PROFESSIONAL`S OPINION «PITFALLS» DURING PURCHASE OF VERTICAL FORMWORK
Making decision while choosing of formwork system and it`s manufacturer is important stage at the process of the construction object realization for monolithic construction companies. And this point has to be worked on thoughtfully, because choose of formwork influences at many economic indicators, present and future.
Products of reliable manufacturers has outstanding easiness and high speed of assembling and disassembling. Also material of the system elements is also important. The applied material influences at technical characteristics of equipment and its cost significantly. The most often applied material is steel. In despite of another materials, which can be used for formwork panels manufacturing, steel has high load capacity, good resistance to deformations and maintainability, what in complex lets to use formwork for 10 and more years. Steel frames of panels usually have polymer covering. Such coverings not only protect steel from corrosion, but also provide fast clearance of formwork from concrete during exploitation. Some manufacturers use expensive covering for their panels frames – galvanization. Of course, it looks effectively, but other kinds of coverings behave good as well during exploitation.
The second factor that influences at the making choose of formwork is type of surface, which interacts with concrete mixture. It has to provide smooth concrete surface of the raised constructions, easy formwork clearance, and to have high turnover. Optimal and the most common material for panel’s boards now is water-resistant plywood with laminated cover. Here you have to pay attention first of which species of wood it is made. Manufacturers often use defective Chinese plywood from poplar, eucalyptus, which quickly lose their shape. The most optimal features has plywood of birch. With careful operation, it lets to reach longtime turnover. That is why it is highly recommended to ask the manufacturer of the origin of the deck boards.
In conditions of market economics and rivalry, some manufacturers apply different «tricks» to attract buyers with low price of formwork. The most popular «methods» are using of low quality material: coarse steel, which has a mark below the declared, plywood, which does not match the declared features. Such materials cost cheaper, but their quality and characteristics are much lower, what influences at the durability of formwork, its technical features, and at the safety of work at construction site (maybe, it’s not needed to describe all situations, which can happen during the time of exploitation of such defective formwork).
The second method, which is applied by small formwork manufacturers and indecent dealers of large manufacturers often, is uncompleted packaging of fasteners of formwork system. While making a quotation, such companies sometimes put quantity of fasteners at 30% less than needed. Of course, first of all buyer watches at price, not at packaging, and does not suspect, that while exploitation all «uncompleted set» will be additionally completed, because assembled formwork construction cannot work properly.
Because of that, to avoid such disappointments, you have to analyze packaging of the received quotation very responsibly. If possible, require for certificates of Conformity, observe made items at the manufacturer`s store. In addition, a definite plus is possibility to observe formwork «on site» at working areas of construction companies, which already co-work with chosen by you formwork manufacturer. I think there is no need to tell you that its worth to cooperate only with manufacturers, which have recommended themselves as reliable and honest supplier of quality formwork at the Ukrainian market and abroad.
The author: Kosyanchuk N.