Formwork Design and Safety with Code of Practice

Course details

Formwork structures have always been a highly hazardous item in the construction industry. Recent failures of formworks in Singapore have raised considerable alarm in the industry, the government and the public.

This course on formwork design and safety to revised standards and EuroCode aims to address this critical concern, not only of the authorities but also of builders, contractors, and developers, by accomplishing the following:

• Provide background to this critical topic in workplace safety
• Review a number of failures of formworks in Singapore and abroad to convey understanding of causes
• Discuss techniques to identify and evaluate the hazards, and manage the risks
• Provide useful information on revised standards in this area
• Describe significant parts of the new Code of Practice for Formwork SS580;2012 to facilitate its use by designers and contractors

The focus will be on basic concepts and procedures currently in use for formwork in the construction industry. In addition, the critical aspects of formwork design with the recently increased factor of safety will be covered. Objectives will include identification of principal contributory factors to formwork failures and their underlying root causes, and discussing how the new Code can eliminate or alleviate the problems.

FOR WHOM

The course will be useful to engineers, contractors, and occupational health and safety professionals who wish to learn or review the design and safety considerations of formwork structures (often simply referred to as 'formwork') – which would cover both the actual formwork to receive the wet concrete and its supporting falsework.

It will be useful to fresh engineering graduates as an introduction to the real world of formwork safety and design implementation in the workplace. Management cadre may also do well to understand the implications of formwork design and safety, because it may help in reducing the consequent costs of accidents to the company and improve the safety culture in their organizations. A half-day workshop on design based on SS580:2012 for Formwork is also planned for hands-on experience.

COURSE CONTENT

The course will aim to inform and educate professionals unfamiliar with formwork design and safety, as well as to update the relevant standards background of practitioners who may be already familiar with the problems, to improving their safety culture.

The new Formwork Code of Practice SS580:2012 incorporates two new features: Increased load safety factor of 2, and application of EuroCode to steel formwork design. The course will highlight and explain these features in detail. In the safety segment, a MOM expert may present recent and relevant material on formwork safety. An entire session (about one and a half hours) will be devoted to design case studies and worked examples to familiarise design principles for the participants. This is  expected to ease the transition into mandatory use of EuroCode in this context.

Topic

• Formwork structures, types and characteristics, common failures and findings
• Safety of formwork structures, good practice in erection and dismantling
• Design of formwork structures, basis for increased load safety factor
• Case studies and worked examples on formwork design