How to make formwork for the foundation correctly

Reinforced concrete is the most suitable material for building a solid foundation for a building. To get a high-quality monolith, it is necessary to correctly fill it into the formwork.

Materials used for the manufacture of formwork

As mentioned above, for the manufacture of formwork, you can use any material that can withstand the loads that occur when pouring concrete.

Before asking the question - how to make the formwork for - it is worth familiarizing yourself with its existing options.

wooden formwork

The most common and type of formwork is a structure assembled from wooden panels. Their deck consists of several boards fastened together by vertical elements made of wooden blocks.

The thickness of the board is selected by the calculation method, or is taken on the basis of the experience accumulated by the builders (). Board consumption depends on the height of the monolith.

The need for vertical elements of the product is affected by the thickness of the deck - the thinner the board, the smaller the step will have to be maintained between the bars. On average, the distance between them does not exceed one meter.

Recently, in small-panel formwork, the board has been replaced with plywood. Moisture-resistant sheets are suitable for this purpose. If you intend to make reusable formwork, it is better to take laminated plywood: cement does not stick to its surface.

Metal formwork

For the manufacture of metal formwork, galvanized steel or aluminum alloy are used. Steel structures are characterized by high strength properties, do not deform and perfectly withstand all types of loads in the process of pouring concrete mass - dynamic and static.

Aluminum formwork is practically in no way inferior to steel formwork, while having very positive properties:

• light weight, which allows a private builder to do without construction equipment;
• high anti-corrosion resistance.

How to make a formwork for a metal foundation? It can be purchased at a hardware store. Purchased metal formwork is a set of elements from which the structure is quickly assembled at the construction site.

Factory products are distinguished by accuracy of execution, which has a very positive effect on quality. Handicraft-assembled metal formwork cannot boast of such qualities - a private builder usually assembles it from steel sheets at hand.

Under such conditions, it is difficult to comply with permissible deviations - no more than 2 mm in linear dimensions. Nevertheless, when erecting irresponsible structures - fences, arbors, etc. - it is possible to build formwork of quite acceptable quality from steel sheets.

Styrofoam

What to make formwork for the foundation so that it simultaneously performs the function of thermal insulation? The cheapest material suitable for solving this problem is expanded polystyrene (styrofoam).

Factory polymer formwork is produced in the form of hollow blocks, from which a structure of any shape is easily assembled - from rectangular to round or oval. Individual elements of fixed formwork are equipped with special locks, with the help of which they are tightly connected ().

The question of how to properly make formwork for a foam foundation usually does not arise among amateur builders: you need to calculate the required number of blocks, buy and assemble them according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Formwork manufacturing procedure

Let's look at how to make plywood formwork for the foundation with your own hands.

The smooth and even surface of this material is the best suited for the manufacture of formwork elements. Yes, and assemble shields from plywood much faster than from a board. In addition, unlike plank formwork, plywood formwork is less susceptible to local deformations.

For the manufacture of a disposable structure, you can use plywood made from coniferous wood. Reusable shields are best built from laminated plywood.

How to make a formwork for a strip foundation () using this material? First you need to calculate the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe side surfaces of the monolithic tape. It will be equal to the sum of the perimeters of the inner and outer sides of the foundation, multiplied by its height.

A standard plywood sheet has dimensions of 1220x2440, 1250x2500 and 1500x2500 mm. You should choose the one that, after cutting, will give the least amount of waste.

For example, if you are building a shallow foundation that is 600mm high, you would be better off buying a sheet that is 1220mm wide. All other sizes will lead to unjustified waste of materials.

Plywood shields are assembled on the basis of a frame knocked down from wooden blocks. If the thickness of the plywood is less than required, it can be reinforced with additional horizontal bars. The thinner the plywood sheet, the more horizontals you will have to fill.

Installation of plywood boards in a trench is carried out in the same way as plank boards. To prevent the collapse of the structure during pouring of concrete, braces are used, which are nailed to the vertical bars of the frame.

The control of the internal gap between the shields is carried out either with the help of threaded studs passed through pieces of pipes - bushings. The length of the sleeve must be equal to the width of the foundation tape. Subsequently, the studs are removed, while the bushings remain in the monolith. The internal space of the pipes is filled with cement mortar.

Video how to make formwork for the foundation.