Formwork & Shuttering:
Concrete formwork & shuttering is the usage of a wooden structure or any mould (whether it is wood, metal or steel) which is used to pour concrete into. Its purpose is to keep concrete in position until it sets and gains strength and maintains its desired shape.
If you have ever wondered how the shape of the pillars of a highway bridge is kept in place during curing and casting of concrete, then this is exactly how they do it – through concrete formwork and shuttering. The mould is first built using steel, and then wooden formwork is fixed in position to pour the concrete so that it does not leak, or shift.
Formwork basically allows concrete to set in a pre-designed shape. Once the concrete has hardened and cured after a specific calculated time, the mould is removed to reveal the concrete structure.
Formwork and shuttering allow building contractors like MM Group to cast and construct the main parts of any building which are required to support the structure such as floors and walls. This is also especially useful to construct elements like stairwells relatively quickly.
Types of Formwork
There are many different types of concrete formwork used in construction today. Traditionally timber and plywood have been used to form the moulds for pouring in concrete. Timber or plywood is a relatively inexpensive method of formwork but not as durable and strong as steel. In some parts of buildings timber formwork is still widely used when a certain level of detail is needed.
Concrete formwork is widely used in present day building construction. There are many different types of formwork available to achieve the desired results. When reinforced, concrete is an incredibly strong and durable material, perfect for all major construction work, as well as smaller, detailed, and complex structures which MM Group Construction is readily contracted to do. MM Group also specializes in the construction of concrete pools and elevated concrete pools.
Coredrilling
A core drill is a hollow, cylindrical, and immensely powerful drill that is used to drill holes through a pre-existing surface such as a concrete reinforced floor or wall. The drill is made of metal, and the drill tips are usually coated with either diamond or carbide. The main difference between a core drill and other cement cutting machinery is that a core drill will extract a sample from the material, almost like a deep cookie cutter. The centre of the drill-bit is hollow and therefore allows it to carve out a sample from the surface it is used on. This sample is, called a core sample will show you exactly what the surface consists of once extracted.
MM Group Construction has successfully used coredriling, formwork and shuttering in all their construction projects in and around Cape Town, Somerset West, Stellenbosch and Gordon’s Bay. We have undertaken large buildings and residential properties which also includes the concrete pool construction.