What Is Shuttering in Construction: Types, Materials, and Importance of Formwork Shuttering

What is Shuttering?

Shuttering is used as a temporary mould into which concrete is poured to obtain the desired structural shape on the construction site.

Traditional shuttering is fabricated using timber, but it can also be constructed from steel, glass fiber-reinforced plastics, and other materials.

In the infrastructure & Construction industry shuttering work is similar to a mold to cast concrete members in different shapes and sizes using different types of materials such as timber, steel, aluminum, plastic, etc. shuttering is a synonym term used for formwork.

it must have adequate strength to carry the dead load and live load coming on it during the casting operation of concrete and after that, till concrete gets hard and gain some percentage of desired strength.

Shuttering in construction plays a fundamental role. It must have enough strength to bear all the loads present during operations and then must hold its shape while the concrete hardens.

It can be used as temporary or permanent molds, which hold the poured concrete in shape until it hardens and achieves enough strength to support itself.

Shuttering is used as a mould for a structure and its ancillary Construction. Concrete is placed in the mould only to harden and gain adequate strength later.

Execution of Shuttering work takes time, and it forms 23 to 25% of expenditure on the total cost of the structure or building and probably even more. But, these are short forms of structures that are essential to support concrete until it reaches an adequate level of strength.

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Shuttering meaning

The Shuttering name itself is “The Mould” which means it is the casing into which material, usually concrete, is poured to obtain the desired structural shape.

Requirements of Good Shuttering

The followings are general performance features to meet the needs of Concrete Construction:

• It should be strong enough to resist all types of dead loads and live loads.
• It should retain its shape and size with adequate props and braces.
• The joints of Shuttering must be tight against leakage and should be of cement grout.
• it should be rigidly constructed and effectively propped and braced on both sides horizontally and vertically, to retain its shape.
• It should be made from reusable and recyclable materials.
• If Shuttering is removable, the process must not damage the concrete.
• The material of the Shuttering should be cheap and readily available.
• The material of the Shuttering should be as light as possible.
• It should be set accurately to the desired line, and levels should have a plane surface.
• The Shuttering material should not warp or distort when exposed to the elements.
• Construction of Shuttering should permit the removal of various parts on desired sequences without damage to the concrete.
• It should rest on a firm base.

Types of Shuttering Based on Materials

Following are types of shuttering materials used on construction site

1. Timber Form Work
2. Plywood Shuttering
3. Steel or Metallic Shuttering
4. Aluminum Shuttering
5. Plastic Shuttering
6. Coffer Shuttering

The following formwork for beams columns and slabs

1. Timber Formwork

Timber shuttering was one of the first and still most used types of formwork in the construction industry. It is normally assembled on-site.

However, before using timber formwork, its condition must be checked carefully, to make sure it is free of termites. Timber Shuttering also has two limitations that must be considered while using it is, it has a short life span and is time-consuming in large projects.

While using timber shuttering, it should be cut into pieces that are large enough to be reused. In general, timber, shuttering is preferred when labor costs are minimal, or when multiple concrete sections require flexible formwork.

Timber shuttering has the following advantages

• Easy to produce and remove
• Economical in small projects
• Workable, allowing any size and height
• Allows the use of local timber
• Lightweight, especially when compared with metallic formwork etc.

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2. Plywood Shuttering

Plywood shuttering is an unnatural manufactured wooden sheet available in different thicknesses and sizes used in formwork for the concrete member.

It is strong enough, durable, and lightweight. Plywood is one of the most used materials for sheathing, decking, and linings in shuttering.

Plywood shuttering has similar properties as timber shuttering including strength, durability, and lightweight.

The cost of plywood shuttering compares favorably with that of timber shuttering, and it may even prove cheaper under the following considerations:

• It is possible to have a smooth finish in which case surface finishing is there.
• The number of reuses is more as compared with timber shuttering. For estimation purposes, the number of reuses can be taken as 20 to 25.
• In shuttering types, It is possible to more save on the labor cost of fixing and dismantling.

3. Steel or Metallic Shuttering

Steel shuttering includes panels fabricated out of thin steel plates fixed along the edges by small steel angles. The panel units can be held together using suitable clamps or bolts and nuts. This type of shuttering is mostly used in bridge construction work.

Steel shuttering is now becoming popular due to its long lifetime reuses. Steel shuttering could be costly but can be used for a large number of projects and Structures. Steel shuttering offers very smooth and leveled finishes to the concrete surface. It is best suited for circular or curved structures such as tanks, columns, chimneys, sewers, tunnels, and retaining walls.

Advantages of steel shuttering with considering timber shuttering

• It gives a very smooth & leveled finish to the surface of the member.
• Steel shuttering is efficient, durable & has a long-lasting life.
• It is waterproof and minimizes the honeycombing effect.
• It can be used more than 100 times.
• Steel shuttering does not absorb moisture from the concrete surface.
• It can be installed & dismantled easily.

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4. Aluminum Shuttering

Aluminum shuttering is very similar to steel shuttering. The main difference is that aluminum has a lower density than steel, which makes formwork lighter.

Aluminum also has a lower strength than steel, and these criteria must be considered before using it in a construction project.

Aluminum shuttering is economical if large numbers of repeating usage types of projects are made in Construction. The main disadvantage is that no alteration is possible once the shuttering is constructed.

5. Plastic Shuttering

Plastic shuttering is executed by interlocking panels or modular systems, made of lightweight and robust plastic.

It works best in small projects consisting of repetitive tasks, such as low-cost housing estates. It can be used for simple concrete structures.

Plastic shuttering is light in weight and can be cleaned with water while being suitable for large sections and multiple reuses.

Its main drawback is having less flexibility than timber because many components are prefabricated. These types of shuttering are becoming favorable for similar shapes and massive housing schemes.

Advantages of Plastic shuttering

• Plastic shuttering is lightweight shuttering; hence it requires less handling and dismantling costs.
• It can be used for a large section.
• If carefully transported and used, multiple reuses are possible; making is highly economical.

6. Coffer Shuttering

Coffer shuttering is a stay-in-place formwork system. It consists of two filtering grids which are reinforced by vertical & horizontal stiffeners and linked by articulated connectors which can be folded to transport on-site.

Coffer shuttering remains in place after the concrete is poured and acts as reinforcement. Coffer is transported to the site prefabricated from the factory. These shutters can be used for any type of structure like a house, multistory buildings, etc.

Read More: Types Of Building Materials & Their Applications

Types of Shuttering Based on Structural Components

All types of shuttering are designed according to the structure or unit they support, and the corresponding construction plans specify the materials and required thickness. It is essential to note that formwork construction takes more time.

Following are shuttering types based on structural components,

1. Wall Shuttering
2. Beam Shuttering
3. Foundation Shuttering
4. Column Shuttering
5. Permanent Insulated Shuttering

1. Wall Shuttering

Wall Shuttering is used for concreting of shear or RCC walls in dams, wing walls, basement RCC walls, etc. Wall shuttering is made up of vertically arranged upright timbers to which plywood sheeting boards are nailed at the inner side. The upright timbers are diagonally braced with the help of boards at the sides.

2. Beam Shuttering

The beam is the most crucial structural member in RCC framed building. Beam shuttering has prefabricated shuttering including sheeting bottom and side sheeting panels.

The individual parts of the shuttering are manufactured based on the beam size. In the process of prefabrication of sheeting parts, table fabrication must be manufactured on-site where the pouring of concrete is to be done. These types of formwork are specially made for beam construction work.

3. Foundation Shuttering

Foundation shuttering is designed according to foundation type. The design of formwork for a foundation depends on foundation types like strip footing, combined footing, and raft.

Mainly there is a difference in the design for private foundations and formwork for strip foundations. The design of shuttering is estimated by size, mainly by the height of the foundation.

Read More: What Is Curing Of Concrete And Different Methods Of Curing

4. Column Shuttering

The arrangement of formwork for the column may change based on column outlines like rectangular, circular and hexagonal, or any other shape. The sheeting of column shuttering is constructed according to the column dimension. The panels are accommodating in a foot rim, anchored in soil with the help of bolts.

5. Permanent Insulated Shuttering

These are one of the most advanced types of Shuttering systems, offering permanent insulation. It may also consist of thermal, fire-resistance, acoustic, and rodent-resistance properties.

Insulating concrete forms are the most usual type of permanent insulated Shuttering, where concrete structures are insulated with polystyrene boards that stay in place after the concrete has cured.

Permanent insulated Shuttering offers energy efficiency and sustainability, contributing to a lower environmental impact from the building sector.

Conclusion

Shuttering is a crucial component in construction which serve as temporary support and formwork for concrete structure, and it plays a vital role in ensuring the accuracy, quality of finished product, strength.

Shuttering material such as steel, plywood, aluminum or timber and it offer different benefits and consideration, and the selection of the appropriate material depends on the various factor like desire finish, budget, and project requirements.

The right choice of shuttering material, contributes to the longevity, safety and stability of the construction process.
The shuttering is a one types of fundamental element of formwork which provide shape of concrete and support of concrete during the construction process.

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