Using Interactive Spreadsheets for Teaching Concrete Formwork Design

摘要

Whether structural steel or reinforced concrete framed, all large commercial buildings today incorporate some cast-in-place concrete. With the advent of economically feasible, higher and higher strength concretes, many of the large building concepts that used to be reserved for structural steel are now being implemented with reinforced concrete. The decision on whether to construct the frame of a building out of reinforced concrete or structural steel inevitably comes down to a question of money. And the economics of reinforced concrete are directly related to the economy of formwork. Some experts estimate that the cost of the formwork can be as much as 60% of the total cost of the in-place concrete work. In a concrete building, the architect/engineer is responsible for the size, strength, shape, and appearance of the structure. The planning, design, and construction of the materials used to temporarily support these structural components, however, are completely the purview of the general contractor and its hired subcontractors. In fact, many large general contractors choose to self-perform the structural concrete work, which includes the formwork, so they can better control and drive the construction schedule.