The last thing a mason wants to worry about on a busy jobsite is the platform beneath his feet. But without reliable scaffold planks, many masonry projects would literally never get off the ground. More
Contractors today have more options than ever before in selecting form and shoring... More
The North American plywood industry has been using the same wood veneers and the... More
APA is cautioning the marketplace to beware of imported panels that in many cases fail to meet North American standards. APA recently tested samples of nontrademarked imported concrete form panels in which the average glue bond performance of the sample d More
Most zero-slump product producers in the United States have avoided using wooden pallets. More
Dwindling supplies of suitable sawn dimension lumber, as well as the roller-coaster movement of lumber prices, have led some form builders to use other framing materials to support formwork. Structural composite lumber (SCL), a precision-manufactured engineered-wood product, is an alternative that offers some of the same properties of wood along with enhanced strength and reliability. Like ordinary wood, the manufactured beams are workable and easy to handle, but they don't warp or twist, and they're 100% reusable. They reportedly cost less than aluminum and more than sawn lumber. However, they offer a greater return on investment, particularly when you consider that typically 20% or more of sawn lumber is discarded due to defects. More
The performance of any form sheathing, whether made of plywood, metal, or fiberglass, is only as good as the performance of its support members. Form support is provided by various components. For wall panels, studs supported by cross members called walers provide direct support. For horizontal decking, joists give direct support. To hold support members in place, tension members are used. Because of their important function, support members must be carefully chosen to coordinate with sheathing selection. More
Will manufactured, engineered wood beams and girders revolutionize formwork construction as manufactured plywood panels did in the past? More
Form sheathing--the part of the form that is next to the concrete--can be made of many different materials: lumber or plywood; glass fiber reinforced or unreinforced plastics; steel and aluminum; reconstituted wood-base panels; glass fiber reinforced concrete. More
