The architect can use the latest information available in the art of forming and concrete

technology during the design process to keep plans in line with the budget for the structure.
Intricacies and irregularities, however, can raise the budget to a point that outweighs the
aesthetic contributions of the architectural concrete. The architect can make form reuse
possible by standardizing building elements such as columns, beams, and windows, and by
making uninterrupted form areas the same size wherever possible to facilitate the use of
standard form gangs or modules. The increased size of these uninterrupted areas will contribute
to forming economy and greater uniformity appearance. A prebid conference with qualified
contractors will bring out many practical considerations before the design is finalized.

7.2.2 Contract documents and advance approvals – The architect should prepare contract
documents that fully instruct the bidder as to the location and desired appearance of
architectural surfaces, as well as other specific requirements listed in 7.2.3 to 7.2.7. Specifying a
preconstructions mockup prepared and finished by the contractor for approval by the architect
using proposed form materials; jointing techniques; and form surface treatment such as wetting,
oiling, or lacquering should be a requirement for all architectural concrete. Once such a mockup
has been completed to the satisfaction of the architect and owner, it should remain at the site
for the duration of the work as a standard with which the rest of the work should comply.

Design reference samples, which are smaller specimens of concrete with the proposed surface
appearance, may also be created for approval by the architect that can help define what is
required for the mockup. Small samples like these, kept at the job site for reference, are not as
good as a full-scale mockup, but can be helpful in defining mockup requirements. The samples
should be large enough to adequately represent the surface of the concrete desired. The
samples are to be used as a basis for the mockup only. Several should be made to represent the
variations that can occur in the final finish. It would be helpful for all architectural concrete to
include a required mockup so that the contractors can demonstrate they are capable of
producing the desired results. The mockup should be approved in writing by the architect and
owner.

It can be helpful to specify viewing conditions under which the concrete surfaces will be
evaluated for compliance with the approved mockup.

7.2.3 Tolerance – The Architect should specify dimensional tolerance considered essential to the
successful execution of design, keeping in mind that tolerances in excess of those specified in
ACI 117 need to be necessary, achievable, and economically feasible. ACI 303R and 117 may be
consulted for further discussions concerning tolerances for architectural concrete.

7.2.4 Camber – The contractor should camber formwork to compensate for deflection of the
formwork during concrete placement. The architect should, however, specify any additional
camber required to compensate for structural deflection or optical sag (the illusion that a
perfectly horizontal long – span member is sagging). The architect should be aware that
horizontal members are checked for compliance with tolerances and camber before the removal
of the forms and shores. Determining the correct amount of camber is not an exact science. If
the calculated camber for a specific member does not result in its deflection to a straight line,
the result will be a convex or concave concrete surface.

7.2.5 Joints and details – Location, number, and details of items such as openings, contraction
joints, construction joints, and expansion joints should be shown on the design drawings or the
architect should specify a review of the proposed location of all of these details as shown on the
formwork drawings. (Some guidance on joints locations can be found in ACI 224R, 303R, and
332.1R.) Because it is impossible to disguise the presence of joints in the form face, it is
important for their positions to be predetermined and, if possible, planned as part of the
architectural effect.

The architect can plan joint locations between surface areas on a scale and module suitable to
the size of available materials and prevailing construction practices. If this is not aesthetically
satisfactory, dummy joints can be introduced to give a smaller pattern. Actual joints between
sheathing materials can be masked by means of rustication strips attached to the form face.
Rustication strips at horizontal and vertical construction joints can also create crisp edges
accented by shadow lines instead of the potential ragged edge of a construction joint left
exposed to full view. Special care should be taken during placement and vibration to minimize
surface voids (bugholes) and honeycombing that form when air is trapped beneath horizontal
rustications.

Sometimes construction joints in beams can be concealed above the support columns and joints
in floors above their supporting beams instead of in the more customary regions of low shear in
beams and slabs, usually the middle third of the spam.

7.2.6 Ties and insert – Form ties and accompanying tie holes are an almost inescapable part of
wall surfaces. Architects frequently integrate tie holes into the visual design quality of the
surface. If this is planned and any effects or materials other than those provided in 7.3.4 are
desired, they should be clearly specified as to both location and type.

Where tie holes are to be patched or filled, the architect should specify the treatment desired
and specify examples of the patches as part of the mockup.

7.2.7 Cover over reinforcing steel – Adequate cover over reinforcement, as required by cods, is
needed for protection of steel and long-term durability of the concrete. Reinforcement that is
properly located is important in the control of surface cracking. For positive control of required
cover, the architect can specify appropriate side form spacers as defined in 6.3.4.

The architect should specify sufficient cover to allow for any reduction that will result from the
incorporation of grooves or indented details and from surface treatments such as aggregate
exposure and tooling. The maximum thickness of any material to be removed should be added
to basic required cover.

7.3 - Materials and accessories

7.3.1 Sheathing or dorm facing - Architectural concrete form sheathing should be of appropriate
quality to maintain the specified uniformity of concrete surfaces through multiple uses and to
control deflection within specified limits. Plywood, steel, glass fiber-reinforced plastic,
aluminum, and other suitable materials can all be used as sheathing or facing materials. Select
the grade or class of material needed for pressure, framing, and deflection requirements. Be
sure that the chosen material meets the specification requirements for the concrete surface
texture. Procedures for controlling the rusting of steel forms should be carefully followed.

7.3.2 Structural framing - Form facing can be supported with lumber, steel, or aluminum
members straight and rigid enough to meet the architectural specifications.

7.3.3 Form liners - A form liner is a material attached to the inside face of the form to alter or
improve surface texture or quality of the concrete. It is not required structurally. Wood, rigid
plastic, elastomeric materials, and glass fiber-reinforced plastic are all suitable liner materials
when carefully detailed and fabricated. Plastic should be handled and assembled with care to
avoid distortion caused by daily temperature cycles at the job site.

7.3.4 Form ties - Form-tie assemblies for architectural concrete should permit tightening of
forms and leave no metal closer to the surface than 1-½ in. (38mm) for steel ties and 1 in.
(25mm) for stainless steel ties. The ties should not be fitted with lugs, cones, washers, or other
devices that will leaves depressions in the concrete less than the diameter of the device, unless
specified, Tie should be tight fitting or tie holes in the form should be sealed to minimize leakage
at the holes. If textured surface are to be formed, ties should be carefully evaluated with regard
to fit, pattern, mortar leakage, and aesthetics.

7.3.5 Side form spacers - Side form spacers, as defined in 6.3.4, are particularly important in
architectural concrete to maintain adequate cover over reinforcing steel and to prevent
development of rust streaking on concrete surfaces. Plastic, plastic-protected, rubber-tipped, or
other noncoding spacers should be attached to the reinforcing bar so that they do not become
dislodged during concrete placement and vibration. The number and location of the side form
spacers should be adequate for job conditions.

A contributing factor to reinforcing spacers being visible at exposed concrete surfaces is the
amount of load that exists between the reinforcing steel is installed plumb, straight, and with
the correct spacing where it protrudes from previous castings, there only to prevent the
reinforcing bar from previous castings, there should not be an extraordinary amount of force
required between these elements and the spacers should be there only to prevent the
reinforcing bar from being displaced during concrete placement operations. If, on the other
hand, the formwork and spacers are being used to forcibly push the reinforcing bar into position,
there is a chance that the legs of the spacers can leave imprints in the sheathing that will result
in visible spacers. There is also a chance that the formwork itself can be distorted by these forces.
With architectural formwork, it is advisable not to start erecting or closing formwork until the
reinforcing steel is in its correct location, in a relaxed state, so that it does not rely on the
formwork to push it into correct position. Contractors are encouraged to experiment with
different types of the spacers for different exposed elements to determine same spacers that
will be used on the finished work should be incorporated in the mockup.

7.3.6 Reinforcing accessories and tie wire - Noncorrosive types of tie wire and accessories should
be used for architectural concrete, especially when close to or in contact with the forms. Suitable
materials include stainless steel, epoxy-coated material, or plastic-coated material; use of these
items needs to be specified. Stainless steel is often the best choice as wire snippings often fall
into the forms and are difficult to remove before placing concrete.

7.4 - Design

7.4.1 Special considerations - The general design procedure will follow the principles outlined in
Chapter 4. The formwork engineer/contractor, however, will frequently need to work with
limitations imposed by the architectural design. Some of these preferences, location and special
treatment of form joints, special tolerances and use of admixtures. Because these factors can
influence form design, they should be fully reviewed at the beginning of the form design process.

7.4.2 Lateral pressure of concrete - Architectural concrete can be subjected to external vibration,
revibration, set retarding admixtures, high-range water-reducing admixtures, and slumps
greater than those assumed for determining the lateral pressures that may result from these
effects, high rates of pour, or from other effects noted in 4.2.2.
7.4.3 Structural considerations - Because deflections in the contact surface of the formwork
directly influence the appearance of finished surfaces viewed under varying light conditions,
forms for architectural concrete should be calculated and evaluated carefully to minimize
deflections. In most cases, deflections govern design rather than bending (flexural stress) or
shear. Deflections of sheathing, studs, and wales should be designed so that the finished surface
meets the architectural specifications. Limiting these deflections to I/400, where I is the clear
span between supports, is satisfactory for most architectural formwork (refer to ACI 301 and ACI
303R). Forms bow with reuse; therefore, more bulging will occur in the formed surface after
several uses of the dame form. This effect should be considered when designing forms.

When tie size and spacing are limited by the architect, the formwork engineer/contractor may
have to reverse the usual procedure to arrive at a balanced form design. Given the capacity of
the available tie and the area it supports, the formwork engineer/contractor can find the
allowable pressure, design supporting members, and establish a rate of concrete placing.

Where wood forms are used, stress-graded lumber (or equivalent) free of twist and warps
should be used for structural members. Form material should be sized and positioned to limit
deflections within the requirements of the project specification. Joints of sheathing materials
should be backed with structural members to minimize offsets.

7.4.4 Tie and reanchor design – Tie layout should be planned. If the holes are to be exposed as
part of the architectural concrete, tie placement should be symmetrical with respect to the
member formed. If tie holes are not to be exposed, ties should be located at rustication marks,
control joints, or other points where the visual effect will be minimized.

Externally braced forms can be used instead of any of the aforementioned methods to avoid
objectionable blemishes in the finished surface. Externally braced forms, however, can be more
difficult and more costly to build.

Consideration should be given to re-anchoring forms in preceding or adjacent placements to

7.4.5 Joints and details – In architectural concrete, joints should, where feasible, be located at
the junction of the formwork panels. At contraction or construction joints, rustication strips
should be provided and fastened to the face or back-fastened to the forms.

Corners should be carefully detailed to minimize grout leakage. Sharp corners should, wherever
possible, be eliminated by the use of chamfer strips except when prohibited by project
specifications.

7.4.6 Tolerances – The formwork engineer/contractor should check for dimensional tolerances
specified by the architect that can have a bearing on the design of the forms. If no special
tolerances are given, the formwork engineer/contractor can use ACI 117 tolerances for
structural concrete.

7.5 – Construction

7.5.1 General – Forms should be carefully built to resist the pressures to which they will be
subjected and to limit deflections to a practicable minimum within the tolerances specified.
Joints in structural members should be kept to a minimum and, where necessary, should be
suitably spliced or otherwise constructed to maintain continuity.
 Pour pockets for vibrating or placing concrete should be planned to facilitate careful
placement and consolidation of the concrete to minimize segregation, honeycomb, sanding, or
cold joints in the concrete. It should be noted that if pour pockets are required on the forms for
architectural concrete, the will normally leave a mark on the finished concrete. The location of
pour pockets should be coordinated with the architect.

Attachment of inserts, rustication strips, and ornamental reliefs should be planned so that forms
can be removed without exerting pressure on these attachments or causing damage to the
forms.

Where special forming systems are specified by the engineer of the project for structural
purposes (such as one- and two-way joist system) in areas that are considered architectural, the
architect and engineer should coordinate their requirements to be sure the architectural effect
is consistent with the forming method and material specified.

Forms that will be reused should be carefully inspected and cleaned after each use to ensure
that they have not become damaged, distorted, disassembled, or otherwise unable to perform
as designed.

7.5.2. Sheathing and jointing – Contact surfaces of the formwork should be carefully installed to
produce neat and symmetrical joint patterns, unless otherwise specified. Joints should be either
vertical or horizontal and, where possible, should be staggered to maintain structural continuity.

Nailing should be done with care using hammers with smooth and well-dressed heads to prevent
marring of the form surfaces. When required, box nails should be used on the contact surface
and should be placed in a neat pattern. Screws are often used to fasten the sheathing. Back
fastening should be used if the imprints from nail or screw heads are objectionable.

Wherever possible, sheathing or panel joints should be positioned at rustication strips or other
embedded features that can conceal or minimize the joint.

Construction joints should be formed with a grade strip attached to the form to define a clean
straight line on the joint of the formed surface. Formwork should be tightened at a construction
joint before the next placement to minimize seepage of water and mortar between the form
and previously placed concrete surfaces.

Architectural concrete forms should be designed to minimize water leakage and avoid
discoloration. One method to minimize water loss from the concrete at the joints between
sections of the formwork and at construction joints is to attach a gasket of flexible material to
the edge of each panel. The gasket is compressed when the formwork is assembled or placed
against the existing concrete. Caulk, tape, joint compound, or combinations of these can be used
to seal joints. In all cases, unsupported joints between sheathing sheets should be backed by
framing. Tight forms required more care during vibration to remove entrapped air that can cause
surface voids (bugholes).

Textured surfaces on multi-lift construction should be separated with rustication strips or broad
reveals because accumulation of construction tolerances, random textures, or both, prevents
texture matching. Furthermore, the grout seal between the bottom of a textured liner and the
top of the previous placement is impractical without the rustication strip.

7.5.3 Cleaning, coating, and release agents – Form coatings or releasing agents should be
applied before reinforcing steel is placed and should be applied carefully to avoid contacting
adjacent construction joints or reinforcement. The form coating to be used should not stain the
concrete or impair the adhesion of paints or other surface treatments and should be submitted
to the architect for approval.

Form sealers should be tested to ensure that they will not adversely affect the texture when a
form lining material is used.