Formwork, Shoring and Scaffolding: Materials, Economy and Design
Fee: $1,775 / Online / May 19 - 21, 2027 / Course Code: 18-0511-ONL27
OVERVIEW
Please note, This instructor-led course has specific dates and times:
This course is held online over 3 days on the following schedule (All times in Eastern Time Zone): Days 1 & 2: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern (Will include the usual breaks) Day 3: 10:00 am to 1:30 pm Eastern (Will include the usual breaks) Please note that it is a requirement for all attendees to sign a "Confidentiality Agreement" prior to receiving the course notes for this online offering.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
Analyze formwork requirements for common reinforced concrete members and construction conditions
Design formwork systems that account for concrete pressure, vertical loads, deflection limits, and constructability
Evaluate formwork materials, systems, and connection details based on strength, serviceability, safety, and cost
Apply design provisions and engineering judgment to formwork for columns, walls, slabs, beams, and bridge decks
Identify safety, sequencing, erection, removal, and reshoring considerations that affect formwork performance on site
Description
Formwork is a major cost driver in reinforced concrete construction, yet it is often treated as a temporary support system rather than a critical engineering component. Poorly selected or inadequately designed formwork can increase project costs, delay construction, create safety risks, and compromise the efficiency of site operations.
This course provides a structured understanding of how formwork systems behave under construction loads, fresh concrete pressure, deflection requirements, and site constraints. You will examine common materials and systems, including lumber, plywood, steel, aluminum, plastic forms, liners, ties, anchors, shores, scaffolding, slip forms, flying deck forms, and patented systems.
Through practical design examples and applied discussion, you will learn how to assess formwork options for different reinforced concrete members and construction methods. The course emphasizes sound engineering judgment, safety, constructability, and cost-effective design so you can make informed formwork decisions that support safer and more efficient concrete construction.
Who This Course Is For
This course is designed for:
Civil, structural, construction, and materials engineers
Engineering technologists and technicians involved in concrete construction
Designers responsible for reinforced concrete or temporary works coordination
Site engineers, construction personnel, and project coordinators
Formwork technologists, estimators, and professionals involved in planning, erecting, inspecting, or removing formwork systems
Note: the course adopts the approach of ACI PRC-347-14(21) Guide to Formwork for Concrete (Reapproved 2021); the ACI SP-004: (8TH) Formwork for Concrete.
SYLLABUS
Syllabus
Welcome, Introduction, Course Preview, Learning Outcomes, and Assessment Methods
Economy and Cost Considerations of Formwork
Cost of formwork in a project
Structural design, loads, element size, member repletion
Economy in formwork design
Economy in formwork erection
Economy in formwork removal
Formwork Materials
Lumber and plywood
Steel and aluminum forms
Plastic forms
Form liners
Form nails
Timber connectors
Form ties and anchors
The pressure of Fresh Concrete on Formwork
Lateral pressure of concrete on formwork
Example: wall forms
Example: column forms
Effect of casting rate (form filling rate)
Effect of member height
Vertical loads on formwork
The special case of self-consolidating concrete
Design of Concrete Formwork
Design codes and provisions for formwork
Design of formwork for columns
Design of formwork for walls and columns
Design of formwork for slabs and beams
Design of formwork for bridge decks
Serviceability and Deflections in Formwork Design Shores and Scaffolding
Deflection limits
Loads on formwork
Types of formwork
Rate of construction
Deflection calculation examples
Special Formwork Systems
Flying deck forms
Slip forms
Patented formwork systems
Top-down construction
Shoring and Scaffolding
Shoring and scaffolding systems and design
Excavation dewatering and support
Cofferdams and tremie concrete
Building and Erecting Formwork
Formwork drawings
Formwork safety
Building formwork for footings
Building formwork for walls
Building formwork for columns
Building formwork for slabs and beams
Shoring
Effective Use of Formwork
Placing reinforcement and inserts
Preparation and concreting
Removal of formwork and shores
Reshoring
Note: the course adopts the approach of ACI PRC-347-14(21) Guide to Formwork for Concrete (Reapproved 2021); the ACI SP-004: (8TH) Formwork for Concrete.
INSTRUCTOR
Dean, College of Engineering and Physic — University of Guelph
Guelph, ON
Dean, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Moncef received his BASc from Laval University, MASc from Sherbrooke University, and Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia, all in civil engineering. He is currently dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Guelph. He was previously professor and chair of the Department of Civil Engineering at McMaster University and professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Western University, where he also served as associate director for Environmental Research Western.
His industrial experience includes serving as technical manager for three different companies. He was licensed as a professional engineer in British Columbia in 1998 and in Ontario in 1999. He is the past chair of the ACI committee 555 on recycled materials, past chair of the CSCE sub-committee on cement and concrete, past chair of the CSCE Materials and Mechanics Division, is deputy chair of the RILEM committee on concrete data science, and was co-chair of the Infrastructure Division of NSERC’s Discovery Grant Committee 1509. He has provided consulting services for some world landmark projects, including some of the world's tallest buildings, the world’s largest airport, the world’s most venerated pedestrian bridge, and the world’s deepest and second-largest water treatment plant.
We always want to improve the quality of our courses. Please select any reasons why you feel this course is inadequate (check all that apply).
Thanks for the feedback.
Your input helps us improve EPIC's training programs.
We couldn't record that feedback.
This course's ID doesn't match anything in our records. Please refresh the page and try again, or contact registrations@epictraining.ca.