Formwork elements for slender concrete columns in V-shape

Architectural highlights increase the attractiveness of residential buildings for customers. However, it is often done without so as not to strain the construction budget. A clever solution was found for the „Radegrunder Strasse“ residential building project in the Austrian city of Graz, for realizing two columns in the visual appearance of a V, without having special formwork for a V-shaped column designed and produced individually. The two concrete columns are not connected, the bases are arranged behind one another, thus creating the impression of a V-shaped column.

The Pongratz construction company has rented the formwork units though Zenit Bauhandels GmbH – the Austrian distribution partner of Robusta-Gaukel. The most important advantages of the standard formwork are fast availability and low costs. The rental period required for the project is amounting to three months. The set of formwork for the 9.5m high columns consists of three basic elements of 3 meters each and an attachment element of 0.5 meters each. The consistent length increments and the arrangement of the anchor points in 50cm increments allow for any combination of the half-shell parts in different lengths. The rentable formwork elements start with a diameter of 240 mm and are available in 50cm increments from 250 mm up to 1000mm. Apart from the standard formwork for rent, Robusta-Gaukel also designs and manufactures special formwork and any intermediate dimensions.

Slender concrete columns in fair-faced concrete quality

For erecting the two formwork units in the correct distance and angle to each other, the engineers of Robusta-Gaukel create a formwork plan for the column base with the required concrete blocks obliquely installed. In this way, an orthogonal contact area is obtained for each formwork element according to the inclination, which allows erecting the formwork elements without a gaping joint at the bottom. Advantage for the construction experts: no need for elaborate sealing works on the ground and automatically correct positioning of the formwork elements. In addition, all push-pull props for adjusting the formwork elements were planned in detail, so the construction experts can easily measure in the exact position of the base points for drilling the dowels required for fastening the end joints on site.

In order to effectively prevent any leakage of water or concrete laitance at the joint of the half-shell parts, the Robusta rubber sealing profile G13 is incorporated directly behind the formwork skin. This results in attractive concrete surfaces featuring perfectly aligned and clean butt joints. Slender columns in fair-faced concrete quality is the outcome in Graz. Architecture could convince here: all 22 residential units in the building have been sold already.