placing ... und, ihoirgh we don t like depriving ihe
replacement froni supply - but watch rate operation: ihey seldom fail wiihoui lads of iheir exercise, a quick wash down on
o f j i l andsiudy the efleci of admixtures on warning ... completion is nitrcli kinder to ihe plan,!
form pressirres.
67
Batching
Consideriiig the tuay in iuhich concrete and how it is still sometimes mixed today oitr man is altuays impressed by the scale
was mixed historically, euen oii major (thankfitlly only on miiior contracts) ... of modern hatching plants.
coiitracts.. .
Gone are the traditional tools of the iioiuarlays, airthorised m i x prescrrptions are eittered itito calibrated control
‘mixer driver’: prouided by the qiralrty eiigiiieer. .. eqiripment that woirld challeiige eueii
nit airline pilot.
As iuell as accirrafely measitring quantities 1ii the euerit of pro/~lems,

some eqrripmeitt With all this technology at his fingertips,
of aggregates. cement, water arid can be remotely monitored from rhe the Datchermait is regarded by oirr men
admixture dosage, the eqitipment provides marirrfacturer’s works, prouidiiig oii-line as one of the most important members
priiited records of the actital amoutits of analysis and resolution of system and of the team.
materials in each batch. equipment f(l1tlts.
Concrete mixing and batching plant
‘Relaxing’ on holiday, prompted ~ J YLI HL’thCJllg/JfOf tbC pClSt. l l l < 7 l l l f ‘ 7 / / ) ~S/ll/tltlg ‘Hardly surprising, ’ he tborrgbt,
surcharge of local aggregate, and noting the tons (yrs, they i i w e tons i n those days) of ’Tlmt results occasionally left something
excellent cohesive properties obtained using aggregates ... with the odd bag of cement t o Oe desired!’
optintitin water content, thorough ntr.urng thrown i n .
and sound compaction, our inan 1 thoughts
turned t o batcl~irtgand mixing.
He went on to consider h o w everything ... LI coinputer conruiningtbe inix recipes /-le had heard that, in special circumstances,
is in faavoitr of qualify results nowadays. He cindproviding a record of the actual concrete was being supplied from a fully
had been shown around a modern plant quantities in each hatch, rnicrowaue self-contained tnol~ilelmtching plant
producing quality assured concrete, with ineasureinent of water content and nnntic dedicated to a specific m i x ...
operations controlled by efficient diagram indicating the state of each piece
equipment suck as... of equipinent.
... and he knew that, in precast works, ... and, on his site. quality assured product N o wonder that the resident engineer, and
mixes from a programmed autoniated plant was being delivered direct to the point of even the general foretnun, seemed happier
coitld he called u p front a console at the placing. with his work. ‘The results of developinents
placing station ... high-quality concrete in concrete production technology are quite
being deliuered speedily to the spot by nragical, ’ he thought, ‘especially when
bullet skip ... 1 supply the finishing touch!’
69
Ready-mixed concrete 1
Oitr innit tiiriied his thoughts to ready- ...a i i d the floor /ayers 011the srte next to ...that the brick claddi~lgto the brrildrrig
niixed coiicrete.... H e tuns aware that the his ruere pitttiiig away ‘acres’ (well rfoiiirr the road was proceediug apace
foiiiidatioris for the frarne ouer the road hrct(ires) of RC40 iuearirig sitrftice iisiiig ready-riiixed riiortnr....the coilsistericy
had beeii poirred iii a day iisirig FIND 3 coiicrete each iueek. arid Iiardly gettirig Of Sli[JfJ/)f O f l l l f l t e r i ~ (CqttOtillg
/ to
(for Class 3 Sitlfate coitditroris).... dirty i i i the process .... Desigiiotioii 111) retarded NS specified,
fiiidirig fauoiir with the bricklayers ....
...that the iimteriol for backfilliirg a / / tbose

treiicbes nroiiiid the toroir cirriued by
tritck, arid that idtell the ’egg’ ions
iritroriiiced to the soitd/ceiiieiit mix aiid
agitutioii coiitiriiteri, oitt canie iriiniaciilate
foamed coiicrete to deiisity/strerigth
specificatioii.. ..
...aiid was delivered oil tinle by helpfill ...the products beiizg inoiiitored, at plarlt And ~ l t h o i i g h‘Graiid National’ mix
drivers.. .. orid site, by srtita6/?~qualified techrriciiliis (12:2!) had been OK historically, how
long iri the light o f a l l the auailable tecb-
iiology, he asked hiinself, was be destined
to striiggle oii, operating mid maiiitaining
Ciibco’s iiiaior piece of plaiit?
70
71
Oirr nian has bee11 impressed by the ready-mixed concrete inditstry j or simill jobs arlliiig for the odd inetre or trvo. ( A consideral~le
intpact on the scale atid pace of concrete placernet~t.Qitality-assrired anroirrrt is tieliuered to the DIY nrm4et. nirtclt of iubich is Itandled
concrete and nrortars are readily available for portrs ruhether for large i n uery s n r d l l~arrorus!)
contracts, involving /trrndreds of cirl~icinctres of nrateri~7l"...
Sitpplies of ready-rnixed concrete are esseittial where, particiilarly i n I-laitding eqiiilvirent assists i n iirectiiig constrrrction cltallenges ...
oitr cities, site space is liniited. piirnps and conveyors as iuell as suine rentarkable cotnbinatio~iso f
eqitipnrent! '/%isonc i s (1 printp, 'I crane and a work platform!'
Personiiel are trained in testing and techniqires to aid the niaintenairce optinirtwi resrrlts are acltiwed iultere contractors inclrrdc the reody-
of qirdIty. Field operotiues are instrricted in concrete practice and some rni.reti concrete srrpplier's coircrete technologist as ivell as the location
sirpport pcrsonnel t o advanced concrete tecltnology level, and ... inamger iulten pliinriing a contract.
Receipt of instrrrctions for despatch are well-controlled processes oiir inan has great respect for the despatchers and triickers who, night
carried out in close cooperation with the site. Enquiries nborrt and day and in all weathers, ensnre that the 'grey stuff' arrives O I Z
deliveries no longer bring forth that fatal message of old 'It's jirst schedrrle helpiirg them to meet prodrrctioii targets.
leauing the depot, Giiu'. Indeed, ...
"See: TWIGG, C. More cnncr~'tefor M o r e I.ondon. CONCKETE. Val.35. N0.2 , Febru:iry 2001, pp.12-14. t'lh:inks ro Ellior Equipmcnr Cwnpany, USA
Having read the recent RCB publication *, our mun is ... /ius rioied ihat, at the other end of ihe scale, U number of
impressed by the huge pours achievable with pump-placed precusiers have rediiced overheads and plant maintenance costs
readv-niixed concrete and ... by using ready-mi.rerl concrete.
Ever innovative, Ciibco has capitalised on ihe uvailabiliiy of On site. our man Ieanied ihai. alilioiigh many of his colleagires
discrere qiiuntities of the qualify-ussured niaierial to improve were prepured to direci a driver io a hardstmiding. _._
its product!
... they were likely to disappear in the eveni of[Jrob/ems. He is ulwuys concerned about whether ihe people pumping
concreie ut 40m3/li know where ihe other end is!
While admiring the ready-mixer k grusp of teclinology. he wonders Finally. lie lias concluded that the yarn about a driverfilling a
how resident engineers greet the tecliniqrre of de-aciivating and competitor :s car with concrete is entirely apoctyphal.
then re-aciivaiing a loudfor use Iaier!
* Ready Mixed Concreie Bureau. The benefits of ready-mixed concrete... ilte essential ingredient. Crowthorne, Briiish Cenient Association,
1998.
73
Slab construction
There :s a lot of discussion about the casting So we consulted our resident specialist Dowel bars must he located parallel to the
of concrete slabs ... regarding key points in successfirl concrete face and steel. where required,
operatioris. acciirate1,v positioned within substuntial forms
Concrete sliotild he placed, not dumped, The surcharge should be uniform in Hand floating may be carried out with either U
and tramping over the fresh concrete is thickness, a surcharge batten will help here. skip float or hand J l o ~ tPower
. float treatment
itof coridricive to uniform compaction. m i s t he carefiil1,v tinted ifit is not to develop
Steel is placed (when used) on top of the into art e.rcavatiot1...

lower layer of concrete.
For trowelling, the concrete should bear the When theflat of the hand comes In achieving the Jinish. the use of “driers”
jitll body weight applied via the fingertips away clean from the contact with (centenl) nttist be eschewed.
without leaving an impression ... and the surface.
And wetting down (using water!), A curing ntentbrane will be beneficial- it is Failing all else a plastic sheet will give the
particularly some hours on, avoided like upplied as soon as the surface moisture has concrete a chance to ntature in confort and grow
the plague! evaporated. old gracefully.
74
Flatwork
... oirr i n r i n is irnprcsscd by todriy's lizrgc-area porrrs i i i concrete slab

o n , ruIJrit seem t o him like acres of sirperflat slob,
~ o i t ~ t r ~ r c t iruith
cast in one f i s t operatioiz.
. .
Aware ofthe ua/~reof lasers iti the /irocess and beorirrg i n niind the
reduced denionci for screen rnils, stopeiids aiid jobit formers, / J C
thinks it ntay 6e time to disciirti his hitherto trirsty leucL
thus far he hris only 6een trusted with a 6~11//oat. H E prefers this Thinking of controls, he IJOS secrtt comrcte paucrs i n applications
to the old sleeue float but has control pro6lenis from time to time! srrclt as ciirport ~ o ~ r ~ t r i r c t iestate
o n , roads. paueinerits nitd even
g a r q e forecorrrts, ofteii 6eitig /~atid/edi~rechaiiicnlly...
... arid can uisiralise the time ruheit remote-controlled iiiachrlies rurll
take on fzrlly arrtoniated pauer placenierit.
* see page 21. Contprcters.
75
Hot- and cold-weather concreting
Aware of the rrasty ways iir which omissioir of crrre driririg ... orir r i i a i r
forriid hiiirself, from the cciiiifort of his deckchoir.
extrerires of heat aiid drying, as iuell ns freezirrg, cnrr rlffect the rorrrprrririg procedrircs for cnririg for coiicrcte ioith those of caring
coticrete that helps earri his lioiitg (arid his holidays)... for the h~iiiiniifrrirm!
In the past, essetitinl rrroistrire hns beerr contairied by entployirig a ...oird

c ~ i i d i t i ( i regitlntcd
~~s the rise of toitirrg, ccirefrilly auoidiiry
covering of sand ... throLcg/i-drrrrcg/~ts.
lrr hot weather, provisioii of a steady slipply of nroistrire had ...as had rrdrrrirristratiorr of ice to coritrol temperatitre ...
ninintaiired the desired hiinrid coriditions ...
...which, in critical situations, meded ntowitoriiig and control. The ireed to wrap r i p to preserve residual herrt as tenipcratirres fell
inrpressed oir our ~rzarrthat, conte the tointer, he wortld take care to
wrap his fresh coricrete eqiially carefiilly!
76
Winter working
It may seem a little uriseusoriable to bring u p ... but now is the time to plan these days when ... arid eveii the mixer refuses to perform.
the topic at this time ofyear ... the car won ‘r sturt ...
Not to mention those technical discussions However, before we junip into the deep end and ... let ilook at the code recommendation mid.
regarding striking limes, for example. start steaming everything in sight ._. for e.rample, the maturity concept* _..
... establishing a goad correlation Make sure tliere is heat ut die mixer Keep the warmtli in the concrete, however we
between maturi/y and strength! trunsport it.
’ I
Wrap up theforms, avoiding draughts arid Invest in sonic ‘Quickstrip’ equipment and Even the odd electric blanket might not go
chilling winds. formalise your system of sturiding supports. amiss -for the benefit ofthe concrete, of
Things should proceed as normal. course!
* CPllO: Part!: 1972. p.117. Neville, A.M. Properties of concrete. 1995, p.304.
77
Concrete in adverse conditions
Our man sat arid pondered the iopic of ‘Nexi winter, ’ he decided, ‘I will take inore _..use sieani or hot water in ilie mix, as well
concrete iri extreme conditions of location, care of ihe concreie. be more carefiil uboui as heating the aggregaies, order hoi coiicreie
exposure and temperature arid whai had been ihe choice of adiiii.riiires mid use iiiore air- the suppliec nioniior ihe temperatures
fioiii
learned in practice. entrained concrete... mid control the curiiig cycle accordingly ..
... insulate ihefornis, arid ifmcessauy heat In ihe changeable weaiher we class as Spring, He had read** iliey also have to avoid dust
them, rioting ihat air siruciures have been used he wisrfiilly reflecied ihui in the deseris of ihis (a). mixing arid curing waier (b). and
io advantage as shelters for corisiruciion, world if is good practice to shade the sieel and groundwuier (e) that carry salts, uri)~of
concreting and curing’* (wiih ihe tower crane the concrete as well as ihe workers, and in hot which otherwise cause subsiaridard
padded to avoid punctures!). climaies to employ ice or chilled wuier io cool coiistruciiori.
ihe n i r .
Our man also remembered that, whatever the ... when construction or repair works (ire On reflection. our nian decided ihat the UK
conditions, care must be iuken over test needed in extreme locuiions, ihe method climate generally, and the liiile cloud thai
specimens, iesier and test equipment to ensure siaiemeiit and published proceduresfor seems to accoriipany hini wherever he works.
reproducabiliiy arid repeatabiliiy arid access should clearLv describe safe riieiliod.s are really quite kind to his concreie!
’respectable’results and ihui... wiih siiiiuble protection f i r all irivolved.
* Moor, K . , Woodhead, R. and Tuiile H. American concrete lnsiitute. SBM-2 (91). pp.109-Ill.
**Fookes. PG. Concrete in the Middle East. Concrete. 1993. pp.14- 20.
78
Placing, compacting and caring
It dawned upoti our inati that achieueinerit of soirrid con~piictiort ... os agreenieiit is reached oborct permissible lift heights,
begiris not on site h i t dirririg the design, specificatioii arid coritract coiistrirction joint location and formation, arid also ...
planning.. ,
... aboiit sensible reiriforcermnt selection, desigiz and detailing". H e realised that the forniwork has t o be robttst, grout-tight aiid
Such aw agreeinetit is iieeded t o allow positive fi.riiig arid locatioii as resistant to the pressures developiiig as concrete is placed.
tuell as access for uihratory gear arid to resist displacement ditriiig
eirsuing operations.
Provided with the essential, steady supply of concrete, desigried ... a crew trairied iii the safe iise of appropriate eqciipmeizt and
for the coniponent under construction and deliuered t o the point systeinatic placirig techriiques, with good access to all parts of
ofplaci11g ... the form ...
... atid a& to recognise when good compactioit is being achieved ... and asssiining care and atteiztiori in stripping the forms and the
(such as cessation of air bubbles, glazing of the surface, a line of curing process, the result will be concrete exhibiting all the signs
paste at the coticretelform interface and possildy a change in the of good coinpaction. I n other words, a job to be proud of!
sound of the equipnient)...
79
Self-compacting concrete
On hearing that in Scandinavia one man had placed 900m’ of Flowing concrete was a great innovation, althorrgh he remembered his
self-compacting concrete in a day‘, our man was prompted to first encounter with the material. I t certainly flowed on that occasion
consider his own experience with new materials. - in at one end of the forms, out at the other!
Encounters with fibre-reinforced concrete had provided some He had been impressed on learning the benefits o f high-strength
excitement until fibre-dispensing systems were improved: now, concrete, such as extra ‘rentable’space and less concrete to handle.
blown fibres prevent agglomeration. Thinking about further benefits offered by self-compacting concrete, ...
... he realised that its adoption could reduce stints on the poker He knew precasters had taken the material on board, as it was
and that in the factory there would be fewer external vibrators to excellent in linear production, flowed well through congested
lug about. reinforcement and reduced production times. He could foresee that ...
... form and mould displacement, poker burns and other defects ... who could rely on reinforcement remaining correctly located,
caused by vibratory effort would be things of the past. The material undisturbed by compactive effort. He is convinced that, with
woiild eliminate such problems and prove popular with designers experience, self-compacting concrete will prove to be as great an
and steel-fixers ... asset in construction as have the other types!
SURFACE FINISH
0
ur man is delighted that, thanks to work by organisations such as The Concrete
Society in cooperation with major contractors, he is no longer plagued by
imprecise specification. He is aware that specifiers can now see and quote
established samples, thus avoiding the ambiguity of historic specifications such as those
that called for fair-faced concrete.
He has noted that most designers have an improved understandmg of the need to detail
concrete finishes with their weathering characteristics in mind, and that they appreciate the
need for large samples and even full-size mock-ups of particularly demanding finishes for
prestigious contracts.
Many new finishes have been devised in our man’s time. He has seen aggregate exposed
by tooling, by abrasive blasting and water jetting. The retarders he now uses are safe, drying
on application, being activated by contact with concrete. The latest development he has
encountered is a means of transferring larger-than-life photographs to the concrete
surface as in photogravure.
Cubco man is well aware of the underlying truth concerning all concrete work, namely that
the operative or operator leaves on surfaces, tooled, featured, produced either chemically
or manually, a stark commentary on his abilities for years to come.
Surface finishes 1
Sirccessful jiriishes demand uniformity of exposure, tooling and texture. Random tooling should he avoided. Controlled tooling avoids
Shading'. ~
I Poor application of retarder will show on surface - use roller-spray or

correct brush.
Tooling taken to arrises results in uneven work and damage - margins
assist with uniformity.
Sheathing and panel joints will reproduce on concrete face - minimise Access problems will be revealed by inconsistency of work - always
defects by sound, tight Jxings. provide adequate work plalforms.
Surface finishes 2
Provide and constantly refer to sizeable pre-production samples to The scale offeatures arid details is critical- larger detail is cheaper
avoid disappointment. and easier to produce satisfactorily
Small defects are inevitable! Specfy repair techniques which have Consistency offill and control of tie location improve plane surfaces.
been proven over the years.
Avoid quilting. check f o r design, form condition, and rate of J21, Pre-coating or pre-conditioning will avoid shading due to differential
absorption.
Board onto board won 'r go - indented feature allows close A mild acid wash appliedfroni the top downwards over thoroughly
form/concrete joint - essential in heavily grained work. wetted aggregate surface will add lustre to the finish.
83
Surface finishes 3
-..
- .- - .<-
Visual concrete provides a lasting comnientary on the spec$er arid mix designer.. . w i p / o y i i ~ qspecified Surh details as choice arid application drelease
the ability afall those concerned in design, produc- inatevials udiicli have beeii proprrly soriipled arid a p i t require carefir1 attention, as do all aspects (If:.
tion arid construction.. . Success depends on the stored. -
skills of:. .
formwork design, construction and erection. Mainte- Handling techniques have to he stirdied too, i\Jigel Of come, placement and compaction presentjeui
nance of accuracy and cover call f o r the best ofpracti- Mansell has a lot to aristrvrfor! problems to the well trained team!. ..
col arid supervisory skills.
hut curing techniques may leave something to be Concrete characteristics are critiral throughout, as A capable trainer could put our chaps wise to many
desired. Thank goodnessfor the humid British cli- well as appropriate uiorkability in the placing and other very practical aspects., , more next time!
nrate! compaction stages, developrnerit of strength to resist
freezing and nierhariical darnage is iinportarit at
striking time!
84
Surface finishes 4
Fornis leaned against freshly cast concrete muy cause pernianent mark.\ Siniilar defkcts can result from stacking precust units on wider
because of dflerentiul curing. tiniber battens - use least possible contact - plastic or concrete
blocks
Keep .satnples of approved aggregates to avoid seasonal cllunges in That brown rriark rnay he steel, p)~rite.s,adniixture. rust.from
shupe and colour: pictlog.~,etc. Investigate cureful1,v before reniediul work.
Opening forniers must be sealed to avoid grout leakage criusing staining - When exposing concrete to considerable (Iepth, increase concrete
watch f o r fornier rotation aboutfiwings. also lifr due to concreie pressure. cover accordingly. Rust inay not be actual reinforcing steel hut
siniply scale and dust transferred vici oil ontoforin.
Joint rules at stopends ensure straight-line joints. Additional studding For tricks of the fiormvork trucle, see the section on forinwork arid
ensures positive s/ieathing/concrete contact und av0id.s curtain.^ '. falsework. p p . 23-46.
Surface finishes 5
a .-
I
Fillets n ) ~ f o m r i i ~ rrrntgiris
q iriill preserve nrrises. Tlrnr ojerr-speciJlird ‘irrri&rrriity oJfirrislr’ is djfficrrlt
Quirks ur ritsricntior? strips 1)) assist at clrnrFrs of f u nchieve: irie kriuiii of tirore tlinrr 40 fnctors iuhich
testirre. Alloiimce ririrsr be r?rnde-fiir tlre.fnct tlrnt nflicr rlre resrrlrs - rerripernrrrre, rriis clrnrocteristics,
vnlirnble ‘cuvercrete’ is reitroved irr the touliiig pru- tiiiiirrg ofoperntiuris, etc.. .
cess.
riot the lenst are eryurrorriic corrsiderntiorls. Our irrnrr ibfntry uJtlie-fnerors cnrr be deterrriirred, n i i d colt- Tlierr, wirlr o sorrrrd supply qfcoricrete, placed to
linsri’tjrll currrrul over the tool ivlietr reacliiqq or trolled, ijnll pnrties agrre uti stnrrdnrds by itreoris <$ the vibrator it? sirbstaiirial, tightforiris at n p o d rote
stoopiirg.,, best #or[ is flyplied b r t i u e e ~s/ioirlder
~ n tirodel or trinl porrel os reciiirirrierrdd irr ‘Fimi- qffill, we’re ivell O H rlie way to success!
orid krree level.. , good access is critical. wurk - a grridr 10 good practice’+
* ‘Forinwork - n guide to good practice’. Joint Comiiiittcc of The Collcrctc Socirty . l i d The In\titutlon of Structural Eiigineerr
86
Surface finishes 6
Used a lot in America, especially on tilt-up (1) A carved or routered hoardforms a Erne taken in removingfinsfront Douglas Fir
construction, polythene sheet over stones on U mould f o r casting polyurethane liners. (2) pays off in providing niuny boardmarked
base casts an interesting feature finish. The liner with pierced ply backing can castings. A good mould sealer is essential.
then be screw-fixed to form (3).
\
0
\
\ 8
‘Face-up‘ precasting allows expression of An advantage offace-lip casting is instant Reinember to avoid details that prevertr
feutirres of aggregate - depth of wash repairahility. chosen aggregate from filling corners.
accentuates stones. Chamfers and rounds help here - also
choose aggregate size carefully!
Stones settle againsi mould base and present Expect sparsity of aggregate at mould sides Poorlyfixed sheathing niay cause lines of
‘valuef o r money’ -grade of retarder governs and against in-situ forms. External vibrators high intensity offines. Introduce backing
exposure in face-down casting. are particularly liable to cause this. member at joint and double upfixings.
Fix feature formers for striaiions betweeri A recent problem - cast in brick-facings are Do, do, do provide physical key, either integral
ply fillets to present grout-tight face to too good! - the bricklayer ‘humours’the top or in-built, resined, stainless pins.
concrete. ofthe brick, precusters place face down and
equalise inequalities. Mask infill in shadow.
87
Fixing to concrete
\ 1
There is afising for evevythirig these Ear defenders and goggles should be Penetration depth in concrete will govern
days. although high strength concrete used f o r directfixing work. Also work in strength offixing - distance from edges is
can cause some problems. badly ventilated spaces should be critical.
N voided.
----------
a
\
Concrete provides a lot of surprises - this is not
a most pernianent arrangenient.
Whenfixing to pre-tensioned concrete
elements a look at the end of the unit will
help to establish fixing location.
Lines offixings can cause problems!
< p i
+
To get a souridfixing using drilled ... and at right angles to the surface. Check for reinforcing positions to avoid
holes, the hole must be ofthe correct damage to the tip of the drill and possibility of
dianieter arid depth as recommended interference with anchor expansion.
by the nianirficturer ....
i’
Ideally the Jixing should be between and Follow the maker k reconimendations Trialfixings are essential when important
below steel, spaced to avoid upset regarding torque - we’ve met the fellow Jsings are concerned. The niunufacturer k
between adjacent fixings. before. representative has a much simpler device for
pro0f testing!
Surface retarders
Surface retardem simplifi the achievement of Make sure that the corituiner is thoroirghly
exposed uggregate concrete of acceptable stirred - a mechanical niixer would help,
Apply evenly with CLEAN roller or brush to
visual standard.s. Consistent workability and
previously seuled surfaces.
care with adnii.rtirres is, however: e.s.seritial.
Avoid leaving the container uncovered. Protect coated surfaces J?om weather - we are Take care that the concrete gang are
Solvents cari evaporate away - sonie are prortiised a waterproof returder sooii. instructed iri placing techniques arid realise
flammable too. the need f o r carejirl work.
____.__ -
Avoid the "belt-it-in technique which scufls
" Use the same people to brush away retarded Don Pfiiiish up reading the instructions as a
the retarder coat and watch for those big paste and fines - high pressure water or air last resort when all else has failed!
feet! and water is ideal.
89
Architectural concrete
O u r man is impressed by the range of ...as rue11 as emerging in-situ flooring ...and, at the other end of the spectrum,
concrete finishes available t o the designer... techniques 171 Scandinavia where pigmented exposed aggregate partels used in American
such as the polished finish, the result of concretes are placed successively into tilt-up construction, employing 200mm
filling, grinding, filling and polishing by previously hardened concrete laid in Stone cast using the traditional sand-bed
the precaster... predetermined patterns before a final technique - spectacular!
grinding when all is hard ...
He noted the recent developments in He knows, of course, that the current ...where the stark structctral integrity of
abrasive and water jetting, particttlarly the generation of colour-coded snrface concrete is t o be expressed, permeable
possibilities these offer designers for retarders provide accurate control of depth formzuork ensures a dense durable face.
emphasising form arid texture. of exposure and can be used on any form
surface, and that ...
'\ ' / A
He had beeri impressed by the use of ...and had seen 'magical' uses of Above all, he is well aware that none of
precast ferro-cement elements in glass-reinforced concrete, particttlarly in these finishes could be achieved without
prestigious buildings ... the Middle East in building enclosrrres, sun appropriate skills and training and proper
screens and similar applications. investment in equipment.
Concrete surfaces
As soon as our men read the specrficatioii, ... on the economics ofJorniwork, noting that The guide also contaiiis irlforniatiori orifiriishes
they soirglit out a copy of ‘Forinwork - a inuppropriate sirrfacefinishes feature heavily iriclirdirig ‘Specialfiiiislies Cubco:s
I...
guide to good practice ’*, where they found among detuils sucli as corbels. variatioris in specialities! Uifortunaiely, in the past. they
commentaty .. slab soffits. wall heights and column centres, have experienced difjcrrltj~in interpreting some
box-outs arid inserts, in ortversely cffecting specrficatioris iri this category.
ecorioni,v of production.
Follo~virigJirr/herstir& of the O w nieii were reminded ofthe need for carejrl Toolirig... producing a liigli-qualityfiiiishi then
recommeridations iii the guide, however; selection of release ageiits in the pur~suitof knocking off’crll sorts of spots - seeins N
there is lit/le doubt that our team will in good surface Jiiiish, as well US care iii applying destructive process! Althotrgh it is oJen seen as
Jitture use trial pariels und establish saniple , .sprLiys on site. Havirig tliirs consulted the a wrry of ‘improving ‘poor surfaces, oJen more
standards at site early in each coritract, arid ‘Oracle’,our men j. thoirgghts turned to blemishes w i l l he exposed as tooling proceeds.
match them in subseqrrent work. alternative surJucefinishes that they might offe~: lii /his case, plrin margins would have protected
tlie urrisesfrom our nian :s at/ack!
Abrasive blasting. particularly tlie ’hrush- Striated concrefe and exposed aggregu/e.s using Of coiirse, where really .specialJiiislies such as
blast finish is IieIpJirl in avoidirig crazing
I, nrrfiice retarders continire to provide simple, stone mid brick faces are required, oirr man
brit there are a whole lot of regulations to economic arid practical nieuiis ofprodircing realised that the precaster: with his mot10
he observed and care to he taken ifour men interesting strflaces that werrther well. Liners precasters do it lying down’. can siniply
are to live to a ripe old age! 111 the field, are very popirlur and ‘controlled permeability’ produce eridle.s.s varieties offinish.
high-pressure water jetting arid wuterboriie niatericrls ure making a huge impact on
abrasive techniques are proving pop~lar: indirstty, especiully as they improve
‘covercrete qiruliy.
* Formwork - a guide to good practice. 2nd Edition. The Concrete Society. 1995.
91
Maintaining concrete finishes
Our man has known for a while that, although he sometimes has Mud or clay stains are most frequently encountered and he hoses
problems bonding things to concrete, his colleagues have little these off at tbe earliest possible moment.
difficulty in the matter!
Many stains respond to dilute acid applied to a wetted surface. Some stains respond to abmsiues, air-adabrasive sprays, or
from the top down ... for which he dons the correct protective water jetting ._.
clothing, goggles and - importantly - an effective mnsk.
brit really difficult, local blemishes may require poitlticing nnd/or Stitbborti stains may call for specialist attention. Our man never
steam cleaning ... reminiscent of early medical treatments. experiences a shortage of recommended remedies!
Of course, the best ways to reduce maintenance problems are to incorporate textured concrete surfaces to deter vandals.
protect the surfaces dirritig constrirction and ...
92
\
Protecting concrete
93
Cleaning concrete
First/)!, It 1s CSSeIftifllto eSfflb/iS/JI U h i l t the _..11 fiiiledcoping joint. gasket or flashing,

pro6lem is. Is it rust, pyrites, bitnnien ... the geometry of a feature sloruing the
oil? I s it from ofitside or from w i t h i n t h e prrssrlge of tuutcr causing deposits of dirt.("
concrete? Only tuheri the cause is Delects shoitki 6e rectified 6efore airy
estahlished can the remedial work begin... remedial ruork.
perhaps it is time t o call in an expert!
There are plenty of cl~ettricalsfor use in Manrrfactrrrers worn thiit uapours from Sometimes the oldest remedies do the trick ...
cleaning concrete. Some present safety some chernicif/ cleririing agents inay attack dilute acid applied to wet concrete, ruasked
problems or may upset later treatments .... neorby surfaces, ond srnsibly aduise tes/ing o/f with copious amounts of water.
Best t o stick to proven materials. a small sample area Correct protective wear is essential - a full
Unliased advice is available from face niask with the correct cartridges
trade associations.'zJ installed! Lightweight masks do not
protect against fumes.
Abrasiue blasting, although extremely ... tooling, used to remove heavy Water jetting or a comhiiration of water
effective for cleaning fine textures is contamination, is both operator-sensitive arid ahrasive seems to be the kitrdest
operator-sensitive, and ... and concrete-sensitive arid may reveal treatment /or niost 'ailments'and
further prohlems! usually produces the desired result.
O n completion, it is time to consider
coating or sealing, parricrrlarly ruhere
cover has been reduced.
( 1 ) Precast concrete cladding. Ed H.P.J.Taylor. London, Edward Arnold.

(2) Removal of stains and growths from concrete. Crowthorne,
British Cement Association. Appearance Matters Series, No.5
94
weathering
‘ 0 ’
Skilled design ofJilce andjcuture can

eiisnre that weathering or ugeing enhances
the appearance of U building.
Joints in flashing or other building details

When we consider the variety of conditions 10 may cuiise discoloration of concrete “hand”
which a structure is subjected it is not courses, panels or beams by directing water
surprising that different weathering patterns jlow
emerge.
,/
Rate of water movement and point of

Reeded surfaces and modular details
discharge are critical to consistency of
provide preferential paths crnd localise
weathering.
marking.
I)
@-
7 ‘ 0
This may occur on a non-modular basis as 3**
d o v e or where windows or curtain walling
G
.:
cause concentrated movement of dirty water .J
a
- then the marks may be modular:
0
Some detailsformalize the weathering

process and add to the visual effect.
The effects of “mini environnients are offen
”
upparent at returns in elevations and

corners of the slructure.
Reeded or striated, concrete directs the

water in the way the designer intends.
Exposed aggregate and lightly ground or

etched concrete. have a pretty good track
Horizontal surfaces allow dust to collect and We all have something to contribute from record and it k advisable to make the selection
upset consistency ofJnish. previous experience! on the hasis ofjnishes which have proved
sutisfactory in the local environment.
Repairs and remedial work
Where the duniage is structural, cortstrlt the engineer as to hest nietliod of repair:
Cut buck concrete to uvoid feather edges and supplement the steel with nte.sh or
OK, so we have all ltad trouble with bad contpaction Ultd dowel bars. Chentical fixirigs ure irsejiil.
duinaged carrier.s. How can we repuir these effectively?
Most important - ensure correct

Punch in structural concrete nti,~using
curing
-~irsirtg water, hessian or curing
ntechnr~icalhaininer or caulking tool.
contpound. Now we are ready for the
finishing operation.
\
Clean the concrete surfaces, provide sound
forniwork suitably strutted into position, saturate
the concrete and allow the surface to dty
Dress in to a tightfinish using a piece of

ntarble or U centerit float.
Sieve the fine material atsd use muterial pa.ssing Having stippled i n an approved (Acknowledgements to H.J. White. C&CA.)
he 600 nticron sieve - coarser muterial tnay be bondrrtg agent, apply the mortar tnrx
used if limeslone. Use a I:2X cementtsand mix.
Tlte marble is front 'wash-stand' or the float is We have thus avoided the repair made with Our repairs will withstand a.ssault with a
cast on a sheet of glass. Fnishing material' so hazardous in blunt instrument (an offcut of 25mm bar)
precasting and the special contpound that and will ring like a bell when struck!
leaves 'repairs' suspended on threads afier a
f e w months.
HANDLING AND SAFETY
M
uch production and construction includes potentially hazardous operations.
Many thousands of tonnes of steel and concrete are placed and poured daily
involving the strihng and erection of huge quantities of formwork and
falsework. In the past 25 years, there has been a massive change in attitude to safety in the
workplace. In his early days in the industry, safety appeared to our man to be the last item
on any agenda, almost an afterthought!
He knows that safety is now a paramount consideration right from the planning stage.
Training at all levels has instilled in managers, supervisors and operatives awareness that
care and consideration for workforce safety promotes higher quality of product and
improved outputs. Designers and estimators build safety into their calculations and
employers provide equipment, clothing and fachties to promote a safety culture on site and
in works. Safety considerations are now an essential aspect of construction and production
operations.
97
Lifting
n
We once knew a man in the block industry who ., until someone told hini what he lifted in a A lot of lifting depends on stance. *
lifted I 1 tons ofpallets every day. .. day! He demanded his cards and money and
left!
\
Chin in, but looking one’s height (the chin Foot position is very important. ( I ) Too Fold fingers conEfortubly around weight to
tucked in elevates head, straightens neck, close - lack of balance, (2) Onefoot apply utmost pressure easily.
relieves back and shoulder muscles and pointed - good balance, (3) Toofar apart!
helps breathing). Try it!
These hand positions distribute work among Balance is everything - lifting out of and A balanced one-handed lift aided by force
several muscles. Straight arms are important. over things causes endless damage. applied using other hand and arm could be
better i f applicable.
\
Pushing is difficult to carry out well. Again chin in, use body weight -possibly Having lifted it. then what? 63% of reportable
shoulder as well -front foot is ready to check accidents result from people falling or being
action. fallen upon!
* The manager’s responsibility for safety. London, The Industrial Sociev, 1979.
93
Lifting equipment
m
Probably the most economic ~ttachmentis by The rnostfreyuent source ofproblein is the Adjirstable spreader bars ensure correct
using throirgli-holes-pins niti.st be good fit and eye bolt - best avoided. upplication of force to cast-in lifting fittings
well secured. rind cater for units with difserently located
centres of gruvity.
Spreader bars are essential for long members, Articirlated spreader bars allow U vuriety of A simple rocking beam caters for elenients
avoiding ihe tendency f o r the ends to wunt io sluhs to be handled. where lifting hooks w e other ikun concyclic.
meet.
Special brackets rnuy be required to ensure Ii seenis like .sciencefiction but lijiing of Really heavy elen~entsdenland trunnions or
cladding elements hang in a manner that allows plunks in multiples offive or si.x has speeded cast-in plute connections.
insertion of gaskets. arid so on. in erection. irp erection on a riirniher of sites.
Beware the ‘7 tonne syndrome ’. No niatter what The ungle between slings dererntines /lie The National Federation of Birilding Trades
it says on thefitting, the lifting capacity of any tensile force in those slirig.s: inset - ilie Entployers Manual ‘Con.struction Safety ’
aitachrnertt is a function of concrete strength at ntukings of disaster! published by BAS Munugemerit Services
the time oflfting. provides U weullh oJuseJirl inforination.
99
Safety
Common law has established the rights of

the worker, i.e. safe fellow workers ...
... and, safe method of working.
Safe place of work
And of course we have all attended However, some points come home more
lectures on the subject. forcibly than others. personal accidents..
Or accidents tofrie1id.Y
Accidents are never planned, The outconie certainly not intended.
Often quite innocent people are involved ...
Conscientious people working where they Some also cotitrihute to their own disaster. A l l of which makes it more imperative to keep
have been told to work using the approved .+ty at the top of the list!
method.
Sitesafe ’83
Whether architect or de.sigrier. .._engineet; drcrrrghtsnian or detrriler: ... cstirnutor or prodircrioti

plulil~~l:..
truinee itinnager, chuin boy. subcontrucior: form worker, fulseworker: _. curpenter:
coticreter:. Clerk of Works. Resideni Engirieer.. ... gerierul foreniaii
Sikw~fe‘83 deniand.s our supporr.
... conirrrct manager, peripuiefic supervisor: ... o r one oftlie coimtless ~houscriidswhich include
the rest of irs!
101
Moving loads
A good general rule is never pick anything up All chains, ropes and lifiing gear must be Spreader bars are essential in hundling long
manually or niechanically uniil a place has marked wiih some means of identification. elenietits, they crl.so overconie problems wiih
been prepared 10 set it down! registered and S. W L . indicated. 'odd-leg' trniis.
- __ - A sintple liffirtg arrangenient utilising

Balance h e m s overconie the problems Be carejirl- ihe lifiing capacity of a loop
socket, stud or what-have-you is a fiinciion of through holes in concrete. Eitsure fiited bars
otherwise preseni where lifiing loops etc. are
the strengih of the concrete i n which it is are used with washers and pins.
non-cyclic.
eni bedded!
Ensure ihat ihe nature and ihe mass ofthe lifi Outriggers should be soundly based and Ropes must be vertical at time oflfiing!
isjrlly understood - /his situation has arisen away from edges ofexcavaliori - check ihat
in practice. they are fully extended -you'll need a crane
io locate ihe big ones.
Loads can be 'inched' (or is it millimetred!) Patent flat jacks can be slipped into tight spots Sand jacks are worth considering; whilsi the
using a Tirfor onto a convenient anchor: to move missive loads uccuraiely - 5 io 10 ruw niaterials are freely availuble ihey areii f
keniledge or lump of concrete with suitable hook. uses can be obtained. Shaped rnetal plaies used as ojeri as ihe,v niight be.
transmit force
7 02
Supervision
Muiritairiing a cheerfit1and frieridly approach

helps to get the best out ofpeople ... Although they might sometimes he
After all ‘they’are riot responsible for rill your
contributors!
troubless.
At all costs resist the temptation to ’wrap’ things

round iiecks.
You ‘vegot to show, ho+o,where rindI when -
sometimes often!
These driys it seems it .i.just not enough to say
what you want.
It is worth remembering some men work best if Others need rather more attention.
left alone.
A useful point of contact for all is that of
safety where a commori goal is shared.
As is help with other problems where the goals It goes without saying the admonition shou And that a little public praise is a good
are much the same. a private matteK motivator:
103
Cranes
As he is above our line ofsight, we might .._and the competent banksman! Good communications are, of course,
forget the considerable contribution made by essential.
the crane driver ...
\ /
/
The driver b e y e view is goodfor spotting In passing - stacking beams, piles, bar and Watch how they are .stacked, however. Check
bottlenecks. linear stock normal to the travel provides a location and number of battens.
bonus in terms of swept area.
On the smaller scale. air hoists make f o r _..and a simple monorail improves Pendant controls free a man to join the
speedy handling ... throughputs. production team.
Problems of overlap can be eased by Areas of intensive activity can have Remember that, until air percolates the
strategically placed rail and bogeys. supplementary gantry coverage - or he mouWconcrete interface, stripping an element
supplied by fast skip or bullet. from afixed base is akin to testing the
equipment to destruction!
Crane communications
- -
Best mid safest results come from using
recommended signals* ... “Lower” “Slew IeJ A ” “Slew right B”
“Hoist” (clenchfist for take slrain)
“Jib up” (hand on head) "Jib down” (hand oii head) “Travel to me“ (indicate “Travelfront nie”
with both hands) (indicate with both hands)
“Stop. (clench and uricleiicii) “inch the “Emergencystop” “Ifirid it iinpoxsihle to signal dire to iolforeseen circunistances! ”
load”
* Series of cruiie signals recommended (with one exception!) by the National Federation of Building Trades Employers arid Federrition of Civil Engineering
Contractors.
705
Getting things moving
R i b
.. -
-3=----.
z
-__ - .-~.-- -
We realised long ugo that, setting aside the And top marksfor inriovaiion go to thefitter The humble motor hub makes a great
expense of the rollers, gravity conies free. The supervisor whose roller devices open up ihe tiirntablefor gritting products.
problem is stopping ihings rather than siorting works for the crane to out-load.
theni!
Bogeys divorce stack arid load from produciion We have lollg advocated the wheel as (1 ._.or as a basis of a wire dispenser in
- Cuhco man cuii move several tonnes means of controlled discharge... prestressing.
(downhill!).
In the Middle East you find everything O H The heavy roller has its place in concrete We’ve heard that in the US supervisors
wheels - the fitter’s shop goes everywhere. production as well as cricket. (Fill tube with have beeri pur on wheels - roller skates,
rebar or concrete.) perhaps.
Method study nien put setters-out on wheels to Storie-age technology it may be, hut rollers We would riot be surprised! W h a ~will be
good eflect in one joinery works. allow the easy niovement of the most the next use our inventive ladsfind for the
uwhuard elements -for finishing. wheel, we wonder?
706
Ergonomics
--
In /he library, we rook a look at the ropic We learn/ a lo/ more about 'our ~ n u n' and his And, oltliorrgk mos/ of /he work on /lie /opic
of ergonomics. pliysicril charucteristic.s! has been based on orlter indiistries, /he book
empliusised how position und conditions
aflec/ /lie qirali/y of /lie prodrrct.
4 0 . .
1 ' , , . I ) . I I
/-
-
Kneeling, for instance... ... r e ~ l i i n...
g and overhand work.
1
'v ' > $;a
Also how: when jii/igiie sets in .... ... /he changed posifion rind al/ered interface ... drus/iccilly ajfect results
wi/h /he workpiece,..
-===------ ~
-
Er~onotnicallysperiking, every part of /lie ... to /lie e.r/en/ /liar /lie workpiece presen/.s u We piit /he book back, resolving /o smdy /lie
task varies - as do the resul/s... perniunent cornrnentury on the niethod, skills ma/terjir/her!
und conditions.
107
Safe working with small dumpers
A most helpful publication appeured on our ._.concerning small diimnpers and the antics of Many of us hcrve seen the results arid it k
desk the other day*... some of those who drive them. interesting tofociis on the details for a
while.
A
c.. __
Little points of self-preservation such as ‘the Guards to prevent people getting wound into Prohibiting passengers iiriless a piirpose-
grip ’. the works. built sea/ is provided (iisuully only foirrid
on /raining vehicles).
Ensuring the vehicle (and the driver k vision) Providing effective stop-logs or blocks to ... which apparently huppensfairly
are in efficient working order and good repuir: prevent /he niachine running or$illing over the frequently!
edge of an e.rcavation ...
And, although you will have noticed our man The publication is very coniplete arid
... which may save his life. it won ’t protect his
is aware of the need for head protection... includes reJbreiice to the Motor khicles
limbs.
(Cons/riiction and Use) Regulations 1978.
offering assistance over enquiries.
* Safe working with dumpers. Health and SuJdy Executive. HMSO.
708
PRECAST AND PRESTRESSED
CONCRETE
W
ork in precast concrete production presented our man with an insight into the
ways of the precaster. He was impressed by the possibilities presented by the
range of processes available to those worlung in the enclosed environment of
the precast works, and even in works set up on site. The outputs resulting from
mechanisation and automation compared favourably with those he was familiar with on
site, offsetting the additional costs of transport and erection.
The h g h rates of production achieved in works stem from the use of equipment such as
gang moulds, battery moulds, static casting machines and mobile extrusion m a c h e s . These
combine with carefully controlled mix characteristics and, where appropriate, prestressing
techniques to ensure economic use of expensive facilities. The rapid turnround of frame
units and cladding elements displaying exotic aggregates and reconstructed stone finishes
underlines the SUS employed in mould manufacture.
In works and at site, he witnessed the production of both linear beams and segmental
elements for bridges and was impressed by the technique of incremental, segmental bridge
launching, each freshly cast element being post-tensioned to the previously cast element as
the bridge took shape over the piers.
Latterly, he encountered tilt-up construction and noted the speed of the operations, use of
traditional skills and the possibhties for incorporating special finishes while maintaining
the simplicity of the site casting processes.
109
Precast concrete: samples and prototypes
In establishing standards of appearance and accuracy, whether for Models that replicate the details included in the production element
cladding * or structrrral/visrral elements, large samples are essential. provide a niore realistic sample, particularly if produced in the same way
While indicating possible texture and colour, small samples often and by the same workers to be employed in the production.
provide a commentary on the skills of the sample ntaker!
Given the funds, frill-size pre-production sanzples can be assentbled, in Models also have value in communicating complicated detail, as in
the factory or on site, to determine standards of finish and validate ‘hybrid’ structures with high-quality finishes. Otherwise, heavy-duty
connection details ahead of prodtiction. bolted and strbsequently welded connections between true composites
of structural steel and concrete‘ take some understanding!
Although the precaster has the opportunity to cast elements in the ... large size santples should be available in the ioorkplace to provide
ntanner best suited to the achievement of correct cover to reinforcement ongoing reference for the workers. Standards established earlier may
and good compaction, essential to quality of finish ... otherwise decline during weeks or months of production.
For the designer to have a realistic view of his intentions, product The precaster’s stocks o f elements of specified and approved qualiry are a
suspended on a crane can be rotated, and viewed at the distance and critical factor in continuity of supply, erection and progress at site.
with the orientation it will have in the structure.
Cast in stone. Architectural Cladding Association, 60 Charles Street, Leicester, L E l l F R . ‘Interface. Newsletter of Trent Concrete Lirnlted. Colwlck, Nottingham, NG4 2BC
110
111
Precast concrete 1
Precast concrete 2
Precasters have been “Fasr-tracking”for many To get t h e best rcsults.fiont precast concrete., , Estab- Visit rompleted work to assess acruracy of elements,
years.. . precasting being carried on i n time other lish detail u s i q large srale samples a n d j u l l size quality cferection and suitability of details.. .
than that critical to the overall duration. mark-ups.. .
which must be produced with manufacture and erec- T a k e a close look at the.jacilities that the precaster C$ T l i e ratio ofsupervisors to operatives is important in
(ion i n mind. Simply “chopping-up” an insitu de- firs.. . many have some particular specialisation. terms ofquality Check the skills available too
sien i w u l d vresent difficulties.
precasters take pride i n the quality of their reinforce- and where prestressittg is ram’ed out.. ,
exotic agqrqate and stone or brickfaced elements,
meitt cages, carejully tied and labelled with extreme
each material suitably bonded into the backincc
care over maintainin<q the cowect cover.. .
concrete.
quality product, providin‘f early enclosure, speeding

Moulds and steel are caref//y checked cat- allfinishes are produced itn‘th references to substantial
iiistallation of services and redun’ng expensive on-site
in,?. .. samples. Inspertion prior to despatch ensures.. .
time.
7 12
Precast concrete 3
Trends in techniques for designing and ... have resulted in greater use ofelements and erection.
detailing precast concrete (including suited to manufacture ...
perhaps the use of computers !)...
7 - /
U
?
- . .. .. . . . ..
... produced using considerable ... incorporating the wide range offinishes In production there is considerable emphasis
mechanisation while... available. on quality control...
... and quality assurance. .. ... such as that applied in theflooring ... ... and frame schemes of BSI, FCS and CFA
The advantages taken from these and ... when coupled with the skills of 'the lads' ... ._.produce attractive energy-efficient
parallel developments in plant and structures providing early revenue on
equipment... investment.
113
Prestressed concrete 1
Wt
Ducts require restraint against downwards movement, Duct location can be determined by ‘Shrink’plastic sleeves ensure grout-tight and
flotation and lateral displacement. Make fixings at offuts of steel welded to mild steel strong joints in ducts. Insertion of tendons before
‘stationpoints ’ on catenaryf o r ease of installation and stirrups or by wiring to sleeved concreting helps avoid duct wobble.
checking. dowels.
Remember that at transfer the units on a long-line bed will move towards the dead-end
abutment - bearing plates and projections must be free to slide. When the prestress is
transferred or a post- tensioned beam is stressed, the loading on base (orfalsework) changes
from one which is unifornily distributed to one which is imposed at reactions. Check for corner
Simple roller hung by angle steel frame assists in damage on skew beums.
the entering of tendons at anchorage position.
Failure to indicate clearly the state of beams which Stacking battens should be at or near ends of Bad ground or bad stacking can result in
are partially prestressed for handling purposes may most prestressed units and directly above sideways deflection and creep.
result in failure. Mark with paint afrer partial each other:
prestress is applied.
The prestressed manufacturer will generally be Most prestressed plank and flooring requires
pleased to grade units and deliver in such a way propping until topping is finished and achieves
that camber is evened out over bay of specified strength: avoid local ‘dumping’ of
construction. concrete.
114
Equipment should be tested and calibrated arid

the reqirireriierits of the specificutiort observed Let :s choose our brightest people for the
re: provirig rings. etc.
work, they niust be alert atid niust keep
cureful records. Ksual uud audio warnings, barriers,
gloves and goggles are needed for safety
Avoid - sharp corners 011stopeiid.s arid distributiort

plutes, electric (weldiiig) current mid speller from Erke over duct loccrtioris. eurly irtsertion of
Grips (mid couplers) should be curejirl1,v burning operutioiis, iristunt failure cuii result. teridorts assists with line. Beware, uplifr
examined for weal: a tube ‘dolly’ will ensure CUII displace cage as we//!
even locatioii of wedges.
Proprietary sleeves form excelleut joint, strong and Provide space for cast-in bearing plates to Watchfor correct skew - beoms have been
grout tight. Observe niuiii@cturer.s instructions re: accornrnodute inoventent at time of truiisfer or cast wrong harid. Corners ure liable to
pocket arid anchor detuil. This w i l l ensure iiose o r stressing. Distribution of loud on base chaiiges duiiiuge due to camber - chunifers will
jack caii be introduced correct1,v. at stressing too. help avoid spalliiig,
Eiisirre teaiii rinderstand relatioiiship hehveeii Dolt P exceed giveri gauge reading in aii Alwrr.vs observe recoiiiiiiended seyirerice of
- reading and exteiision. Lack of extension
gauge
. attenipt to achieve extension! -stop - stressing to avoid traps uiid ALWAYS keep
indicates blockage of friction in duct. corisirlt engineer! accurate records.
7 15
Less drmrrotic, brit eqrt~7llyescititrg. were

post-teiisiorred iri-sitrr floors where sirriply
irrstcrlled teiidorrs arid airclmr‘rgrs, plus
sonre ndditiorrnl reiriforcerneirt. rnnke
early striking 111foriris possible, speeding
the complete constrrtction cycle.f
* Techiircal Report N o 47. T/JeChtcrrfe Society.

t K CABritrsh Cenient Assuciofion Pirblrcation I’ Post-tensioned cirircrele //orirs i n ntrtlti-storey lmi/dinp”.
116
I
Differeritiul camber can result from poor Works checks against a tuut wire cat7 assist by
conipaction - and a nuniber of other lhings. grading elements f o r sequential placement.
When you draw out a section firll-size you realise

the challenge to the producer presented by the
combinatiori ofsteel and ducts.
rigerits get cross when they realise thut the

crane niust be brought back to site to clear a
While we are at it we should check those blockage!
transverse holes ...
Talking of camber we had some problems with

sideways camber once ...
the product was perniunent forniwork it7 /he

shape of T arid L beanis for an airport
concour.~e.The transverse stressing cleured it up. Prestressed plank .sinipliJe.s the jackwork
The prestressed Jormwork elements provided below decks - 55,000 were used by the
aii economic answer to spunriing U major contractor in the elevated section of the M4.
road - reducing the falsework reqirirements
under the 4-lane span.
\
U*’&
\\
How ubout this for a novelty - in 1951 we made when turned on edge they could be opened out Jun Bobrowskik ‘bendy’cladding panels still
sonie roof units using 30m!?ip h k s a/teriiately to form an elegant wage. take a bit of beating, however!
linked and dehonded ...
117
Concrete moulds for precasting
A considerable anioiint ofprecastirig can be carried out on a y a t slab cast J?om concrete niorild arid just one reniovable side member:
using paper or polythene as a parting agent. Side nienibers - roadfornis
or timber - cun be supported by pins or plates.
Where slender units or slabs are precast, a suitable reinforced slab can Duct covers, wall units and suitably reitforced slabs c m be cost using
be used as U ‘tilting table’. Concrete pallets are useJiil in product concrete sleeper walls and concrete cell dividers.
manuJacture.
Products and tiirinel segntents can be battery Artist j. or designer i original works c m Of course the iiltiniate mould materiul is
cast using gang casting methods - all mould readily be translated via concrete muster GRC - its strength, resistance and
nieinbers generated from accurate masters. nioiilds into ‘artfor eternity ’! moulclability are the answer to the mould
designer k pruyer!
7 18
Mould design
I t S no use - the books only give you part you musi gei a feeling for ihe skills oJihe to develop an undersianding ofthe impact of
of ilie story! To design moulds ... crajismen who build moulds ... numbers, mass. scale and geomeity - a good mould
niun can piciure every variety.
Models will help wiih visualising complex Muke a careful siudy of all the details - Keep un open mind on materials - not dijjfjcultfor a
shapes and understanding geometty never accepi ihat the per~sonproducing Cubco man! Look closely ui other peoplek
then1 understood ihe iniplicutions oJihe iechnology.
lines on the drawing!
Take care over details .... Grout tightness. Tighi joints carefully locaied ....andJ.red Make sure your intentions are ihoroughly
lead, draw and siripability nienibers. govern accuracy and quality. understood by ihose who must use the moulds.
Gei in there yourself and try to improve Conirol those concreters - ihey have iargets to Maintain the conirol and beware the 'do-it-yourself'
your detail and method. meei -your moulds must allow speed oJJI1 and mould demolition kiis provided in loo many works!
the achievement of good compaction.
119
Polymer moulds and liners
A loi ofpeople are busy with casting resins They can be used to provide both fornl Jircing You can buy them ready-made, by the roll, as it
and rubber lately and product mould liners. were...
I--.
which may even result in board marks Whether formulating for rigid or flexible as is ihe mixing technique - mechanicul stirring
around the column one day! liners the proportioning is critical... is essential.
. -
-. . . . . . .
_ . .. . . . . .. . ..
. . . . . . ;. .
. ---.- ; , . ,
w -
Reinforcing rod, tube or mesh strengthens Fixing to forms can be achieved by A little gentle heat aids ihe curing process!
heavy liners, undercuts and iniricate derail embedding pierced ply for subsequent bolting
can be reproduced. atiachment.
The maierial is self-releasing,provided So your man can dispense wiih mould orform Next, products and reproduction in the
concrete siregth is such as to resist oil. renovation process... oh, and some sculpiure!
mechanical damage.
120
Flexible moulds
..
--
Where some sculpture is io he reinstated or ohiuin copyright clearance and permission to Take the original stone ....
where intricute undercut details is to he work (take oui subsiantiul irisurunce!)
reproduced.. ...
I
or what is called a “masier”model! Coat the niaster wiih plasiicene ’* to produce n Assemble the coded master in a form - orfix
nicely rounded shape - this coaiirig governs !he a form around the master:
thickness of the eveniualflexible mould.
Place concrete. plaster or grc niix into !heform We now have ari ouier container into which the Now we prepare the polythene, polynier or
and allow to hurden (remember io incorporaie master c m he reassembled (withoui its coating). nielt the casting rubber (niechanical niixing
joint to allow stripping) is esseniial).
This can be poured into the space beiweeri Afrer removal of !he support !he plastic or Se! aside the niaster and model, assenible the
master and outer coriiaine,: rubber mould can be siripped froni the master - flexible niould into its supporting container
sonic judicious cuiting niay he required at the and evetyihing is ready for !he iechnical bit -
tricky parrs. casting !he produci!
* Registered trademark
121
Concrete ingredients
In considering the range of competing our man remembered the importance of although he had known authorities to
materials. particularly admixtures.. . conforming with specification... accept appropriately tested and certified
alternatives.
Whatever the product. storage in secure Formal training is essential with some although all are accompanied by
conditions is essential, some suppliers products... instructions' often read after the event,
providing bulk containers. A vigilant such as when something fails to harden
storeman is worth his weight in goods or set!
Certain doors have been known to exhibit pre-packed, pie-measured constituents are Fortunately, established standards and
precise (sometimes ahstruse) bonus favourite. Also, as poor mixing practice is current materials technology in
calculations... although proportioning responsible for some failures, 'hands-on' combination generally ensure that
has often presented our man with instruction is important, preferably in the specified quality is maintained.
problems so... use of mechanical means.
122
Concrete as a mould material
Concrete is an excellent mould material. It Thefirst essential in concrete mould niaking is The muster is set up in a simple box. oiled,
is stable, has a dense surface and provides a good quality muster of timber; concrete. or and concrete is cast around it adding steel in
many uses economically plaster incorporating lead and draw. large moulds.
The resulting mould can be used to prepare The concrete must be cured, the surface stoned Handles can be added or large moulds set on
more masters, the master more moulds! and then coated with a sealer: to a level bed.
q,_ .... . . . .. .. .. ... .,
For special finishes or accurucy, a GRC or Concrete moulds will be usejid when long
. _ . .. . A .
Concrete moulds can be bred like rabbits

GRP surface can first be laid over the units are to be cast, pile casting, or panel and afterwards make excellent hardcore!
master and the mould then cast. casting. Other uses include structural
elements, A-frames, etc.
123
Precast erection 1 - general
Light allo>j with a per~nrrrietit~v

attacked
lashing cm7 be set up quickly and safely.
-/
Another sensible step is to get rid of
makeshiji ladders, so beloved of the
‘cowboys’.
First of all. let S sit dowri and mug up the
manual or tlie method statentent.
Expect difserences irr camber: A laut wire

check in yurd and graded locatiori 017 site
reduce slep.s arid facilitute jnisAiiig.
Insist that every unit is clearly marked with

contract number, mark nitniber and dute of
casting. Colours help.
Watch that handing: it cuti present problenis.
Commrrnications on site sometimes go U W ~
We all know hearings are critical yet we do

get a motley selection of shims sometimes!
Ensure the precaster knows how you intend

handling the irriits - perlirtps then he will
leave the lijiing hooks intact!
Radio or telephone ensures good control... ... especially iftherei a set in the agent i To avoid this sort of thing, turn to the NFBTE
ofjce! and FCEC recommended visual code of
signa~s011 page 105.
124
Precast erection 2 - site factors
Now for the gear, spreader bars and A mock-up in works clears up points of A check in the works (beware of ‘Subbies’tapes)....
long brothers (tested) roller bars and detail early in course of contract.
recently, torque wrenches.
Check lists ensure that vital statistics are Ensure that delivery instructions are precise. It takes
will save problems on site later:
available to all. a brave man to tell the driver with a 100 tonne unit
to back up 5 mile.
The connections must be simple, ideally Instant erection frees the crane for other Watch out - those men started when the structure
one man should be able to make them. logistical detail. was one storey high - they haven ‘t noticed it has
grown.
Not all danger is at heights either! Keep a constant check on units made, vs For a look at prestressed concrete see pages
units cast - discrepancy means delays. 114-11 7.
125
Concrete sculpture
Having seen the remarkable products of artists working with He produced a ‘master’, taking care not to think about garden
concrete, our man decided to try his hand. He had always fancied gnomes. This was made from wood, although it could have been
himself as a bit of an artist! carved from plaster or an existing artefact could have been used.
N o w he had t w o options. Either treat the master with a parting The next operation would be to lay a grp supporting container on
agent and build a flexible mould onto it using melted silicone the rubber or clay.
rubber. Or coat the master with clay before casting a flexible
polyurethane tnoirld.
With the second method, the clay would have to be removed and With the mould complete. the whole was assembled and filled with
the space filled by pouririg in carefully proportioned casting a carefully designed concrete mix. Superplasticiser and thorough
polyurethane. vibration ensured all entrapped air and water was removed.
After the mould was stripped - helped by some judicious slitting - In inspecting our man’s stock, any similarity with any other
high-humidity curing promoted durability. Our man found that, a5 collection * has to be regarded as totally coincidental!
well as rrsirig the ‘master’, he could use freshly cast product to
generate further moulds.
‘Such as that unearthed a t Xi’an, People’s Republic of China. Guarding the tomb of Qin Shiahuang, perhaps?
126
Decorative concrete and finishes
It is quite likely that some of 11shave made impromptu contribirtions On vacation in Hollyiuood, our man found that so-called ‘stars and
to concrete finishes at some time in our youth! A f e w of us may euen celehrities’ are apparently still nt it! More sirbtlc forms of imprinting
have been caught ... with dire resiilts! aiid dry shake treatment kaue charlged the facc ofconcrete ._.
establishing it as a desirable material for !he garden, the park ... and Returning home ami seeing a coiicrete featrtre ioith hundreds of lights
the theme park tuhere he saw imprinted finishes, reconstrrtcted stone sparkling from a colour concrete backgroirnd, our man thought it just
arid fibre-reinforced concrete and mortars that made his mind /JOggk! as well the sparkle tuas provided by fibre optics!
Considering decorative surface finrshes in general, our mail has inspection and selection from full-size mock-ups of available finishes
concluded that unrealistic, and often misleading, small samples of such as textures, exotic aggregates. or panels faced with stone, slate
special finrshes should be relected in favour of ... or tiles.
Also, where applicable, specification reference to acknowledged designers awd architects can confidently detail attractive finishes to the
high-qrrality plain or decorative concrete in existing structures can elegant shapes and forms made possible by concrete - whether simply
enstire visual standards are established and maintained, so that .., reinforced or rising fi6res o f steel, glass or plastics.
127
128
Lightweight and foamed concrete
D
Glassfibre-reinforced concrete
=---- -
e%-
--- L
I i is umazing whai our man can do with a The resuliing material c u i ~be spayed, laid-up The premixed material can be pumped into
mixiure of sand, cement, glassfibres and a and conipacied at ihe mould. proditci rnoulds.
modicum of water
'. J 1
I '!
Simple methods, ihe so-called 'bag and ... and tesis on coupons io establish liniii of The resriliant strong yet lightweighi products
buckei ' techniques to establish maierials proportionaliiy and modulus of rupture ensure are e> rlleni for formwork.
content. .. qualify muintenance.
... rejitrbishment ... arid replacemeiii - someiimes beiier ihan the Oilier upplications rangefrom sun screens,
original. improving ihe quality of Iije in hot countries ...
I .
.- .
... io shelter - blocks are laid, coursed, ... and a coat ofpremix material is trowelled There is ulso an increasing use of ihe material
dty... onto boih stirfaces. The result is a siable. in DIY ihe bagged materiul being ideal for
energy-economic struciural wall. home use.
129
Tilt-up construction
\ \ /
\.- /
Everything in the USA is larger than life as We have even seen paver.7 used to place the When all is considered, precasters have
w e know it - even tilt-up operations! tilt-up slabs. cast from concretefor a century or more...
__.so really it ijust a sniall step to cast the On site, you dispense with the intermediate Careful choice of (I bond-breaker ensures
concrete '011 site ' at site and pop it into the slab and tie arrangements mid simply use the an acceptable face and a clean slab (#er
-
vertical location normal skills of the concretec lifting.
- .U_-
- -
-,. . -
Full joint detail can be incorporated in Slender sections can be suppleinented by

Insulation installation, use of esotic stone
timber or steel edge forms mid by features local strong-back niembers - but keep that
veneers and airy of the simple finishing
fixed to the slab. mail out from under!
techniques - retarder: broadcast wash and
brush or jetting - can be used.
Upstands and features can be incorporated by Bracing arrangements and handling Expensive plant is required only during
normal means. techniques are clearly documented.* lifting phase (the stack casting overconies
the space problem at returns).
*Series of articles in Concrete International. April 1980.
130
Slipform and tilt-up construction
Scandinauiart forming skills, conrliined with careful niix design. The slipfomi techniqtre is largely enrployed in constrtrctirtg towers,
placenient, compaction and curing, have provided an impressive silos and chimneys. (There are apocryphal tales ( I / resident engineers
dentonstration of inclined and tapering slipfonn constrtrction. resorting t o birtocttlars for sonic of their inspections!) H<J~UCIW.
oitr
ntan realised ...
that In rcpetItiorts hridge pier cortstrttction, or a strccession ofsLni/ar It occrrrred t o hint that r i h i ~(ntstrtrctingivry toll strttcttrres a
stair towers o n a rnajor project. s l i / ~ f i ~ r n tcan t o whe
i n ~p r ~ ~ ‘storey corott’ nrrrst Oc essentid during the slipforming stage...t o
eC(1nonlic. auoid a later denridition stage!
Silicon VaIIey. USA had impressed o n oirr ntan the eni~tontiesof .

ntttlti-storey and ei~cw‘exposed hortldcr ’ type elentcrtts.. coi?rpletr
tilt-rip cortstrrtctir~rr... iuit jttst sirtgk-stiirey coirstrrtction w i t h plain tuith architecttrrol fcatrrres. cornices etc. The aduantagcs of the
srtrface finishes Init also ... ntethod are that concreting and assocrated actiuities can he carried
...
out at grorrnd l e i d w i t h
simplicity of form and reinforcentott fixing. toigether iuith ease of W i t h concrete t o panels, panel fi.vings and prop anchi~rsf d y
access /or trucks. pimrping eqrtip~nentand cranes*. In the case of nrattrred, the strttctrtral elentents are sintplc tri erect in a matter of
less exotic finishes. floiuing concrete can be placed directly front days. as the crane is ruorked orrt r ~ / t h sitcp.
e
the trttck.
131
Bridge construction
Army service provided our man, and no doubt ntany reciders o f ... i ~ * abuilt
s on rollers and l,~rinckeritrrariiially across the gcrp.
CONCRETE, with opportunities for ‘bands-on’ bridge-huilding occasionalls with the /usury of nrecbanical assistance from a passing
experience! Tbe inanhandled components were great for devrloping huIldoZer brit generally solely by ‘sapper power’.
inuscles! Each bridge...
Bailey bridges are still in use in various forms. often ~ J Ztcnrporary ... on tbr ionsideriihlc enginecring skills and production ability applied
works. Reco/lectioris O f the laitnchiny procedure enrp/oyed tend to to all types of bridge constru~tion,particrilarly srte-cast, pris/~-launched
fociis our man’s attention ... bridges.
With temporary nose attached, the prestressed concrete element is ~’lis/J-/flr41lC/Ji~~

Of brfdscpf l l l d the cUrefltl/y Cfl/cli/flk?d,
ddicattp
over slender slipforvied or junrp-
launched niechaiiicallylhydra~~lically bolonciiig acts in carttileuer construction sceni to hint to haue a lot in
-
fornred piers, even on curved a/ignnrents in tbis esainpk? i:ornp/ete common with his early, i n r i d 1 simpler, bridging activities!
with harriers but rninrrs road markings!
As well as easing prohleriis of geoinetry, the rise of precast Beams, Today’s ~ ~ i r c r ebridges
te are elegant. Witb firrther developments in
segments and permanent forms for decks and piers can ensure tkat the construction techniques and riraterials on the horizon, our inan looks
specified accuracy and finish are achieved in the final structure. forrcwrri to great advances in the future!
Thanks t o Kobert Day, Sales ,Manager, Mabey and Johnsoo Ltd. for input 011 bridge eqiiipinent
7 32
Bridges
Our mank interest in bridges was re-awakened by the Construction of the many simple bridges encountered across the world. He wondered i f the
Millennium Bridge across the Thames. Although aware that few concept o/the Millennium Bridge design was to be found there.
illustrations could do it justice, the remarkable design reminded him a/. ..
Back to remarkable bridges. He was impressed by an illustration the ‘magical’Zron Bridge in Coalbrookdale, which, at the time, applied
showing construction of Robert Stephenson’s Britannia Bridge in 1849. an exciting new material ... cast iron. There is still considerable
Methods were similar to those used by civil engineers today, also... specnhtior~regarding the corrstructiorr method.
Our man recalled an illustration in CONCRETE showing the Swiss Our man considered that, regardless of the construction material and
Sunniberg bridge, where sculpted piers support an elegant tracery of engineering problems overcome, concrete and mortars usually contribute
cables and deck 60m above the Landquart riuer”. There have been to the foundations and ...
awards /or aesthetic and technical merit.
,
ruhilst bridges, across the world”“, illustrate the aesthetic and the Norwegian designers who achieved an ‘environmentally friendly’
engineering potential of concrete in every form ... solution to historic bridge preservation by constrricting a new concrete
bridge above it, on the same alignment, deserved a prize!
‘ see CONCRETE May 2001, Vol. 35, No. 5 , p.6.
“‘see CONCRETE October 1999, Vol. 33, No. 9, p.12 (sketch after photograph of h e Flintshire Bridge (Pont Sir Y Fflim) by Roger Brown ARPS)
133
Index
charts 18 moulds 119
A check lists, erection 125 weathering 95
abrasive blasting 90, 91, 92, 94 checking 60-62 double-tee beams 116
access 60, 66, 72, 79, 82 prestressed concrete 117 dowel bars 74
accidents 100 chemicals, cleaning 94 drawings 12, 13, 18, 22, 60

acid cleaning 83, 92, 95 chilled water 78 moulds I19
admixtures 60, 67, 70, 78, 122 circular work 13, 32, 35, 40 staircases 31
advisory services 9 cleaning 63, 94 drilling 88
aesthetics 133 coatings 94 drips 17
aggregates 17, 85 Code of practicef0r accnraq in bnildiqs 55 driveways 70
air content testing 8 Code of practice ortfalsei~~ork41, 42 dry shake finishes 127
air hoists 104 coil tics 56 ducts, prestressed concrete 114, 115
air-entrainment 78 cold-weather concreting 76, 77, 78, 93 dumpcrs 108
aluminium formwork 35 columns, raking 13 lliiralile bonded post-tensioned comrete b r i d p 1 I6
appearance 81-96 communications 11-22,15, 18,71,104,105, 119,
architectural concrete 90
assessment 5
124
compaction 66,79, 96
E
early striking 34, 116
automation 21, 68, 69, 71, 75 composite structures 110 economics, formwork 91
awards 2, 3, 9, 10 compression testing 8 edge casting, staircases 21
computer-aided design 20, 21, 22 efficient construction 6
B computers 6, 20, 21, 113 elcment checking 20, 21
balance beams 102 concrete ingredients 122 equipment
batching 65, 68, 69, 7? concrete moulds 118, 123 prestressed concrete 115
batching plant 21 Concrete OII site 8 safety 108
battery casting 118 concrete pressure 42 crcction 131
battery moulds 66 concrete production 65 prestressed concrete 116
bearings 124 Concrete Society Awards 2, 3, 9, 10 ergonomics 107
board marked finishes 87 concrete supply 63, 65, 79 excellence 1-10
concrcting, checks 62 expanded metal 64
bond-breaker 130
bonding agents 96 connections exposed aggregate finishes 17.89, 90.91.95, 112
brackets, lifting 99 lifting 99 extcrnal vibrators 80. 87
breakdowns 63 precast concrete 125
brick-facings, precast 87, 91, 112 consistency, finishes 83
bricklaying 70 constitucnts, materials 122 F
construction cycle 40 ‘face-up’ precasting 87
bridge piers 131, 132
construction joints 64, 67, 79 failure mode, test cubes 8
bridges 1 16, 132, 133
continuity bar systems 55, 57 failure, formwork 38
controlled permeability form liners 58, 90, 91 falsework 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46
C conveyors 72 fast-track construction 111, 112, 128
calibration 68 cooling 82, 86, 91, 94 features: weathering 95
camber corbels 28 ferrocement 90
precast concrete 124 cores, formwork 29, 32 fibre composircs 53
prestressed concrete 117 corners, formwork 25 fibres 58, 70, 80, 129
cantilever construction 132 couplers, reinforcement 57 fillets
cantilevers 40, 49 cover to concrete 25, 48, 49, 51 formwork 25
Cast in stone 110 C1’110 77 reinforcement 50
castable mould material 126 cranes 102, 104, 105, 128, 131 finishes 58, 92, 127
cast-in fixings 54, 55 curing 74, 76, 78, 84, 93 precast concrete 113
casting resins 120, 121 differential 19 repairs 96
certification 5,49 polymer moulds 120 finishing, slabs 75
chairs 51, 57 repairs 96 fixing reinforcement 51
chamfers. formwork 25 cutting and bending machines 21 fixings 88, 96
cast-in 54, 55
details 54, 55
D flexible moulds 121
datum on forms 54,55 floating of slabs 74
decorative concrete 127 floors
defects, finishes 83, 86 prestressing 53
defects, precast concrete 85 trough and waffle 36
deflections 62 flow test 7
delivery 72 flowing concrete 71, 80
design, computers 21 foamed concrete 70, 128
detail 11-22 form liners 87, 91
formwork 25,44 form removal 64
peoples’ input 16 form ties 56
formwork 83.89 formers 17
joints 64 concreting 66
prestressed concrete 114, 115 cores 29, 32
detailing, precast concrete 113 floors 36
details Forn,iork - a x d e togoodpractice 4, 33, 44, 86, 91
concrete 17 formwork 23-46
communications 15 aluminium 35
falsework 43 batteries 66
fixings 54, 55 checking 61
134
circular 32, 35, 40
corbels 28 K inspection 112, 113
kickers 17, 26, 27, 57 prototypes 110
detail 25, 44
samples 110, 112
economics 91
precasting,
finishes 84, 85 L advantages 14
failure 38 large area pours 75 brick-facings 87, 91, 112
features 83, 85, 85 laser screeds 75 concrete moulds 118, 123
formers 29, 32 lift heights 79 corbels 28
GRC 37,129 lifting 98, 99, 102 ‘face-up’ 87
kickers 17, 26, 27 lighhveight concrete 128, 129 self-compacting concrete 80
liners 45 liners, formwork 45 staircases 31
pcrmancnt 27 loads, moving 102, 106 use o f ready-mixctl concrete 73
pressures 67 loop ties 58 pre-concrete checks 60-62
ribs 28 prefabricated cages 48, 49, 51
setting-out 24, 26 preparing to concrete 60-62
staircases 31 pre-production samples 83
storage 38 maintaining finishes 92
prestressed concrete 109-1 33
striking 34, 36, 40, 44 maintenance 63, 67, 108
checking
systems 32 35, 40, 46 markings, precast concrete 124
detail 115
vibration 38 master moulds 121, 123, 126
ducts 114, 115
full-scale mock-ups 127 materials, finishes 84, 85
equipment, 115
full-size samples 110, I12 maturity 77, 93
erection 116
mechanisation 11 1, 1 13
lightweight concrete 128
niix records 69
G mobile batching plant 69
long line 114, 116
geometry 13, 14, 24, 94, 119 movement 114
mock-up, precast concrete 125
GRC 90,129 safety 115
models 4, 119
formwork 37, 129 tendons 115, 116
modifications to geometry 13
moulds 118,123 prestressing 112
moisture control 76
permanent formwork 58 floor slabs 53
monorail 104
spray up 21 planks 117
moulds 110, 11 1
grinding 90 pre-tensioned concrete 88
concrete 118, 123
grit-blasting 64 production 59-80
design 119
ground beams 46 production control 72
flexible 121
grout-tight joints 17 production systems 104
GRC 129
GRP 58 Properties .f concrete, Neville 77
GRP 58
moulds 123, 126 propping, cold weather 77
materials 32
Guide to G’KCpermanentfontlitIor~37 props 33, 42, 44, 45, 61, 66, 130
polymer 120
protection 78
re-use 58
protection during construction 92, 93
trough and waffle floors
prototypes, precast concrete 110
hand trowelling 75 movement, prestressed concrete 114
pumping 16, 60, 65, 71, 72, 73, 128
handling 16, 97-108 moving loads 102, 106
precast concrete 124
heated concrete 78 Q
quality assurance 48, 49, 65, 69, 70, 71, 72, 113
high strength concrete 80, 88 non-destructive testing 6, 7, 93
hot-weather concreting 76 quilting 38, 83
I 0
openings 55, 66, 67, 85
ice 78 railway works 65
impact loading 42 raking columns 13
imprinting concrete 127 ramps, formwork 30
inaccuracies in joints 19 panel joints 19, 82 rationalisation 6, 111
inclusions 55 pavers 75 Rafiotiafisation of flat slab reitfircement 53
information sources 9,46 permanent formwork 27,37, 117 ready-mixed concrete 70, 71, 72, 73, 7?
information technology 6 i’ernlanent fornfwork in const~ction37 ready-mixed mortar 70
inspection, precast concrete 112, 113 pigmented concrete 90 reclamation of materials 111
intersections, forming 30 placing 59-80 reconstructed stone 127
slabs 74, 75 recording 68
planning 60, 71, 72 records 115, 116
J compaction 79 recycling 111
jacks 102 plant 63, 108 reinforcement 47-58, 112
joggles 64 plumb lines 17 cages 48,49, 51
joints polymer liners 120 couplers 57
checking 61 polymer moulds 120 cutting and bending 21
construction 64, 67, 79 post-tensioned bridges 116 fixing 51
details, tilt-up 130 Post-tensionedconcretefloors in miilti-story bnildings 116 rationalisation 79
finishes 86 poultices 92 safety 50
grout-tight 17 power floating 74, 75 tics 51
moulds 119 I’recast concrete cladding 94 release agents 34, 35, 36, 61, 84, 91
panels 19 precast concrete 109-1 33 Kemoua/ .f stains andgrmtbsfrom concrete 94
preparation 64, 67 batching 69 rendering 129
tapered dovetail 13, 14 detailing 113 repairs 96
jumpformlng 45 erection 124, 125 responsibilities 71
finishes 113 retarders 34, 64, 66, 73, 82, 130
135 I
specifications 122 equipment 8
ribs 28
rollers 106 spillage 43 GRC 129
roofing units 117 spiral ramps 30 texture 82
spreader bars 99,102 precast concrete 110
rope, joints 64
stability 42 finishes 87
stacking 104 surfaces 92
S stain removal 92 The ben+ o j rea&zixed concrefe 73
S u j iuorkiig iuith hn,ers 108 stainless stecl 57 The Concrete Society 9
safety 15,63,97-108 staircases 31 thermal insulation 76, 77, 78, 93
equipment 88,92,94 stairs 18 tie bolt holes 17
prestressed concrete 114, 116 Standard reiiijrcenient coircrete detuils 49 ties 56, 57
props 33,44,45 standards 4 formwork 61,83
reinforcement 50 starter bars 55 rcinforcement 51
samples 4 steam curing 77, 78 tilt-up construction 87, 90, 130, 131
aggregates 85 steel kickers 57 tolerances 16
finishes 83 stock areas 104 training 72, 79, 84, 89, 90, 103, 122
precast concrete 110, 112 stock control 20 trench filling 70
sampling 8 stopends 38,50 trial panels 86, 91
scabbing 64 stop-logs 108 trouble-shooting 15
scale, drawings 12 storage troughs and waffle floors 36
sculpture 121, 126 formwork 38 turntables 106
sealants 94 materials 122
for moulds 14
panels 19
strength testing 8 U
strengthening structures 58 uplift, formers 85
self-compacting concrete 80 striking
setting-out points 24, 26 formwork 34, 36, 40, 44
shape codes 53 props 33,44 v
sheathing 24, 30, 38, 61, 82, 87 times 77,93 vibration, formwork 38, 54
signals 105 stripping 104 vibrators 66, 67, 79, 80, 86
site precasting 31 stud rail systems 53
Sitesafe '83, 101 superplasticizers 126
sketches 12 supervision 103, 112
W
skills 3,6, 10, 101, 103, 107, 111, 112,113 walls, formwork 28
surface finish 81-96
skips 67, 128 water bars 67
surface retarders 82, 87, 89
slab construction 74, 75 water flow, weathering 95
slipforming 45, 128, 131 water jetting 90, 91, 92, 94
slump test 7, 8 T waterway construction 65
snap ties 56 tables, formwork 35 weather 60, 76, 77, 78, 89
sockets taper ties 56 weathering 95
cast-in 54 tapered dovetail joints 13, 14 wheel devices 106
steel location 14 teams 3, 10, 101, 111 wind 42
spacers 14,48, SO, 51, 57 temperature monitoring 78, 93 workability 65, 84
Spucersfor reirlforcedconcrete 49 temporary bridges 132 working position 107
special finishes 45, 91, 127, 131 tenung 7, 8, 76, 78
136
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A practical look at concrete
John C. Richardson
Since 1977, the page 'Looking at it practically' in CONCRETE maga-

zine has covered the skills and techniques of concrete construction
in an accessible and enjoyable cartoon format. During that period

'Cubco man' has examined and demonstrated many aspects of
construction (including some of the pitfalls for the unwary!).
The series is based on author John Richardson's own extensive

first-hand experience in the concrete industry, and has helped
thousands of technicians, engineers and site staff to build in con-
crete practically and safely.
John's informative cartoons have been published around the

world, as well as being used as selling and training aids.
This compilation of the 'Looking at it Practically' series has been

rearranged so that related topics are grouped together for ease of
use. These chapters cover everything from formwork and falsework
to reinforcement to handling and safety, and precast and pre-
stressed concrete.
THE CONCRETE SOCIETY

Century House, Telford Avenue
Crowthorne, Berkshire RC45 6YS, UK
ISBN 0 946691 83 5
Concrete Society Special Publication CS 132

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The Concrete Society

John G. Richardson FlCT

A practical look at concrete

Design and Production: Jon Webb

Published by The Concrete Society, 2002

A few words about Cubco man

COMMU NICAT10NS AN D DETA1L 11

FORMWORK AND FALSEWORK 23

Reinforcement 3 October 1978 50

PRODUCTION AND PLACING 59

Safety October 1979 100

PRECAST A N D PRESTRESSED CONCRETE 109

the Leonard Trotter* series of articles published

John R~chardson's Looking at it practica& pages published in Conmete magazine

ENCIh‘EERIiVG skills and ability E X T E N S I V E plaizirin~qevidenced by die outcome

We are using the word in the uppearunce

.._we clre well u w r e that people are

_..about the dangers of sniull samples -

... it reconinieiid.y that. using site riiuterials

The Formwork Report* has some good

... clruwing office uric1 orguriizution of qiiulity Tliut routine testing

4 7 ... loucling proceciiires, mid the...

.._uti-informative notation and revisioii - ut

Overlaps ensuring continuity of work

Out-of date drawings are dangerous,

Keep those 'dim ' books and site diaries too -

To check a drawing for full information

Joints which are nurrow do not necessurily

Where seulurits [ire used, defects cuused by tl~e

Norniul vuriubility of production can also be a

0 falsework matters such as safe loads on props, the development of concrete

Perhaps less well known is the ply

to divide spaces into equal purls. a given radius and ...

f Thejlewing surface is widely misunderstood,

With hoppers and mitshrooms rememher

Shallow kickers of what would be scrap

Depth of kicker provides scope for levelling

Where coniplicated columns are set on rake,

Kicker foriiis coil be siiiiply secured

A soc~iidlyconstrircted re-usohle kicker foriii

steel reiiiuiii us periiiuiieiit foriiiwork.

Tiinber,fornier depend.7 on wedgiiig actiori Fouiii-plusiic-filled po[viheiie iuhe restruined by

iSet radialb, the trusses resolve the geometry and simplify

* The uuthor is indebted for this to E Consdale of Edmimd Nuttall Lid.

._.today, even with all our urniouty of

Recently we even smv ‘Iiorsed’ concrete

* See ‘Forniwork - u guide to good pructice ’, The Concreie Sociey, 1995

Not all form failures are drarnatic -

CL--- ---\- _. -.__

to go up there!” But, remembering some

Originallx forntinork iiias the province o f die cwiteri~r- ii,itb toolkit

I t rrrny he CA R E S approved .ctcr/, ritt orid hcvrt irr

properly irisrollrd with rlrr corrcrt spncrrs **rri locnrc

nrrd rrioirrtnirr h a t iriiportnrrt rover. Irr case

* Scc t h e Coiicrcte Society Iccport Tl<.OlKi 'Stand:ird reinforcrd concrete dctnil<'

** Scc t l i r Concrrtc Society Report CS. 1 0 1 'Spccrs for reinforced COIICTC~C'

Of course, the greatest i ~ i n o ~ a t ihris

iV/Jile obu~orts/yextremely effective, the retro-reiirforcemerit of T ~ Jarticles

For accurate locaiion of cast-in fixings locate