Proc. Instn Ciu. Engrs, Part 1, 1986,80, Oct.

, 1427-1430
8802 DISCUSSION
STRUCTURAL
ENGINEERING
GROUP

Concrete pressure onformwork

N. J. Gardner

Mr R. W. Dunkley and Mr C. S. Yardley, John Laing Construction

It is unfortunate that the new CIRIA formula (CIRIA report 108, 1985)" was not
available for inclusion in Dr Gardner's comparison of the different methods.
CIRIA report 108 includes graphs (report Figs l and 2), but it is not certain that
exactly the same cases have been plotted as in the Author's Figs 2 and 3.
59. It is instructive to note the degree of inaccuracy in the results from both
methods. Figs 8 and 9 are modified from the Author's Figs 3 and 5. Fig. 10 is
based on Fig. 1 of the CIRIA report 108. On these, lines have been added to show
percentage error, from which it can be seen that there is still room for improve-
ment in devising a formula.

1507

Calculated llmiting pressure

Fig. 8. Comparison of CIRIA 65 experimental data with Gardner calculated pres-
sures, showing percentage error

Paper published: Proc. Instn Ciu. Engrs, Part 1, 1986,80, Feb., 145-159
1427

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 DISCUSSION
150. Gardner method-OPC concrete

3000 Experimental
data
0 Gardner (refs. 6,7.8)
0 Harrlson (ref. 9)

100 /'
a 2000
v)
v)
E / a
a
U /
c
2 kPa nsf /
m
I
50

'/F
4
/ 1000 p.s.1. 2000
3000
t 1 I
1
50 k Pa 100 150
Calculated hmlting pressure
Fig. 9. Comparison of OPC experimental data with Gardner calculated pressures,
showing percentage error

150

.
N

5
E 120

p!
9 90
E
a
U
E
% 60

z
.-

I
1 30

0 30 60 90 120 150 180 21 0

Calculated pressures: kN/rn'
Fig. 10. CIRIA 1985 method, showing percentage error
1428

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 8802
60. Comparison between the different methods is made verydifficultby the
large number of variables involved. The difficulty is made greater by the different
selections of variables taken into account in the different methods. Table 2 illus-
trates this. It also shows that the different researchers are agreed only on tem-
perature and rate of rise for inclusion in formulae. With so many variables, an
accurate formula is probably out of reach. In addition, aformwork designer looks
for a simple formula. Our examination (which is far from complete) of the CIRIA
data indicates that slump does not have a consistent effect onthe maximum
pressure, but temperature, height, and rate of rise do. The interesting parameter
here is the height, which CIRIA report 108is unique in including-but which
makes the formula more complicated.
61. The comparisons show that both Gardner’s formula and the CIRIA report
108 formula give more accurate results than CIRIA 1965. Both methods show a
significant improvement over CIRIA 1965 in that they apply to concretes with
admixtures or cement replacement as well as to OPC. Of the two, Gardner’s
formula can be presented in a simpler form.
Dr Gardner
Dr Dunkley and M r Yardley note that CIRIAreport 108, introduced in November
1985, presents a revised method to calculate the lateral pressure of concrete on
formwork which is significantly changed from the CIRIA 65 method.
63. They have compared the fit of the Author’s method and CIRIA report
108-85 to experimental data on the basis of percentage error. An alternative, and
perhaps preferable, method of comparison would be by absolute difference; i.e.
f 10 kPa. FromFig. 10, taken from CIRIA report 108-85, it appears that the new
CIRIA method gives a lower bound to all experimental results-if true this would
imply that the method would be very conservative. The experimental results avail-
able to CIRIA and the Author are the same with slight differences in interpreta-
tion.
64. The Author has used CIRIA 108-85 to calculate design formwork pres-
sures and compared them to a reduced experimental data set. The statistical
summary, similar to Table 1 in the original Paper, is presented in Table 3. The
CIRIA report 108-85 method does not always give a lower bound but is sta-
tistically more consistant than CIRIA 65.
65. The Author has also done a parametric comparison of CIRIA 108-85 and
his proposed method. The CIRIA 108-85 method distinguishes between wall and
column forms with column forms having higher concrete pressures-logically this
is incorrect as lateral pressure will increase with section size due to wall friction
being proportionately less important. The results calculated from the proposed
method are generally between the CIRIAwall result and the CIRIAcolumn result.
At low temperature of less than 5”C, low rates of pour R < 1 m/hr the Author’s
proposed method gives lower pressures than CIRIA 108-85. At low temperatures
and high rates of pour R > 4 m/hr the proposed method is comparable to the
CIRIA 108-85 wall method. At moderate temperaturesaround 20°C and low rates
of pour the proposed method is comparable to the CIRIA 108-85 column method
while at moderate temperatures and high rates of pour R > 4 m/hr the proposed
method is comparable to the CIRIA 108-85 wall method.
Reference
16. CIRIA. Concrete pressure onformwork. Report 108, Construction Industry Research and
Information Association, London, 1985.
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 DISCUSSION

mm-
'"7'"
000

a h mmol-
g
1
* \ 3 wm-
v, 8
-
N

\ \ =8 h mmlc)lc)
mmmm

rr.
\ \
' 8

m
41
e:
S
cV

1430

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