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Foundation Shuttering: Can You Leave Shuttering in Foundations?
One of the elements of foundation construction that takes the most time to get right is shuttering. Also known as formwork, shuttering is the mould or framework that is used to hold wet concrete in place until the concrete has set and cured. Obviously, both time and manpower are needed to construct the foundation shuttering at the start of the build, but also additional time and effort is required to remove this temporary formwork at the end of the concrete pour. That leads many to ask the question: can you leave shuttering in foundations?
The short answer to this question is that it depends on the type of foundation being built. Whilst heavy duty formwork used in the construction of walls and beams can never be left in place once the concrete has been set, there are many other instances where permanent formwork can be used, offering significant cost and time savings. Of course, it’s not simply the case that you can just use regular shuttering plywood and leave that in place at the end of a concrete pour - instead, purpose-made permanent formwork should always be used. There are a number of different permanent formwork systems available, including Beamform foundation shuttering, K Form permanent formwork, and (in some circumstances) Combiform.
K Form Formwork
K Form is an excellent alternative to traditional metal shuttering, allowing much faster concrete pours, with no messy removal and clean-up to worry about. This simple click-together system is made from recycled plastic, and allows construction staff to lay hundreds of metres of screed rail per hour. Dowel holes are pre-drilled every 300mm and anchor holes are also pre-drilled, saving even more time in getting everything in place and securely positioned.
Obviously, further time is saved after the concrete is poured because the plastic formwork stays in place for the lifespan of the concrete element - once it’s in place, it stays in place - you can leave K Form in your foundations.
Beamform Shuttering
Another innovative foundation shuttering solution for ground beams and pile caps is Beamform, a heavy-duty polypropylene formwork product, which can easily be cut and bent to shape, and simply dropped into trenches and fixed to the reinforcement cage, with the trenches then backfilled to hold everything in place. Beamform offers a range of significant benefits over traditional metal or plywood shuttering, including reduced trench digging and spoil removal, ease of handling, reduced concrete wastage and minimal storage space requirements. It is easy to cut and shape and does not require extensive training or experience to be used effectively.
Beamform shuttering can be supplied in standard sheet sizes (3.5m x 2.4m), to be cut and sized on site by contractors, or it can be delivered to site as cut strips or pre-made U-sections. A project could of course utilise all of these options at various parts of the build, depending on time and access constraints, the complexity of individual elements of the build, and the labour available on site at various points in the project. As well as the Beamform sheets themselves, there is a range of supporting accessories available, including spaces, tape, knives and bracing bars.
Made from 8mm polypropylene, Beamform can be fully recycled, making it an environmentally-responsible choice, as well as cost-effective one.
Combiform
Combiform is actually a modular screed rail system that can be used as shuttering in some circumstances. Combiform is made from aluminium, and as such is lightweight, strong, and also available in seven heights for varying concrete depth requirements.
The Combiform system is stackable, reducing storage requirements, and it can be used indoors and outdoors, and in all kinds of climate. It too has ready-cut dowel holes, and there are a number of accessories available with this system, including locking clips, adjustment screws, and ground plates.
All three of these systems can potentially be used as permanent shuttering systems (though Combiform is, at heart, a screed rail), and all offer significant advantages, including easy installation, reduced labour, crack allocation and easy levelling of slabs. With so many benefits, it’s definitely worth considering a permanent formwork system for your next foundation project.