Formwork Design Calculations

PROPOSED (G+2P+11+R)
DUBAI ALNAHDA
Next Engineering
Consultant
Loft Contracting LLC
Codes & References:
British Standards:

BS 1139-1.2: 1990 Metal scaffolding

BS 2482: 2009 Timber scaffold boards

BS 5950-1: 2000 Structural use of steelwork in building

BS 5973: 1993(1) Access and working scaffolds and special scaffold

structures in steel BS 5974: 2010 Temporary suspended access equipment

BS 5975: 2008 +A1: 2011 Temporary works procedures and the permissible stress
design of falsework BS 6399-2: 1997(1) Wind loads

BS EN 12810-1:2003 Façade scaffolds made of prefabricated components

BS EN 12811-1:2003 Temporary works equipment Scaffolds Performance requirements

and general design BS EN 13374:2004 Temporary edge protection systems. Product
specification, test methods

BS EN 1991-2: 2003 Eurocode 1. Actions on structures. Traffic loads on bridges

BS EN 39: 2001 Loose steel tubes for tube and coupler scaffolds. Technical delivery conditions

Relevant Industry Guides:

HSG 33: 2008 Health and safety in roof work

SG28:09 Safe system of work for scaffolding associated with timber frame
building construction SG4:15 Preventing falls in scaffolding. Management guide

TG4:11 Anchoring systems

TG20:13 Guide to good practice for scaffolding with tubes and fittings + Supplement 1

Regulations

The Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations 2007

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM)

This design calculation has been carried out with the following technical information, where applicable
BS EN 12811-1:2003 Temporary works equipment Part 1: Scaffolds - Performance requirements and
general design.
BS 5975:2008+A1:2011 Code of practice for temporary works procedures and the permissible stress design
of falsework.
Design Method:
The scaffolds have been designed based from "Permissible Stress or Working Load Format" whereas, the
estimated maximum forces e.g. axial forces, shear forces, bending moment, and combinations thereof
acting on scaffold members and connections shall not exceed to the safe working capacities of
each scaffold component to Technical Data & Applicable Codes.

Design Breif & Assumptions:

• The scaffolds shall stable
• We have assumed the base/ground can resist the legload of scaffold
• The customer requires fixing & supported by experience person
• The scaffolds are designed as a purely access, no materials/debris shall be stored in the platform
without Designer approval

Design Description
The following structural analysis consists of a solution for slab formwork
using Cuplock System with beams, props and Shoring Towers.

System Components used

I. 18mm thick plywood
II. Decking- Beams as primary & Secondary beams
III. Support- Props & Shoring Towers
IV. Tripods
Static Check for Slab Formwork

Design assumptions
Weight of Fresh 25 kN/m3
Concrete:

Live Load: 1.5 kN/m2

Formwork Weight: 0.50 kN/m2

Load Computation.

Load Concrete Thickness Live Formwork Computed

(kN/m3) (m) Load Weight Load (kN/m2)
(kN/m2) (kN/m2)

Slab 25 0.30 1.5 0.5 9.5

Element Data

Beams (Please refer Technical Data Sheet)mm

W = 80 mm
EI = 500 KN-m2
Permissible Shear = 11 KN
Permissible Moment = 5 KN-m

Flex System
Prop Load Capacity = 20 kN minimum (Please refer Technical Data Sheet)

Shoring System
Leg Load Capacity = 55.4 kN (Please refer Technical Data Sheet)
Analysis:
Details from the drawings

I. Slab thickness- 300 mm

II. Max. Spacing for secondary beams- 488 mm c/c
III. Max. Spacing of Primary beams- 1800 mm c/c
IV. Max. Spacing of Props- 1000 mm c/c

Check on 18mm Plywood

From the Deflection diagram,

Max. Deflection for the spacing of 488mm = 1.15 mm

Permissible Deflection = L/300 = 488/300 = 1.63 mm

Therefore, Max. Deflection is less than the permissible deflection. Hence H20
Timberbeam is safe for 18mm thick plywood to withstand the load of 9.5 kN/m2.

Page | 5
Check on Secondary Beam spaced @ 488 mm c/c.

Max. Support (Primary beam) spacing= 1.80 m

Load on Secondary beams = Load on Plywood x Secondary spacing
= 9.5x0.488
= 4.636 kN/m

Analysis

From attached drawing and analysis,

Max. Shear = 4.85 kN < 11 kN OK

Max. Moment = 1.51 kN-m < 5.0 kN.m. OK

Page | 6
Check on Primary Beam spaced @ 1800 mm c/c.

Load on Primary= Max. Reaction on Secondary/Secondary Spacing

= 9.21/0.488
= 18.87 kN/m
Analysis

From attached drawing and analysis,

Max. Shear = 9.86 KN < 11.0 KN OK
Max. Moment = 1.91 KN-m < 5.00 KN-m OK

Page | 7
Check on Props

Prop Spacing = 1.00 m

From the primary beam analysis, max. Reaction = 19.02 kN

Prop Load = 19.02 KN < 27.00 KN OK. (Refer Technical Data Sheet for Props)

Conclusion

Therefore we conclude that all the load bearing elements are statically checked and
are safe to withstand the applied load as per the designed spacing.

Page | 8
Analysis (Shoring System)
Details from the drawings

V. Slab thickness- 300 mm

VI. Max. Spacing for secondary beams- 488 mm c/c
VII. Max. Spacing of Primary beams- 2500 mm c/c
VIII. Max. Spacing of Legs of Shoring Towers- 1500 mm c/c

Check on 18mm Plywood

From the Deflection diagram,

Max. deflection for the spacing of 488mm = 1.15 mm

Permissible Deflection = L/300 = 488/300 = 1.63 mm

Therefore, Max. deflection is less than the permissible deflection. Hence H20 Timber
beam is safe for 18mm thick plywood to withstand the load of 9.5 kN/m2.

Page | 9
Check on Secondary Beam spaced @ 488 mm c/c.

Max. support (Primary beam) spacing= 2.50 m maximum

Load on Secondary beams = Load on Plywood x Secondary spacing
= 9.5x0.488
= 4.636 kN/m

Analysis

From attached drawing and analysis,

Max. Shear = 5.85 kN < 11 kN OK

Max. Moment = 2.04 kN-m < 5.0 kN.m. OK

Page | 10
Check on Double Primary Beam spaced @ 2500 mm c/c maximum.

Load on Primary= Max. Reaction on Secondary/Secondary Spacing

= 10.34/0.488
= 21.188 kN/m
Analysis

From attached drawing and analysis,

Max. Shear = 16.70 kN < 2x11.00 = 22.0 kN OK
Max. Moment = 4.48 kN-m < 2x5.00 = 10.00 kN-m OK

Page | 11
Check on Shoring Towers

Shoring Tower Leg Spacing = 1.50 m

From the primary beam analysis, max. reaction = 32.80 kN

Leg Load = 32.80 KN < 55.40 KN OK. (Refer Technical Data Sheet for PD8 Slab
Towers)

Conclusion

Therefore we conclude that all the load bearing elements are

statically checked andare safe to withstand the applied load as per
the designed spacing.

Steel prop Calculation

Steel prop, Its maximum height for use is 3.5 meters, minimum height is 2 meters, intubation
dimension is ø48x3.0, L=1894mm,section area A1=4240mm2, inertia moment I1=107800mm4,
gyration radius r1=15.94mm；The steel casing dimension is ø60x3.0,L=1694mm，Section area
A2=537mm2，inertia moment I2=218800mm4, gyration radius r2=20.18mm.

Calculation of stability in compression of the steel prop:

According to the national standard we can determine the steel prop allowable load according to
the stability required of axial compression.
µl
λ=
Steel prop Slenderness ratio： r2
l = the length of steel prop which can be used (mm）；Maximum 3.5m，Minimum 2m.
r2= gyration radius of the steel casing（mm）；25.5mm.
μ= conversion coefficient of length Calculation when the steel casing and intubation have the
different inertia moment.
1+ n I
µ= n= 2
2 Therefore, I1
In the formula above:
I1= the inertia moment of intubation（mm4）； I1=248617mm4

I2= the inertia moment of the steel casing（mm4）； I2=440873mm4

Page | 12
I2 1+ n 1 + 2.03
n= µ= = 1.23
So, I 1 =218800/107800=2.03; 2 = 2
The maximum height l=2750mm r2=20.18mm
µl 1.23 × 2750
λ= = = 167.6
The slenderness ratio r2 20.18

Look up the steady coefficient, we can see ϕ = 0.253 ;

Allowable load: N = ϕA2 f = 0.253× 537 × 215 = 29.21 KN
f The pressure resistance intensity design value of the steel prop, f =215N/mm2.
The minimum height is 2.0 meters.
µl 1.23 × 2000
λ= = = 121.9
The slenderness ratio r2 20 . 18

Look up the steady coefficient, we can see ϕ = 0.446 ;

Allowable load: N = ϕA2 f = 0.446 × 537 × 215 = 51.49
f ---the pressure resistance intensity design value of the steel prop, f =215N/mm2.

Pipe wall compression intensity:

The allowable load [N] of the steel pipe wall under pressure according to empirical formula:
[N ] = f ce A
In the formula above:
f ce − − − −
The design value of pressure resistance intensity on steel pipe wall section
320N/mm2.
A − − − − − Wall pressure area of two bolt hole (mm2)
d int o
A = 2a π there  → a − − − −
2 The thickness of intubation wall 3.0mm
d − − − − Bolt diameter 14mm
d 14
A = 2a π = 2 × 3.0 × × π = 131.88
2 2 mm2
The allowable load of the steel pipe wall:
[N ] = f ce A = 320 ×131.88 = 4.2 ×10 4 N
Shear force calculation of the bolt:

The allowable load [N] of the bolt under shear force according to empirical formula:
[N ] = f v 2 Ac
In the formula above:
f v − − − − The design value of Shear force resistance intensity, 125N/mm2

Page | 13
Ac − − − − −
Bolt section area (254.3 mm2)
So,
[N ] = f v 2 Ac = 125 × 2 × 153.86 = 3.9 × 10 4 N
According to the result above, choose the smallest value of the three checking computations’
result. So the allowable load is 29.21KN when Steel prop reaches the maximal used length.
Steel prop is used to withstand the vertical load from the main beam，the disadvantage load is
N＝26KN/m3×3.4m×4.5m×0.25m/4=24.86KN﹤Nmax=29.21KN. Therefore capacity of the Steel
prop can meet the conditions required.

Therefore we conclude that all the load bearing elements are

statically checked andare safe to withstand the applied load as per
the designed spacing.

Page | 14
Page | 15
The scaffolding drawings include a site layout plan, elevations and sections of the
scaffold. It should be kept at the workplace if reasonably practicable, or be readily
accessible. In general the scaffolding addressed the:
• basis of design
• type of scaffold
• foundations including ground conditions
• the weight bearing capacity of the surface where the scaffold is to be erected
• dead loads e.g. resulting from the size and weight of the scaffold
• live and environmental loads e.g. wind loads
• containment sheeting
• supporting structures
• entry and exit
• tying and anchors—where anchors will be placed on the supporting structure and types
of anchors
to be used
• bracing, and
• Edge protection.
• Ladder should be securely tied to prevent moving.
• Maximum height between landings should not exceed 6.3 m.
• Ladder should extend at least 1.0 m above landings.
• For height more than 33 meter scaffold brackets which are attached to ladder structure
to provide vertical and horizontal support to resist accidental sideways movement each
12 m , 12m, 9m height respectively.
Here’s a simple guide you can follow to control the hazards when working on a
scaffold:

DO's:

• Inspect the scaffold using a checklist before the work shift and ensure it is safe and in
proper working order
• Provide proper training.
• Wear appropriate PPE.
• Always check inspection tags.
• Know the weight capacity of the scaffold.
• Have a handhold above the scaffold platform.
• Level the scaffold after each move. Do not extend adjusting leg screws more than 12
inches.

Page | 16
• Use your safety belts and lanyards when working on scaffolding at a height of 10 feet
or more above ground level. Attach the lanyard to a secure member of the scaffold.
• Safely use the ladder when climbing the cross braces for access to the scaffold.
• Keep both feet on the decking.
• Stay off scaffold during loading or unloading.
• Ensure planking is overlapping or secured from movement.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions when erecting the scaffold, under the direct
supervision of a competent person.
• Be mindful of coworkers working above and below you at all times, as well as others
working on the scaffold.
• Use the debris chutes or lower things by hoist or by hand.
• Chock the wheels of the rolling scaffold, using the wheel blocks, and also lock the
wheels by using your foot to depress the wheel-lock, before using the scaffold.
• Always use netting to catch anything that falls.

DON'Ts:

• Leave anything on the scaffold at the end of your shift.

• Overload the scaffold.
• Use unstable objects such as barrels, boxes, loose brick or concrete blocks to support
scaffolds, increase your work height or planks.
• Work on platforms or scaffolds unless they are fully planked.
• Use a scaffold unless guardrails and all flooring are in place.
• Stand on ties, guardrails, or extensions.
• Use the scaffold if it appears damaged in any way has been tampered with, or if there
are components missing such as planking, guardrails, toe boards, debris nets or
protective canopies.
• Walk on scaffold planking covered in ice, snow or mud.
• Avoid using a scaffold during adverse weather such as heavy rain, sleet, ice snow or
strong winds.
• Climb on any portion of the scaffold frame not intended for climbing.
• Never climb with any materials or tools in your hand; they should be hoisted up to the
scaffold separately.
• Jump from, to, or between scaffolding.
• Lean out or overreach outside the guardrails.
• Rock the scaffold.
• Throw anything "overboard" unless a spotter is available.
• Move a mobile scaffold if anyone is on it.

Prep. By Eng. Yousif Alghaly

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yousif-alghaly-ahmed-mohammed-9b6b5a68.

Page | 17