Forms for concrete: how to choose the best type for your work? Find out now!
To lift concrete walls, columns, support pillars or slabs, the use of forms for concrete is indispensable. With the use of them, it is possible to create resistant structures that guarantee all the support of a building. Therefore, better understanding the characteristics of concrete forms is part of improving the execution stages of a work.
With that in mind, we believe that providing information on this subject can be very useful for you, who work in civil construction. This article serves to help you improve the execution processes of any work, which use concrete forms in various stages, providing a sturdy and durable structure for construction.
Here, you will have access to information, such as: what concrete forms are and what are they for, why to use concrete forms, what is the best shape for concrete, what are the types of forms for concrete and, finally, you will learn what are the best mold release agents for concrete forms.
Are you going to waste this opportunity to understand all these aspects about forms for concrete? I'm sure not. Then come with me! The more information you have, the greater the chances of you guaranteeing more quality for your work!
What are concrete forms and what are they for?
The forms for concrete are molds used to shape the structure with the material that is still fresh, allowing the construction of supporting walls, columns or pillars. Only with the use of forms is it possible to perform several stages of a work.
We can name a few roles important ones played by the forms. They are: it collaborates in the positioning of the reinforcement; it allows the placement of spacers in the reinforcements to guarantee the necessary coverage of the concrete; it supports the positioning of elements of the installations and other embedded items; it makes it possible to mold the concrete while still fresh; keeps the concrete fresh and supports it until it develops its strength in order to support itself; makes the concrete surface finish as planned in the project and guarantees watertightness so that there is no loss of water concrete, facilitating healing.
Thus, although the forms for concrete are used in stages during the execution process of a structure, they strongly interfere with all other stages besides the finishing and final result of the work.
Why use forms for concrete?
Using concrete forms during the execution of a work is essential to ensure that the process of building walls, columns, pillars and slabs is done correctly. In addition to these applications, concrete forms are also useful in several other ways during the execution of a work.
I'll give you some relevant reasons to understand why to use forms for concrete. The first of these refers to the need to use shapes to shape concrete that is still fresh so that it develops its resistance in order to support itself. In addition, using forms for concrete directly interferes with all other stages of execution of the work, also influencing the finish and final result of the entire structure.
And finally, without talking about the technical issue, the use of forms for concrete is related to another factor: economy. Economy, because the forms represent a small portion of the total value of the work, ranging around 4% to 6% of its total cost. In addition, the quantities of forms required are defined in the project, varying very little during the execution. Thus, to reduce the cost of a structure, forms for concrete are ideal.
We can still talk about an environmental issue that the use of forms provides while reducing waste generation.
What is the best shape for concrete?
Every form for concrete must meet certain minimum requirements, which are defined by technical standards. The NBRs that define the standards to be met by concrete forms are NBR 14931/2004 and NBR 15696/2009. Therefore, be sure to consult them before using the forms. In fact, it is highly recommended to read the technical regulations before starting any procedure on a work.
But, we can summarize some requirements that concrete forms must meet. These are: stiffness, tightness, durability, stability and low water absorption. Therefore, the forms for concrete must have these properties, which makes them suitable for use in the work.
Answering which form for concrete is better is not so simple. That's because each shape is suitable for a situation. So, to be more clear, we can divide it like this:
- Forms of wood: small and medium-sized works;
- Steel forms: works with concrete cast in situ or pre-molded;
- ABS forms: concrete coating parts factories.
So, the choice of which form to use in your work depends on where your situation fits that classification. I will explain to you what are the types of shapes for concrete so that it can be even clearer.
What are the types of forms for concrete?
It is possible to find forms for concrete consisting of several types of materials, such as wood, metal and plastic. The choice of the type of shape you will need varies depending on the type of your need. Therefore, I will explain a little more about each of them so that you can come to the conclusion of which one best suits your project. Stay here with me to understand.
Wood forms: they are the most used in medium and small projects, but they can be used to concrete any structure, from a simple beam to complex bridges. Its great advantage is the possibility of adapting to curved lines since wood allows adjustment to different formats. They can be reused less than other forms and generate more waste.
Metallic shapes: they are excellent because of their high reuse rate. They are ideal for works that carry out a lot of large concreting, such as buildings. It is possible to find aluminum and steel forms on the market, the former being lightweight and allowing faster concreting, while the latter are more resistant, guaranteeing thick and high-pressure concreting.
Plastic forms: lighter and easier to assemble, are used for concreting walls, pillars and ribbed slabs. They are weather resistant and can be reused many times.
With this information, I believe that the characteristics and functions of each of the types of concrete forms have become even clearer, hasn't it? But, remember to consult specialized professionals to be sure that you will make the right choice, okay?
What is the best mold release agent for concrete forms?
To guarantee an excellent concreting result, you need to pay attention to the choice of the release agent that you will use in your form. This is because a poor release agent can compromise the result, finish and quality of the structure.
Therefore, carrying out the steps correctly and choosing the right mold release agent is the ideal path to a successful result. Stay tuned because, in this topic, I will introduce you to the best mold release agents on the market.
To begin with, if you are looking for a mold release agent for wood forms, the product you should use is BlokForma Woods, a concentrated agent based on synthetic emulsions that prevents concrete from adhering to the form, facilitating deforming and allowing for greater reuse of wood forms.
If you already need a release agent for metal forms, you need to know BlokForma Metals, an agent based on vegetable oils and emulsifiers that prevents concrete from adhering to the shape, facilitating demoulding and improving the finish of the pieces.
BlokForma Plastics it is the ideal mold release agent if you need to deform concrete from plastic forms. By using it, in addition to facilitating the distortion, it allows for greater conservation of the forms, leaving them suitable for reuse.
If you want to know these solutions that Blok developed to add more quality to your works and to the forms for concrete, talk to our team. In addition to these, I'm sure that many of our products are the solutions you need. I hope this article helped you understand more about concrete forms. Until next time.
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