A house has to rest on a solid foundation. It is the first and most crucial step of any worksite. Concrete is often a material of choice for foundations. Because it is mixed in a liquid form, a “mold” has to be built in order to create the shape needed when it hardens. This is called the formwork. Traditionally built out of wood, formwork is part of the carpenter’s jurisdiction. Many options are available nowadays. In residential construction, contractors will often use a system called Duraform. On the other hand, an individual might be well served using ICF (insulated concrete forms): it goes up like Lego blocks!
Our students are currently building forms using snap-ties and double walers. It is a tried and trusted technique, used for many years. It can be adapted to different sizes and requires very common material, which can be reused over and over. This technique is often used today for the construction of bridges or multi-stories buildings.
Formwork is physically very demanding. A unique part of formwork is that, in addition to building the structure, the workers also have to take it apart! Some worksites will stay open year round. Therefore it is a sector of the industry where many jobs can be found.