Formwork shore design loads : an evaluation of current practice

Researchers who have measured loads in formwork shores have consistently found that they differ from those predicted. There is evidence that current methods sometimes tend towards underestimation. In this article, a comparison is made between design shore loads predicted by both permissible stress and limit state formwork standards with research results. There is also a qualitative evaluation of the adequacy of current practice, in particular the methods specified in Australian Standard AS 3610-1995 Formwork for concrete(1). The disparity should be of concern to formwork designers and committees drafting formwork Standards. Although such failures are infrequent, nearly half of all falsework collapses occur during concreting.