STEEL COLUMN FORMWORK Vs PLYWOOD COLUMN FORMWORK

fig.1 Plywood Column Formwork

Many of you may seen in Small buildings, the usage of Steel Column box for casting column is more compared to Plywood. The reason behind this one is the cost difference between them. But, the absolute quality and look is always better when using Plywood box.

  fig.2 Steel Column Formwork   

In most of the small buildings, the contractors always go for steel formwork because to save few bucks but in the same sense that the steel column box will not give the desired results as expected. However, it is then covered in plastering. In some worst cases, this type of work leads to increase in thickness of plastering. Below figures shows us the effect of Steel Column Box

fig.3(a)

In fig.3(a), the top portion of column shows the deviation in actual placement of beam, this is due to the bend in the Steel Column box. To prevent such things, the Site Engineer should take more responsibility and there should be proper selection of formwork material. These types of errors should be taken more care. Each and every Steel Column Formwork should be properly checked for Right Angle at site, if it is not it must be replaced with good ones. 

In Other hand, after Unboxing of column we can also see the undulation in the surface of the column, these undulations shows the real quality difference between both the formworks. These type of errors wont happen in Plywood Column Formwork that's why we should always prefer Plywood Formwork. In High rise and Big Buildings, we wont able to see the use of Steel formwork for column why because, the cost of Plywood wont make much difference there.