Complete guide to formwork, falsework, shoring, propping, and bracing for concrete construction
Understand the full scope of temporary works in concrete construction — types, design principles, loading requirements, safe installation procedures, and removal sequences for formwork, falsework, and shoring systems in 2026.
Essential knowledge for structural engineers, site managers, formwork contractors, and concrete specialists in 2026
Temporary works in concrete construction are structures, systems, and components that are erected to support and shape freshly placed concrete until it achieves sufficient strength to be self-supporting. They include formwork (the mould that gives concrete its shape), falsework (the load-bearing framework that supports formwork from below), and shoring and propping systems (temporary supports for existing structures during construction). Temporary works are designed, installed, loaded, and then safely stripped once concrete reaches its design strength — making their correct specification and management critical to structural integrity and site safety.
Temporary works failures account for a significant proportion of serious construction site accidents and structural collapses. The loads imposed on falsework during a concrete pour — fresh concrete self-weight (approximately 24 kN/m³), dynamic pour pressure, construction live loads, and impact — can be far greater than the permanent loads the finished structure will carry. A falsework system that is undersized, incorrectly braced, set up on weak ground, or stripped before concrete has cured adequately can collapse catastrophically. Temporary works must be formally designed, independently checked, and managed under a dedicated Temporary Works Coordinator in line with current standards.
Modern temporary works for concrete construction cover a broad scope: column and wall formwork, slab and beam soffit formwork, slipform and jumpform systems for tall cores, bridge deck falsework, re-shoring and back-propping for multi-storey construction, and excavation support such as sheet piling and soil nailing. Each system has distinct design requirements, material options, and removal procedures. This guide covers all primary temporary works types used in concrete construction, with practical reference data and load tables for 2026.
Temporary works are fundamentally different from permanent structures — they are built to serve a construction purpose and then dismantled, yet they must withstand loads that are often heavier and more dynamic than those carried by the finished building. During a typical concrete slab pour, the soffit formwork and its supporting falsework must resist the full wet concrete pressure, which increases with pour rate and height. For a 300mm slab poured at a rate of 1 m/hour, the hydrostatic pressure at the base of a 3m wall can reach 72 kN/m² — requiring a properly designed system of soldiers, walings, ties, and props to safely contain and support the fresh mix.
All temporary works for concrete construction in Australia are governed by AS 3610 (Formwork for Concrete) and the National Construction Code. In the UK, the relevant standards are BS EN 12812 (Falsework) and BS 5975 (Temporary Works). In the US, ACI 347 provides guidance on formwork for concrete. Regardless of jurisdiction, the core principle is the same: temporary works must be designed by a competent engineer, inspected before concrete placement, and only stripped when concrete has reached the required minimum stripping strength — typically confirmed by cube or cylinder testing. For more on assessing concrete strength, see our guide on Assessing Existing Concrete Structures.
Wall formwork assembly showing the load path from wet concrete pressure (orange layer) through form face, walings, soldiers, ties, and down to the ground support. Every component must be designed for the full hydrostatic pressure at the base of the pour.
Temporary works for concrete construction span a wide range of systems, each suited to specific structural elements, pour heights, construction programs, and reuse requirements. Selecting the right system affects both safety and cost — proprietary modular systems cost more per unit but are faster to erect and have engineered load ratings, while traditional timber formwork is flexible and low-cost but requires more skilled labour and careful design. The table below provides a reference comparison of all major temporary works types used in concrete construction in 2026.
| Temporary Works Type | Application | Primary Material | Max. Typical Height / Load | Reuse Cycles | Key Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timber Wall Formwork | Walls, columns, footings | Structural plywood + timber soldiers | Up to 4m pour height | 5–15 uses | AS 3610 / ACI 347 |
| Proprietary Panel Formwork | Walls, columns, large pours | Steel or aluminium frames + ply/steel face | Up to 6m+ with stacking | 100–200+ uses | AS 3610 / BS EN 12812 |
| Soffit / Slab Formwork | Suspended slabs, beam soffits | Plywood + timber / aluminium joists | Variable — prop-supported | 10–30 uses | AS 3610 / ACI 347 |
| Modular Aluminium Soffit | Suspended slabs, repetitive floors | Aluminium frame + ply decking | Prop-limited (up to 6m) | 500–1000+ uses | Manufacturer SWL rating |
| Falsework / Shoring Towers | High-level slabs, bridges, transfer beams | Steel tube & coupler or proprietary frame | 20m+ towers possible | 100+ uses | BS EN 12812 / AS 3610 |
| Adjustable Steel Props (Acrow) | Slab soffit propping, re-shoring | Steel tube — adjustable extension | 1.0m – 4.5m height; 30–80 kN SWL | 200+ uses | BS EN 1065 |
| Slipform System | Vertical concrete cores, silos, chimneys | Steel forms + hydraulic jacking | Continuous vertical — unlimited height | Specialist system — reused by contractor | ACI 313 / specialist design |
| Jumpform / Climbing Form | Tall building cores, shear walls | Steel platform + form panels, crane-lifted | Repetitive floor-by-floor — unlimited | Project-specific reuse | Specialist engineer design |
| Tunnel Form (Table Form) | Repetitive cellular buildings | Steel U-frame — walls + slab in one pour | Standard floor heights (2.4–3.2m) | 500+ uses | Manufacturer SWL + engineer design |
| Stay-in-Place (Permanent) Formwork | Slabs, retaining walls, bridge decks | Steel decking, GRP, precast concrete | Span-dependent | N/A — permanent | AS 2327 / AS/NZS 4600 |
Designing temporary works for concrete construction requires accounting for multiple simultaneous load cases. Unlike permanent structures, temporary works must be designed for the worst-case construction condition — not the serviceability condition — and the loads applied during construction are often more severe than those in the finished structure. A transfer beam falsework may carry the entire weight of the wet concrete above while being erected on a slab that is still curing from the floor below, requiring careful back-propping analysis and progressive stripping sequences.
The primary dead load on formwork and falsework is the self-weight of fresh concrete at approximately 24–25 kN/m³ (reinforced mix). For a 200mm slab, this is 4.8–5.0 kN/m² applied uniformly to the soffit form. For walls, the load acts as lateral hydrostatic pressure increasing with depth — not as a vertical gravity load. Both load directions must be designed for simultaneously in wall formwork design.
AS 3610 and ACI 347 require a minimum construction live load of 2.4 kPa (50 psf) on slab soffit formwork to account for workers, tools, and reinforcement placement. Where concrete buggies, bobcats, or concrete pumps operate on the formwork deck, higher point loads apply — typically 4.8–9.6 kPa. Live loads act simultaneously with dead loads and must be combined in the design load case.
Tall formwork assemblies — particularly free-standing column forms and wall forms — must be designed for wind loads during erection, concrete placement, and standing-empty periods. AS 1170.2 and BS EN 1991-1-4 provide wind load calculation methods for temporary structures. In addition, impact loads from concrete being discharged from a skip or pump pipe can be significant and are typically taken as an additional 2–4 kPa dynamic factor applied to the form face area.
The maximum lateral pressure of fresh concrete against vertical formwork depends on pour rate, concrete temperature, use of retarders, and vibration depth. At slow pour rates (under 1 m/hour) and warm temperatures, concrete stiffens quickly and pressure stabilises below full hydrostatic. At rapid pour rates or with retarders, full hydrostatic pressure must be assumed: P = 24H kPa (where H is the pour height in metres). A 5m column poured rapidly generates 120 kPa — requiring heavily engineered yoke or clamp systems.
Falsework loads must be transmitted to ground or to an existing slab through sole plates and base plates that distribute concentrated prop loads over a sufficient bearing area. Before erecting any falsework, the ground bearing capacity must be assessed and confirmed adequate. On existing slabs, the slab's capacity to carry construction loads must be verified by an engineer — particularly important in multi-storey re-shoring situations where loads stack through multiple floors. For guidance on foundation assessment, see our guide on Backfilling Around Concrete Foundations.
Formwork deflection affects the finished concrete surface. AS 3610 limits deflection of form face panels to L/270 or 3mm, whichever is lesser, to maintain surface quality and dimensional accuracy. In beam and slab formwork, pre-camber is often applied to falsework to compensate for elastic deflection under wet concrete loads, ensuring the finished soffit is level after stripping. Deflection calculations must account for both beam bending and prop compression under full design load.
Under BS 5975:2019 (UK) and equivalent standards internationally, all significant temporary works in concrete construction must be managed by a designated Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC). The TWC is responsible for ensuring temporary works are correctly designed (or procured from a proprietary supplier with adequate design briefs), checked independently, issued with a permit to load, supervised during construction operations, and only stripped after a formal permit-to-strip has been issued. The TWC role is distinct from the engineer of record for the permanent works — temporary works require their own dedicated management pathway. Failure to appoint a competent TWC is a leading cause of temporary works failures on construction sites.
The choice of formwork material directly affects concrete surface finish, construction speed, cost, and the number of reuses achievable from each form. The correct material depends on the structural element type, the specified concrete finish quality, the programme duration, and whether the project is one-off or repetitive. Understanding material properties allows engineers and site managers to specify and procure the most cost-effective and safe temporary works system for each application.
Structural plywood — typically 17mm or 21mm form-grade (F14 or F17 in Australia, B/BB in Europe) — is the most widely used formwork sheathing material. It is lightweight, easy to cut and fix, produces a smooth or textured finish depending on grade, and provides good spanning capability between secondary timber or aluminium bearers. Standard structural plywood achieves 5–15 reuses before surface degradation affects concrete finish quality. High-density overlay (HDO) plywood extends reuse to 30–50 cycles. Plywood must be sealed at edges and stored flat off the ground between uses.
Steel form panels — typically 3–5mm thick mild steel plate welded to a RHS frame — provide 100–200+ reuses and a consistent class 2 concrete finish. Steel formwork is used where high repetition justifies the higher capital cost: bridge piers, tunnel linings, precast production, and repetitive column grids in tall buildings. Steel forms are heavier than aluminium or timber equivalents and require crane handling for larger panels. They must be kept clean, lightly oiled between pours, and repaired promptly when dented to prevent surface imperfections transferring to the concrete face.
Proprietary aluminium formwork systems (e.g., Meva, Doka, PERI, RMD Kwikform) combine high reuse (500–1,000+ cycles), light weight (typically 30–40% lighter than equivalent steel), and precise factory engineering with integrated tie systems, push-pull props, working platforms, and lifting points. Initial procurement or hire cost is higher than timber, but total cost per m² of formed concrete is substantially lower on repetitive multi-storey projects. Aluminium formwork requires trained erection crews and must be handled carefully to avoid distortion of the aluminium extrusions.
The following rules must never be overridden on site: (1) Never strip formwork or remove props based on elapsed time alone — concrete strength must be confirmed by cube or cylinder testing before stripping. Warm weather may accelerate strength gain; cold weather can delay it significantly. (2) Never overload formwork by placing more concrete than the design pour rate allows, or by using mobile plant that exceeds the design live load. (3) Never remove mid-pour props or re-shores without engineer approval — losing a prop mid-pour can trigger progressive collapse. (4) Never erect falsework on ground that has not been assessed for bearing capacity. (5) Always obtain a formal permit to load before placing concrete and a permit to strip before removing formwork. These procedural controls — not just the structural design — are what prevent temporary works collapses.
Correct installation sequence is as critical as structural design for temporary works in concrete construction. A perfectly designed falsework system that is erected out of sequence, on unsuitable ground, or without adequate bracing can fail before concrete is even placed. The following steps apply to a typical slab and beam soffit formwork installation.
Temporary works for concrete construction are governed by national and international standards: AS 3610 (Australia — Formwork for Concrete), BS EN 12812 (UK/Europe — Falsework Performance Requirements), BS 5975:2019 (UK — Code of Practice for Temporary Works Procedures), and ACI 347R (USA — Guide to Formwork for Concrete). These standards define design loads, material requirements, inspection procedures, and stripping criteria for safe temporary works construction in 2026.
Concrete Assessment Guide →Temporary works design must account for wet concrete dead loads (24 kN/m³), construction live loads (min. 2.4 kPa), wind loads on exposed forms, impact loads from concrete discharge, and hydrostatic pressure on vertical forms. Design loads are combined per the applicable load combination factors in AS 1170, BS EN 1990, or ASCE 7. Understanding the full load picture — not just the concrete weight — is what separates safe temporary works from systems that are technically undersized under real construction conditions.
Foundation Backfill Guide →Successful concrete construction depends on the integration of mix design, reinforcement detailing, formwork engineering, and curing management. Temporary works sit at the intersection of all these disciplines — a correctly designed and safely managed formwork and falsework system is what transforms a structural design into a sound concrete element. Explore our full suite of concrete construction guides for in-depth coverage of every stage of the concrete construction process in 2026.
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