FORMrite®

FORMrite is a high quality plywood panel produced predominantly from graded Pinus radiata veneers. These are glued with phenol formaldehyde resin and overlaid with a hard durable resin impregnated paper to give concrete a smooth finish. With a durable A-Type Marine bond, FORMrite can withstand the rigours of construction moisture. Its hard phenolic surface and high quality outer veneers make it durable and reusable.

FORMrite gives builders a better surface for pouring concrete and offers a class 2 finish on the first pour (when used in accordance with the recommended Carter Holt Harvey installation details and AS 3610 recommendations).

FORMrite is a cost effective solution;

• Significant number of re-uses
• Can be used in modern optimised form systems such as table forms and jump forms
• Suits a range of frame spacings, concrete slab thicknesses and surface tolerances
• Can be used on steel or timber form frame systems
• Lighter in weight than imported or rain forest hardwoods
• Available FSC 'Chain of custody' on request for Green Star credits

FORMrite has a cross-laminated construction. So the panel is less likely to expand or contract when exposed to rain and temperature changes, making it easier to lay forms for large decks.

Stress Grades and Section Properties for Standard FORMrite constructions

1. Phenolic impregnated paper
2. Face veneers are hardwood. All other veneers are radiata pine
3. Denotes F17 for the face grain parallel to span and F14 for the face grain perpendicular to span

Understanding Codes

For example, 17-15-7 is a 17mm nominal thick panel with a 1.5mm face veneer and 7 plies. Note how different the properties of the two 17mm panels in Table 2 are when laid in different directions to the supports. Make sure you identify and use the correct one for a given design.

Framing and plywood thickness

Framing centres depend on the F grade, plywood identification code and the direction of the face grain for a given thickness of wet concrete, as well as the design limit decided by the designer.

Sheet layout

Maximum joist spacing are provided in Table 3 below for FORMrite sheets laid with the face grain (long edge) both across and parallel to the joists. Allow a 2 to 3 mm expansion gap on all sheet edges. Use polystyrene filler on joint sealer in the expansion gaps if required.

Maximum allowable joist spacing for FORMrite for slab soffits

Formwork Assembly

The objective of fixing the elements of a formwork assembly is to provide an appropriately strong rigid form that has ease of handling, erection and stripping. The formface fixing should be designed to:

1. Hold joints tightly together;
2. Fix the plywood and framing so the formwork assembly becomes a cohesive structure for handling & stripping; and
3. Enable easy diismantling and maximum material recovery.

Following are some additional tips that will assist the formwork designer to achieve the required finish:

1. Used with proper release agents, edge and face tapes and solid perimeter fixing, FORMrite formply can achieve a Class 2 finish. Class 2 finish can only be assured for one pour per face as the subsequent condition of the face after the first pour depends on the handling of others;
2. It is a mandatory requirement of AS 3610 to provide test panels if a Class 2 finish has been specified;
3. Allow for expansion and contraction of the panels to avoid possible buckling. Moisture uptake can increase the dimensions of the panel and an expansion gap of approximately 2mm is recommended; and
4. To avoid staining of concrete if forms are used often, use hot dip galvanised, stainless steel or alloy nails or screws as required.

Release agents

Apply sparingly. Heavy application may cause runs and colour variation in the concrete.

MSDS

Formrite Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) Format: PDF Filesize: 1KB Download file >>

Carter Holt Harvey is committed to on-going reviews of its MSDS's to ensure they reflect all currently available information. In the event that you require more detail on any MSDS or would like to confirm that you have the most recent MSDS for a particular product, please contact the Marketing Department via phoning 132 321.