Aluform Shuttering Vs Conventional, which one to choose?

Shuttering, or formwork, is a crucial part of concrete construction, acting as a temporary mold to hold wet concrete until it sets. The two main categories are traditional shuttering and modern systems like Aluform (aluminum formwork). Here's a comparison:

Traditional Shuttering

Traditional shuttering typically uses materials like timber (wood) and plywood, sometimes combined with steel elements. It's an older, more conventional method.

Characteristics:

• Materials: Primarily timber, plywood, steel joists, props, and various fasteners.

• Customization: Highly flexible for custom and smaller projects with unique architectural designs.

  
  

• Labor Intensive: Requires skilled labor for cutting, assembling, and dismantling.

  
  

Advantages:

• Lower Initial Cost: Often cheaper for small, one-off projects as the material cost per unit might be lower initially.

• Flexibility: Easily adaptable to various shapes and sizes, making it suitable for complex or unique architectural designs.

• Readily Available: Materials are generally easy to source.

  
  

Disadvantages:

• Slow Construction Speed: Manual processes like cutting, nailing, and waiting for curing make construction much slower (e.g., 20-30 days per floor for brick and mortar).

• Low Reusability: Plywood and timber degrade quickly due to moisture, wear, and tear, often lasting only 4-6 repetitions. This leads to frequent replacements.

• Poor Surface Finish: Often results in uneven surfaces, visible grains, or imprints, requiring additional plastering and finishing work.

  
  

• High Material Waste: Short lifespan leads to significant waste, contributing to environmental concerns and landfill issues.

  
  

• Labor Intensive and Skill-Dependent: Requires a large, skilled workforce, which can increase labor costs and lead to delays if trained personnel are unavailable.

  
  

• Vulnerability to Weather: Prone to warping, rotting, and damage from moisture and sun.

  
  

• Lower Durability: Structures may have lower overall durability compared to monolithic concrete.

• Maintenance: Requires careful storage and maintenance to prevent degradation.

  
  

Aluform Shuttering (Aluminum Formwork / Mivan Shuttering)

Aluform, also known as Mivan shuttering, is a modular formwork system made from aluminum panels. It's designed for rapid and efficient construction, especially for large-scale projects.

Characteristics:

• Materials: Lightweight, high-strength aluminum alloy panels and components.

  
  

• Modular Design: Consists of pre-engineered, interlocking panels.

  
  

• Monolithic Construction: Allows for simultaneous casting of walls, slabs, and other structural elements, creating a monolithic concrete structure.

  
  

Advantages:

• Rapid Construction Speed: Significantly accelerates project timelines due to quick assembly and dismantling. A floor can be completed in 7-10 days, or even 4-5 days with an efficient system.

  
  

• High Reusability: Aluminum panels are highly durable and can be reused hundreds of times (up to 250-300+ repetitions) with minimal maintenance, significantly reducing cost per floor over multiple repetitions.

  
  

• Superior Surface Finish: Produces smooth, uniform concrete surfaces that often don't require plastering or extensive finishing, saving time and labor.

  
  

• Reduced Labor: Requires less skilled labor as the system is simple to assemble (often by hand without heavy machinery).

• High Precision and Quality: Engineered for precision, ensuring consistent quality and structural integrity, with fewer post-construction corrections.

  
  

• Monolithic Structure: Creates a strong, durable, and monolithic concrete structure with excellent waterproofing properties and enhanced seismic resistance.

• Reduced Waste: Minimal material waste compared to traditional methods (60-70% less waste).

  
  

• Environmentally Friendly: Reduces deforestation (unlike timber) and is recyclable, aligning with green building practices.

• Integrated Services: Allows for the easy incorporation of electrical and plumbing conduits within the concrete pour.

Disadvantages:

• High Initial Cost: The upfront investment for an Aluform system is significantly higher than traditional shuttering materials.

  
  

• Less Flexible for Custom Designs: While versatile, it's less adaptable to highly irregular or unique architectural shapes once the system is designed. Alterations can be difficult.

• Not Suitable for Small Projects: The high initial cost makes it economically unviable for small-scale or one-off projects that don't have many repetitions.

• Requires Uniformity: Most cost-effective when used for projects with uniform planning and repetitive layouts (e.g., high-rise residential buildings, mass housing).

  
  

• Heat of Hydration: Due to the presence of shear walls and monolithic casting, there can be higher heat of hydration, which needs to be managed.

  
  

Conclusion

Feature	Aluform Shuttering (Mivan)	Traditional Shuttering (Timber/Plywood)
Materials	Aluminum panels	Timber, plywood, steel joists
Construction Speed	Very fast (7-10 days/floor)	Slow (20-30 days/floor for brick & mortar)
Reusability	High (250-300+ times)	Low (4-6 times)
Initial Cost	High	Low
Overall Cost	Cost-effective for large, repetitive projects due to reusability and speed	Higher recurring costs due to frequent replacements and more labor
Labor Skill	Less skilled labor required	Highly skilled labor required
Surface Finish	Excellent, smooth, often requires no plastering	Requires significant finishing (plastering, patching)
Material Waste	Very low	High
Structural Quality	Monolithic, high strength, high durability, good seismic resistance	Normal quality, prone to issues over time
Flexibility	Less flexible for non-uniform designs	Highly flexible for custom designs
Ideal For	Large-scale, repetitive residential/commercial projects	Small, custom, or one-off projects

Export to Sheets

Aluform shuttering represents a modern, efficient, and sustainable approach to construction, particularly for large-scale projects requiring speed and consistent quality. Traditional shuttering remains relevant for smaller, more customized jobs where its initial low cost and flexibility are advantageous, despite its drawbacks in terms of speed, waste, and finish quality.

Shrinivas Nadgauda

Director.

Disclaimer: Information above is from personal experience and researched from internet. It is for guidance purpose only