Gulf Construction Online - Paschal monitoring system cuts build time

Scaffolding & Formwork

Maturix made it possible to complete the curved concrete bridge quicker than planned.

Paschal monitoring system cuts build time

01 December 2020

Paschal Concrete Forms, the regional office of German formwork solutions provider Paschal Werk G Maier, says its Maturix system for intelligent concrete monitoring helps speed up work on projects, having proven to have reduced the time taken to complete projects by as much as 50 per cent.

Paschal Maturix can be used to monitor the strength of concrete curing on projects of all sizes, and is particularly well suited to complex and critical structures such as infrastructure as well as high-rise apartment buildings where profitability can be improved considerably by means of efficient planning, says Amir Delghandi, General Director of the Bahrain-based Paschal Concrete Forms.

Citing a recent example of a bridge construction project in Denmark, Delghandi says the contractor was able to deliver the project well in advance of the schedule, thanks to the ability afforded by Maturix to monitor the project in real-time.

NeoR lightweight formwork ... a clever design.

Delghandi elaborates: “Special attention must be paid to the curing process of bridges as this is influenced strongly by external factors such as wind, weather or temperature.

“The formwork on concreted bridges may only be removed once the concrete is sufficiently hard because the bridge can only bear the resulting loads independently once a certain degree of strength has been achieved.”

In order to build a curved reinforced concrete bridge in the Danish town of Bagsværd, the lead contractor – supported by Paschal Danmark – used the intelligent concrete monitoring system to optimise this concreting process.

“The wireless Maturix sensors provide a direct insight into the concrete structure’s curing process on site. The sensors were installed at three positions (centre, edge and joint) to monitor the strength development in real-time.

“Temperature development and the estimated strength based on the measurements from the sensors can be tracked in real-time with the web-based software. Additional software features such as automatic documentation and alarm settings guarantee a continuous overview of everything happening on the site,” he explains.

Having the real-time insight into the concrete curing process enabled the contractor to plan better, act according to data and, in the end, remove the formwork faster to save time and money. The ideal point in time to dismantle the formwork, while ensuring safety, was determined using the valid data, according to Delghandi.

“The measurements here showed that the formwork could be removed after seven days instead of the anticipated 14 days. The huge time saving resulted in significant savings in terms of rental costs for construction equipment and, in turn, greater customer satisfaction,” he remarks.

Paschal Concrete Forms is looking to promote the use of Paschal Maturix in the Gulf, to help contractors in the region ascertain that they have achieved optimum concrete curing and thus ensure the durability of their structures while enabling them to remove the formwork as soon as possible.

NeoR ... suited for the construction of foundations, beams and walls.

Meanwhile, Paschal Concrete Forms also anticipates great demand for the newly introduced NeoR lightweight formwork, which was launched on the global market in October.

The NeoR formwork system offers impressive versatility and features a clever design, says Delghandi. The lightweight formwork combines the benefits of the proven Modular universal formwork and the Logo.3 wall formwork system, while offering all the system properties of modern lightweight formwork, he says.

NeoR has a robust and durable flat steel frame. The optimised frame construction and the use of 12-mm-thick, multi-layered and exceptionally strong birch plywood sheets allow a considerable weight reduction of around 25 per cent compared to the Modular/GE universal formwork system, Delghandi points out.

He elaborates: “The formwork panels of NeoR have a maximum weight of just 40 kg and can, therefore, be easily assembled and moved on site by hand without a crane or other transport aids.

“At the same time, the lightweight formwork boasts significantly higher fresh concrete pressure absorption of 50 kN/sq m.”

A further advantage of the new formwork system, according to him, is the low overall height of only 7.5 cm, which ensures particularly low storage and transport volumes.

The well-designed panel assortment enables a wide range of applications. Like the Modular universal formwork, NeoR can be used universally and is, therefore, ideally suited for the construction of foundations, beams and walls.

The optimum panel assortment ranges from formwork panel widths of 15 cm to 90 cm in 15 cm increments, which will be available in both 90 cm and 150 cm heights.

“As a result, a floor height of up to 3 m can be built with just one extension of panels. With NeoR, even large areas can be moved quickly and economically without any problems – this is where the large-size panel of 180 x 300 cm comes in useful. The range is supplemented by 5 and 6 cm filler posts for width adjustments and matching plastic filler pieces,” Delghandi explains.

The formwork system also boasts increased flexibility and speed. Thanks to internal tie points, the NeoR lightweight framework panels can be used both vertically and horizontally.

Another new feature is the oblong holes integrated into the panel frame that allow a height offset of the formwork panels if the ground is uneven. Additional oblong holes in the inner frame are also provided as handles for use as manual formwork.

Due to the small number of tie points, NeoR formwork is claimed to save time and labour costs. “With only three tie points at a concreting height of 3 m, the lightweight formwork can be used particularly quickly and economically. When tied (spacer strap) with the large-size panel at 3 m, only two tie points are required,” he points out.

All accessories and connecting pieces from the Modular universal formwork can also be used for the NeoR. The keybolt – known from the Modular/GE universal formwork – is used as a light, friction-locked and cost-effective connecting piece.

Since NeoR is fitted with hat cross profiles similar to those of the Logo.3 wall formwork system, individual accessories from the Logo range, such as suspending pieces for props or the multi-waler, are also compatible with NeoR.

“This means that hardly any new accessories are required and existing parts can be used,” he remarks.

Another advantage in terms of flexibility is that the new lightweight formwork can be simply combined with all other Paschal formwork systems, Delghandi adds.

Paschal Concrete Forms was established in Bahrain in January 1998, and since then Paschal has emerged as a leading supplier of modern formwork solutions to the region’s contractors. Amongst its many systems, its Modular universal formwork and the Paschal deck system for slab formwork have especially proved popular in the region.

Based at BIIP in Hidd, Paschal Concrete Forms has an assembling facility for modular formwork and a stockyard in Bahrain. In addition, with branches in Dubai, and its Scientific and Technical Office in Dammam, Paschal is strongly represented in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.