27
october 2014
international
construction
FALSEWORKAND FORMWORK
Project pressures
The HK$ 1.8 billion (US$ 232million) South Island railway
scheme is being built to improve transport links to the southern
end ofHongKong, whichdoes not have any rail service.
It will use RMD’s Ascent climbing formwork system to
construct shaft lining, corewalls and tunnel passages.
As part of the project, Leighton-Holland is working on the
LeiTung and SouthHorizon stations and its associated tunnels,
while Nishimatsu Construction is building the railway tunnels
between theAdmiralty andAberdeen stations.
Rory O’Gara, senior project engineer from RMD Kwikform,
described it as among the company’smost challenging projects.
He said, “This is the first time ever we have used our Ascent
climbing formwork in a tunnel application. Previously it has
beenused inhigh-rise commercial or residential buildings so this
project was a global first for the product.
“Having looked at the job itself, whichwas to construct a shaft
lining in the tunnel section, we liaised with our global design
teams for a solution that was both inherently safe and capable of
improving cycle times on the site.
“We would not have initially thought of the Ascent system for
this project, but because it can be pre-assembled in our yard, we
were not only able to offer an innovative new solution to the
challenge, wewere also able to reduce labour costs significantly.”
Indoor ski park
In the Middle East, RMD Kwikform has found its services
equally in demand. One of its biggest projects has involved
working with BesixOrascom on the 162,500m
2
Mall of Egypt
inDubai, UAE.
Describedby itsdevelopers as a“five-star supermall,” it includes
T
he improving picture in many areas of the global
constructionmarket has seen ever-more complex schemes
get underway.
So ensuring the delivery of these projects to precise
specifications, agreed budgets and timelines has influenced the
range of falsework and formwork solutions being offered.
Advances in modular formwork panelling systems featuring
pre-assembled elements have been designed to aid workflow for
project sitemanagers are one response.
This is in addition to developments such as computer-based
management of formwork, warehouse supplies and building
materials, which are increasingly being used on projects and
make difference to the financial viability of schemes.
As IanHayes, division operations director of RMDKwikform
said, there is now a greater sense of positivity from many
companies in, “A market that has been changing as economic
recovery begins.”
So far thisyear,RMDKwikformhasbeen taskedwith supplying
a number of large projects.
This includes providing material for a joint venture between
Leighton-John Holland and Nishimatsu Construction working
on an extension toHongKong’sMTRmetro railway line.
Project pressures
Although construction projects are gettingmore andmore
challenging, there is pressure on falsework and formwork
suppliers tomake their solutionsmore economical and
shave time off schedules.
Neill Barston
reports.
The Hudson’s Yard project in New
York uses Ulma formwork. It is one
of the largest schemes of its kind
in the US.
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