Shoring Basics

Tips for shoring system design, bracing, erection, and removal

BY BOB RISSER

ne of the contractor’s

O many responsibilities is
the design and construc-
tion of shoring systems,
which support the formwork sys-
tem and construction loads. Im-
properly designed or constructed
shoring systems can be extremely
h a z a rd o u s, leading to damaged
concrete or even catastrophic fail-
ure. Qualified and experienced
formwork designers should devel-
op shoring plans and schedule
shore removal. Frequently the de-
signer is a professional engineer
who works for the contractor or
shoring manufacturer. When nec-
essary, the project engineer or ar-
chitect reviews these plans for
structural adequacy, especially for
complex multistory construction.
Designing Shores
The shoring system is a tempo-
rary structure designed to carry
both vertical and horizontal loads
during construction. These loads
include the weight of the fresh con-
c re t e, forms, shores and other
falsework; construction and equip-
ment loads; and wind loads and
other loads. Ho ri zontal shores,
such as adjustable beams, trusses,
or a combination of both, require
special design attention because
they distribute greater loads to few-
Figure 1. Bearing area between the shore and the horizontal formwork may be
less than the total end area of the shore.
Figure 2. Determination of l/d ratio for a 3x4 wood shore with different bracing
plans. Bracing may be required in both directions to adequately reduce the l/d
ratio below the maximum of 50. The larger ratio governs maximum load limits.
er vertical supports.
ACI 347 (Ref. 1) recommends us-
ing a minimum construction live
load of 50 pounds per square foot
(psf) for shore load calculations (75
psf if motorized carts are used to
transport concrete). The minimum
design load for combined dead and
live loads should be 100 psf, or 125
psf if motorized carts are used. The
weight of formwork and shores is
typically assumed to be 10% of the
dead load of the slab. If unusually
heavy equipment or construction
material loads are anticipated, in-
clude these loads in the analysis for
shoring requirements.
Reference 2
Bearing loads or crushing of the
shore ends against joists, stringers,
or other supported hori zo n t a l
formwork also must be considered
in the shoring system design. Ex-
cessive deflections from bearing
loads could make it very difficult to
meet strict tolerance requirements.
The allowable bearing stress at the
interface of lumber shores and hor-
izontal formwork may also govern
the shore design rather than the ca-
pacity of the shore itself. The size of
the loaded contact area between
the shore and the supported form-
work will determine the maximum
allowable load. In some cases, the
bearing area may be considerably
less than the actual dimensions of
the shore (Figure 1). Ha rd w o o d
caps or metal bearing plates can
distribute end loads from timber
shores so full structural capacity of
the shore can be utilized.
Simplified design, typically sat-
isfactory for standard shoring sys-
tems, assumes that each shore or
scaffold leg supports an area which
extends halfway to adjoining sup-
p o rt s. Wood shores are treated as
simple columns, with allowable
loads based on the slenderness ra-
tio l/d, where l is the unsupported
length, in inches, and d is the net
dimension of the wood face under
consideration, in inches. For wood
shores, l/d must not exceed 50.
Ho ri zontal bracing is often used
to reduce the size of the l/d ratio.
When this is the only purpose of
horizontal bracing, it is more prop-
erly called lacing. Figure 2 shows
how slenderness ratios are calculat-
ed and adjusted by using lacing.
The allowable load for simple wood
shores is based on the magnitude
of the l/d ratio and the compressive
strength of different lumber types.
Design round wood shores by as-
suming a square shore with the
same cross-sectional area.
For other shoring systems such
as steel tubes, adjustable shore s,
combinations of wood and steel,
and tubular steel scaffold-type
shoring, follow manufacturer rec-
ommendations on allow a b l e
loads. Load limits should be based
on actual load tests conducted on
the products and devices under
s t a n d a rd i zed conditions. Fo r
TABLE 1. TYPICAL RANGE OF MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE BEARING PRESSURES
Type of Foundation
Material
Massive bedrock
Foliated or laminated rock
including sound limestone,
schist, slate
Sedimentary rock including
shale and sandstone
Soft or broken rock
Hardpan
Gravel soils
Sands
Gravelly sands
Silt and clay soils, inorganic,
medium to stiff
Soft and organic deposits
(Reference 2)
many patented systems, the analy-
sis of allowable loads becomes so
complex that only load tests will
provide sufficient accuracy. Follow
all manufacturer’s recommenda-
tions for bracing, assembly, and
construction.
Bracing Shores
Adequate lateral bracing is ex-
tremely important to stability and
safety in shoring construction, but
all too often it is treated carelessly
or even omitted entirely (Ref. 2).
Shoring systems must be designed
to carry all anticipated lateral
forces due to wind, cable tensions,
inclined supports, concrete place-
ment, and starting and stopping of
equipment. ACI 347 (Ref. 1) recom-
mends a minimum assumed hori-
zontal load of 100 pounds per lin-
ear foot of floor edge, or 2% of the
total dead load on the form,
whichever is greater.
Unless the shoring system has
enough internal X-bracing to pro-
vide internal rigidity, the shoring
and formwork system should
transfer all horizontal loads to the
ground or to already-completed
construction. Place diagonal brac-
Maximum Allowable Bearing
Pressure, lb. per sq. ft.
200,000
40,000-80,000
20,000-50,000
10,000-20,000
16,000-20,000
8,000-20,000
4,000-13,000
6,000-16,000
1,200-10,000
Values below 500 psf are common
ing in both vertical and horizontal
planes where needed to provide
stability to individual shoring
members. Even though horizontal
lacing is used to decrease the l/d ra-
tio, increasing the load capacity of
the individual shores, some diago-
nal bracing is desirable in all
shoring systems to increase the sta-
bility of the shores and resist lateral
loads. Braced bays, bracing lines, or
bracing tied to completed walls are
three common schemes used to
provide stability and lateral sup-
port (Figure 3).
Do not mix different types of
shoring systems or individual
shores of different materials on the
same level. The different character-
istics of each system can lead to
nonuniform deflections under the
imposed load, creating stresses in
the structure and shoring system
for which they are not designed.
Follow manufacturer recom-
mendations for bracing patented
shoring systems. Although bracing
may not be specifically recom-
mended by the manufacturer to in-
crease the system’s load-carrying
capacity, it may be needed to in-
crease the safety and stability of the
entire formwork assembly.
Mudsills for Shoring
The shoring system must be ca-
pable of carrying the concrete and
construction loads without exces-
sive deflections. If shores are sup-
ported on soil, the load the soil can
support must be known or conser-
vatively estimated. Table 1 shows
typical allowable bearing pressures
for foundation materials. Because
new soils tests can be costly, some
contractors choose to use larger
mudsills based on very conserva-
tive estimates of soil strength. One
rough estimate of soil strength is
the “heel test.” An ave ra g e - s i ze d
man walking on compacted soil
without leaving heel marks indi-
cates a soil-bearing strength of at
least 3,000 psf.
Mudsills are typically used to dis-
tribute shore loads to the soil.
Where the soil’s bearing capacity is
low or uncertain (Figure 4), mudsills
 (a) (b)
Figure 3. Braced bays (a) require no exterior guys or anchors. Bays marked with dashed X-lines have complete X-bracing
system on vertical lines in both directions as well as horizontal X-bracing. Distance between braced bays depends on such
factors as bay size, weight on form, form height, and live load. Center shores are tied with strut bracing.
Completed columns or walls (b) can be used for bracing. Dashed lines indicate one line of strut braces to columns cast
earlier. Solid lines represent X-bracing also tied into existing columns. Intermediate lines are needed if shores are spliced.

must be capable of evenly distribut- l i ve red materials to ensure proper • Metal shores are free of exces-
ing shore load over a large enough load-carrying capacity. sive corrosion which reduces
area to avoid unequal or excessive In addition to checking for the structural capacity
settlement. Do not place mudsills appropriate materials, check that: • All metal shore connections are
on frozen ground, recently placed • Single-post shore members are sound
backfill, or where rainwater will flow straight and true without twists • All locking devices, coupling
over the area. To determine the re- or bends pins, and pivoted cross-braces
quired area of the mudsill, divide
the total load on the shore by the al- TABLE 2. MINIMUM TIME SUPPORTS SHOULD REMAIN IN PLACE
lowable soil-bearing pressure. (If no concrete strength requirements are provided)
Even when care is taken to prop-
erly design the mudsill for the shore Less Than More Than
load, formwork is typically set Where Structural Structural Structural
slightly higher than specified to ac- Design Live Load is: Design Design
commodate a small amount of set- Dead Load Dead Load
tlement and reduce the size of final
Arch centers 14 Days 7 Days
adjustments with wedges and
jacks. If the soil is very poor or like- Joist, beam, or girder soffits
ly to become unstable during con- Under 10 ft. clear span between 7 Days 4 Days
struction, other techniques such as structural supports
t e m p o ra ry concrete sills, piles, or 10 to 20 ft. clear span between 14 Days 7 Days
soil stabilization may be re q u i re d structural supports
to support the shore loads.
Over 20 ft. clear span between 21 Days 14 Days
Erecting Shores structural supports
Before erecting the formwork
support system, check to see that One-way floor slabs
the appropriate shores are being Under 10 ft. clear span between 4 Days 3 Days
used. This is especially important structural supports
when using rented equipment.
10 to 20 ft. clear span between 7 Days 4 Days
Load ratings can vary considerably structural supports
based on bracing configurations
and assumptions of the extended Over 20 ft. clear span between 10 Days 7 Days
height of the shore post or scaffold- structural supports
type shoring system. One contrac- * Assumes 50° F ambient temperature around concrete.
tor matches serial numbers on (Reference 1)
equipment orders to those on de-
 on prefabricated
shoring systems are
working
Follow the shoring
layout plan closely,
keeping a copy on the
jobsite at all times.
Changes made to the
layout or timing of
shore removal should
be approved by the
shoring designer, engi-
neer, or architect. Keep
extra shores or other
necessary accessories
Figure 4. Spread-type wood mudsills are recommended for fair and poor bearing or heavy loads.
on the jobsite for use in
an emergency. Plumb
all shore posts or scaffold legs to
minimize lateral loads and signifi-
cant reductions in vertical load ca-
pacity.
Multi-tier shoring with single-
post shores is considered danger-
ous and is not recommended by
ACI 347. Field constructed butt or
lap splices of timber shores are al-
so not recommended by ACI unless
splices are made with approved
fabricated hardware (Ref. 1). OSHA
requires vertical alignment of the
spliced shores, splicing to pre ve n t
misalignment, splices on each
shore face (three splices for round
shores), perpendicular bracing at
the splice level, and diagonal brac-
ing in two directions.
Where slab forms are continuous
across several supporting shores,
concrete placed in one area can cause
uplift of the formwork in an adjacent
area. Positively attach the shores to
deck forms to resist this uplift and to
keep shores from falling out.
Vertical shores must bear firmly
against the formwork they support
and be unable to tilt under con-
struction loads. Jacks or wedges al-
low positive adjustment for form-
work settlement and final
alignments prior to placing con-
c re t e. These devices also facilitate
stripping the forms after the con-
crete has attained sufficient
strength. Wedges can be used ei-
ther at the top or the bottom of the
shore post, but not in both areas.
After the wedges are in position,
toenail them to the shore to secure
them during concrete placement.
Adjustable shores and other
patented devices usually contain a
jack or screw-type mechanism for
making elevation adjustments. Fol-
low manufacturer recommenda-
tions on maximum extension of
these shores, since load ratings are
usually based on these configura-
tions. Additional diagonal bracing
may be required to extend the
shore further.
Removing Shores
Shores cannot be removed from
a slab or beam until concrete is
strong enough to hold its own
weight. Reshores may be needed to
carry approved construction loads
after the shores are removed. Al-
though design, construction, and
safety aspects of the formwork are
the contractor’s responsibility, the
required concrete strength and
time period before shore removal
should be specified by the engi-
neer-architect.
Removing shores and other con-
crete formwork supports should not
produce excessive deflections, dis-
tortions, or damage to the concrete.
Remove shores in a sequence that
does not produce stresses in the
concrete for which it is not designed.
For typical slabs and beams, begin
shore removal in the middle of the
bay or beam, working out toward
supporting walls or columns. This
ensures that the slab or beam will
deflect and be loaded as designed.
To maximize form reuse, a reli-
able system needs to be used to de-
termine the earliest time to remove
shores and forms.
Concrete strength gain va ri e s
widely depending on job condi-
tions. ACI 347 recommends remov-
ing supports from horizontal con-
crete beams and slabs only after the
concrete has gained at least 70% of
its design strength, unless earlier
support removal is approved by the
engineer-architect.
If strength tests are used to deter-
mine shore removal, be sure all
parties involved in the construction
understand:
• The tests to be used
• Appropriate handling and test-
ing procedures
• Who will make concrete speci-
mens
• How many specimens will be
made and who will test them
• The minimum required con-
crete strength
Cure concrete specimens at the
jobsite under conditions no better
than those the concrete in the
structure are cured under to obtain
a conservative estimate of the in-
place concrete strength. Se ve ra l
nondestructive testing techniques
are also recommended by ACI 318
(Ref. 3) for determining in-place
concrete strength: penetration re-
sistance, pullout strength, and ma-
turity measurement.
If no strength requirements are
provided by the engineer or local
codes, refer to Table 2, which gives
the minimum time shores should
remain in place. The table indicates
the total number of days needed,
given an ambient temperature
around the concrete of at least 50°
F. The times can be shortened as
approved by the engineer-architect
if high-early-strength concrete is
used to speed construction. If tem-
peratures below 50° F occur follow-
ing concrete placement, the engi-
neer may decide to lengthen the
minimum requirements.
Contractors often use reshores to
maximize form reuse and limit sag
or creep in the new concrete. When
reshores are used, forms and
shores are removed after the con-
crete has sufficient strength to car-
ry its own weight. After the beam or
slab achieves its initial deflection,
the reshores are placed under the
concrete to carry additional con-
struction loads or prevent further
creep deflections.
Place reshores as soon as possi-
ble after the forms are stripped, but
at least by the end of the day the
forms are removed. Reshores must
be placed snugly without altering
the deflected shape of the concrete.
The engineer-architect should ap-
prove all reshoring plans.
Multistory Construction
In multistory work, the partially
completed structure becomes part
of the shoring support. In planning
the shoring/reshoring system, the
designer uses information on the
structural design loads, usually ob-
tained from the project drawings.
Multistory construction presents
special challenges for shoring pro-
c e d u re s, especially in terms of re-
moving the shores to maximize
form reuse. Se ve ral stories need to
be supported by shores and
reshores to handle the dead load of
the concrete and the construction
loads before the concrete gains full
design strength. Reshores are used
after the formwork is stripped to
distribute any further loads among
the older, stronger slabs.
Typical shoring and re s h o ri n g
schemes for multistory construc-
tion use a rule of thumb or local
custom: Contractors, for example,
may build two stories of shoring for
e ve ry one story of reshoring. Con-
PUBLICATION #C940856, Copyright © 1994, The Aberdeen Group, All rights reserved
tractors find these traditional
schemes acceptable on most pro-
jects for safely distributing con-
crete and construction to older,
stronger floors. In some cases,
howe ve r, these shoring and
reshoring plans will not safely carry
the constructions loads, and the
contractor should use one or more
of the following methods to ensure
safe construction:
• Increase the number of floors of
shoring and reshoring
• Use a longer cycle time for
each floor
• Either use a concrete mix or cre-
ate curing conditions that pro-
duce faster concrete strength gain
Calculation of the loads imposed
on each floor during multistory
construction can be complex. The
shoring and reshoring plan should
be approved by the project engi-
neer or architect.
This is particularly important for
construction of commercial office
buildings or other structures de-
signed for relatively low live loads.
If the ratio of the design live load to
concrete dead load is low, the
s t ru c t u re has very little reserve
strength to carry the imposed con-
struction loads and weight of fresh
c o n c re t e. Often the construction
live load and weight of new con-
crete are greater than the live load
for which the slab is designed. De-
Figure 5. Improper positioning of shores from floor to floor can create bending
stresses for which the slab is not designed. Calculate for reversal stresses when
reshores do not match shores above. Be sure shores resist uplift and cannot fall.
pending on rate of construction,
many floors may need to be inter-
connected with shores and
reshores to safely carry the im-
posed load until the concrete
reaches design strength.
In multistory construction, the
most heavily loaded shores are
those at ground level which carry
the load of all floors concreted be-
fore first-level shores have been re-
moved. Depending on the con-
struction sequence, loads on these
shores can be several times the
dead load of the slab itself.
Place shores in the same location
on each floor to avoid developing
reversed bending or punching
shear stresses the slab cannot carry.
If offset placement is needed, recal-
culate the stresses to ensure that
the slab has adequate re i n f o rc i n g
in these areas to handle the re-
versed bending stresses that can
develop (Figure 5).
References
1. ACI Committee 347, “Guide to
Formwork for Concrete,” (ACI 347R-
88), American Concrete Institute, De-
troit, 1988.
2. M.K. Hurd, Formwork for Concrete,
SP-4, fifth edition, American Concrete
Institute, 1989.
3. ACI Committee 318, “Building Code
Requirements for Reinforced Con-
crete,” (ACI 318-92), American Con-
crete Institute, 1992.