Formworks for beams

Formworks for beams are advanced systems to manufacture high quality concrete elements in an efficient and affordable way, with maximum flexibility in use.  These machines have been developed year by year through the continuous research carried out by the OLMET ITALY designing team.
They are completely automatic and designed as modules, so that one can use them to manufacture beams of so many different cross-sections by varying all their dimensions (x y z w).  The automatic handling to change the dimensions is usually carried out by means of hydraulic cylinders or it is electronically operated by means of electro-mechanical devices. It can be remote-controlled as well.
The safety of our machines is particularly relevant in preventing industrial injuries.

Formworks for main beams

Main beams are quite often pre-stressed. So, the scope of supply of formworks for main beams is complete with anchoring heads (stressing heads or abutments) for the pre-stressing strands. The same are complete with double-acting or single-acting cylinders for pre-stressing operations before casting and for slackening operations after the curing phase is over.  These anchoring heads are handled by a special high-pressure hydraulic power unit.

The production lines for main beams can be equipped also with accelerated curing installations: Moreover, as an optional supply, it is possible to implement the compacting system by the installation of electrical vibrators with thoroughly automatic and radio-controlled frequency variation devices. Technical details:

• Length of the production lines (long lines): 20 to 120 mt.
• Pre-stressing: min. 50 to max. 2.000 ton.
• Automatic electro-hydraulic or mechanical manual handling systems.
• Casting side plates having thickness 6 / 8 or 10 mm. (in accordance with the customer’s requirements) of first quality S275JR-type.

Formworks for roofing beams

The formworks to manufacture roofing beams are usually self-reacting and resisting up to 700 ton pre-stressing force.  A typical beam formwork consists of:

• a base frame work plain or moulded according to the beam section, manufactured from casting-side plate of 6 / 8 / 10 mm. thickness, suitably reinforced. The base-framework leans onto rubber-steel damping blocks to insulate the vibrations from the ground;
• the false-formwork (if any) is equipped with hydraulically operated mechanical arms to demould the concrete product and with hydraulically operated lockings to fix it onto the base framework at casting-stage;
• the electrical vibration system combined with a purposely designed structure enables the customer to manufacture a high quality pre-cast concrete product while reducing the noise level to a minimum;
• the concrete curing is accelerated by means of heating the formwork by steam circulating inside finned pipes positioned under the formwork itself. The concrete temperature curve is controlled by the computerised control and data surveying system;
• the anchoring heads for the pre-stressing strands including double-acting or single-acting cylinders for pre-stressing operations before casting and for slackening operations after the curing phase is over. These anchoring heads are handled by a purpose-made high-pressure hydraulic station.

The accurate sizing of the structures and the high quality of the machinery, enable the customer to manufacture concrete elements cast with a max 2 mm. tolerance to the design dimensions.

Technical details:

• Length of the production lines (long lines): 20 to 120 mt.
• Pre-stressing: min. 100 ton max. 700 ton.
• Automatic electro-hydraulic or mechanical manual handling systems.
• Casting side plates having thickness 6 / 8 or 10 mm. (in accordance with the customer’s requirements) of first quality S275JR-type.

Self-reacting formworks or with external head-elements

The formworks to manufacture pre-stressed beams can be manufactured by means of two different alternative concepts:

• formworks with stressing and slackening heads (buttresses) external to the formwork itself, embedded into the reinforced industrial floor that is specially designed and carried out (mainly inside pits under the floor level);
• self-reacting formworks, i.e. complete with stressing and slackening heads built-in the formwork itself; they are very sturdy structures made to resist the stressing force of the strands, so as to  prevent any deformation / cambering.

Such systems do feature different advantages, thus, based on the customer’s requirements, it is possible to select the most appropriate solution:

• formworks with external heads are a bit lighter structures; the buttresses are fixed to the industrial floor and in the course of time one can place in-between them other different formworks, by suitably gearing the pattern of strands; they require a special flooring, so they are suitable for a long-term mass production at the same workshop;
• self-reacting formworks are heavier and larger structures but they require neither any special flooring, nor civil works, therefore they are suitable to be removed from a workshop or jobsite and shifted to the next.