Installation Techniques:
Installation of Stay-form grade beams
and pile caps is one of the simplest of forming
operations. Most installations involve the use of
lumber or rebar for vertical supports. These are
spaced in accordance with the AMICO Stay-form load
table and driven into stable grade until they are
firm and unmoving. To these vertical supports the
Stay-form is attached horizontally, utilizing roofing
nails, staples or similar fasteners in wood supports,
or tie wire on rebar supports. The ribs of the Stay-form
should always be oriented perpendicular to the supports.
Ribs should point into the pour. For pours greater
than the width of the Stay-form, (27 inches) sheets
are simply lapped one or two ribs. Where sheets
overlap at the end of the sheet, the lap should
be 3 to 4 inches in length and a vertical support
should always be located at these vertical laps.
Where a finished smooth edge is desired a strip
of plywood or lumber can be used to form the top
edge of the grade beams and pile caps. This extra
step is seldom done because the grade beams and
pile caps are covered with a slab.
Attention must be given to stabilizing
the form and preventing the pile cap or grade beam
forms from spreading out at the top when the concrete
is placed. This is accomplished in several very simple
ways. Many contractors take a 2 X 4 and drill holes
to correspond with the vertical rebar supports. Lumber
can then be placed over opposite facing rebar to span
the width of the form, thus preventing spreading.
By increasing the length of the wood it can overhang
the adjoining grade and be anchored using additional
lengths of rebar. This can also be accomplished by
installing lumber kickers for stabilization when lumber
is used for vertical supports. Stiff wires tied between
opposite supports may be used to keep the forms from
spreading. It soon becomes evident that the unlimited
versatility of Stay-form offers many ways to accomplish
these tasks.
The following details and photos depict
some of the varied grade beam and pile cap applications
in which Stay-form has been utilized as a form. In
each of these jobs the contractors stated that tremendous
amounts of time and money were saved on forming cost
by using Stay-form. Additionally, they stated that
Stay-form’s reduced weight compared to plywood, making
it easy to handle. Many commented that the ability
to radius Stay-form made these types of forming projects
easy to accomplish and profitable. The learning curve
in the fabrication of Stay-form forms is very short.
Laborers can be taught to form repetitively shaped
forms in minutes.
Try Stay-form for yourself and we are
sure you will agree; no better forming material exists
for grade beams and piles caps.
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Section: Applications >
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