Published On: Sat, May 11th, 2013 Articles / Interactions | By Lakshmi “Plastic Formwork Is Here To Stay” Download Pdf Vikas Mittal, MD, Nova Plasmold Pvt. Ltd. The competition in the Indian formwork market is getting more intense by the day with the arrival of new players and technologies. Plastic formwork systems have been creating a buzz in recent times with their advantages including flexibility, durability and cost-effectiveness. The Masterbuilder recently met up with Vikas Mittal, Managing Director of Nova group of companies, which offers Nova Plastic Formwork Systems, floor/tile protectors from its plants in Delhi, Ghaziabad and Bangalore. In a detailed interview, Vikas Mittal outlined the advantages of these systems and their various application areas. Here are excerpts from the interview. What are the advantages of plastic formwork over other types such as aluminum, fiberglass or plywood, formwork systems? Firstly, Nova Plastic formwork system has a very low surface tension and so it does not stick to concrete making it very easy to remove and reuse without any major cleaning work unlike steel. Even the use of shuttering oil can be reduced to a very large extent. The system is very light weight and therefore easy to handle .It does not get spoilt in water so it can be used anywhere and given the working conditions onsite it does not need a dry area to store. Stacking and transportation is very easy unlike other formwork systems. Easy assembling and deshutte-ring is another advantage. It comes with a unique locking system which makes it a single panel after joining various panels, thereby eliminating leakages between joints; good surface finish is also achieved. There is no need to plaster you can apply putty and paint directly. The number of repetitions is also very high making it cheaper than other formwork. What is this tile/floor protector and what are its uses? We manufacture plastic corrugated sheets which are used for protection of tiles or floors after the laying of tiles. These sheets are laid on the floor and just taped and they are ready for use. They are used instead of POP, as they are non-polluting, cheap, reusable, easy to install and remove, overall a very clean and green product. They are used even for glass, stairs, furniture and bathroom protection. They are also used for permanent sacrificial shuttering, apart from being used for waterproofing purpose on terrace floors and side basement walls. Repetitive use is one criteria based on which contractors zero in on a formwork systems. How durable is plastic form-work and on an average how many repetitions are possible using this type of formwork? The number of repetitions you can achieve with Nova plastic formwork system is around 80 to 100 times. You can also get higher repetitions if used with a little care. We have seen at a site they have used around the system 130 times in verticals and it is still going strong. Lack of storage space for formwork systems is an issue in construction sites. More often than not formwork is left to the vagaries of the weather, out in the open. Can plastic formwork withstand such harsh conditions? The beauty of Nova plastic form-work system that it can be stacked on each other, reducing the space required for the same and given the conditions onsite this formwork can be kept outside, indoor, in basements where water at times is clogged etc as it has no effect of water, is uv resistant and can be easily cleaned just by spraying water on it. Give us a few examples of application areas of plastic formwork with respect to infrastructure projects? Plastic formwork can be used in rafts, foundations, retaining walls, drainage walls, dividers, columns, shear walls, beams, slabs, box culverts, precast moulds, compound walls, making walls by pouring the mix directly into moulds (cast in situ) at site replacing brick work. Tell us about the process based on which a particular plastic formwork solution is recommended in a project. What are the steps involved? Firstly we get the drawings of the project, analyze the sizes and the total formwork requirement in verticals and horizontals. We then workout the sizes of the panels needed to make the right sizes of columns, shear and retaining walls etc, with maximum number of repetitions. We discuss with the contractor the type of system they would like to adopt for construction – whether a stage by stage process or a monolithic construction module and then we recommend as per the requirements. High-rise construction is one area where automated climbing formwork systems made up of aluminum and metal are being used. What is the role that plastic formwork plays in similar projects since gradually high-rise buildings are becoming the norm these days in the realty sector? Nova has developed a system for the same and it could be used for the high-rise construction similar to the aluminum formwork system where you could have a minimum slab cycle of 4 to 5 days as well. Today the major role of the contractors is to reduce the time of completion to get profits for him as well as the developer as the interest rates are too high and saving that itself would mean huge profits to the customer. The cost of formwork would not even matter in front of the advantages they would enjoy. Increased emphasis on safety is one factor that is demand for formwork in India. How does plastic formwork score in this front? Being light weight and at the same time strong is the main advantage of Nova plastic formwork. This Formwork system has been made with engineered plastic to enhance its strength. As it is light weight it can be handled very easily and there are lesser chances of mishap. There should be safety standards adopted at sites which would reduce the chances of any such situations and also important is maintenance of supporting system as per the minimum required spacing. What are the key market segments that are driving demand for plastic formwork in India? The main areas where the system has generated demand are in drainage projects, road projects for retaining walls, and group housing projects where it is used for all the works involved. One of the most recent developments which Nova has tried and tested and has established is this system for cast in situ of walls by pouring in low weight concrete or foamed concrete mix directly into the formwork eliminating the use of bricks. This reduces time and cost as the need to plaster the bricks is eliminated. Electrical work, along with window and door frames is fixed in the formwork. For further details: Nova Plasmold Pvt. Limited A-7/21-23, South Side GT Road Industrial Area, Ghaziabad, Uttar Prades Mob: +91-9810695440/9310695440 Email: novaplasmold@hotmail Website: plasticformwork.co.in
Posted on: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 09:21:09 +0000
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