Design of tall formworks by a finite-element model

The design of formworks for holding fresh concrete possesses a difficult engineering challenge. Present standards assume fresh concrete to have a nonviscous fluid behavior when calculating the lateral pressure to which the formwork walls will be the subject. This paper describes a finite-element model to determine these pressures, taking into account the interaction between the fresh concrete and the formwork wall. The use of this numerical model shows that present standards may underestimate the lateral pressures that can be exerted particularly with respect to tall formworks. The paper also discusses the influence of different mechanical variables on the results returned by the proposed model. The proposed model may be of use to practicing engineers and of interest to researchers examining load distributions in formworks.