Products in foam
Formwork
Advantages of Styrofoam formwork
The choice for EPS-styrofoam shuttering has many advantages over more traditional materials such as rubber or wood:
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Instead of having to use the same rubber shape again and again to obtain 20 concrete pieces,
you can work with 20 identical EPS shutterings and pour the concrete all at the same time. -
EPS shutterings are cheeper and quicker to produce
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because of this, the process of pouring the concrete goes much quicker
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the batch of concrete is always the same
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all the pieces can be baked at the same time (useful for refractory concrete)
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when a piece is damaged, a new shape can be ordered and made very easy and very quickly
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each shape of shuttering or mold is possible by contour cutting or milling!
Always use a support formwork with styrofoam shutterings!
Architectonic Concrete Formwork
We make custom shuttering for architectural concrete to be used for, sills, balconies, columns, framework, benches, decoration, ...
The EPS-Styrofoam casing can be removed after pouring the concrete in it, or remain inside (f.e. for less volume of the concrete). These shutterings consist out of hotwire cut EPS pieces, milled EPS pieces or a combination of both.
The EPS forms can be taped in with PVC foil or painted with wax to remove the concrete more easily from their shuttering.
Concrete top part of an entrance gate.
The concrete pillar is still inside the styrofoam formwork
Formwork for a borderstone of a swimmingpool
Formwork in Styrofoam and covered with orange PVC foil (for facilitating the demoulding proces).
Formwork in Styrofoam and covered with orange PVC foil (for facilitating the demoulding proces).
Combination formwork of styrofoam (white parts) and polyurethane (yellow part).
This milled piece in styrofoam is the negative form of the washbasin. Concrete will be poured arround this piece. After the styrofoam is removed, a washbasin with the correct hole remains.
Removing the formwork (by the client) for a concrete part of a balcony.
The part of the previous picture is now placed.
Inserts for creating holes in concrete
For placing pipes, conduits and tubes without drilling holes in concrete, you can place EPS-Styrofoam cilinders between the rebars. After the concrete is poured, the cilinders are removed. The pipes can now be laid through the holes in the concrete!
In the same fashion, letters can be holed out of concrete.
Twinplast made
inserts in EPS.
This creates holes
in the concrete for
placing pipes.
.
Styrofoam cilinders in the concrete for placing conduits.
These holes in the concrete, used for pipes and conduits, were made by placing styrofoam cilinders in the rebar.
Holes in the concrete, used for pipes and conduits, are created by placing styrofoam cilinders in the rebar.
3D Letters as cavities for 'Het Depot' in Leuven (Belgium).
Our 3D Letters were removed from the concrete, which created cavities for 'Het Depot' in Leuven (Belgium). The end client placed lighting in these cavities to illuminate the letters.
The positive letters "Westfront Nieuwpoort" were made in styrofoam. The letters were used to create a cavity in the concrete.
Technical Concrete Formwork
For your technical masterpieces in concrete, we can make an EPS-Styrofoam shuttering. Any technical concrete item is feasable. 3D objects or apertures can also be made. The technical concrete casing consists out of contour cut or milled EPS pieces for inner casings f.i. for filling up the concrete so it weighs less, outer casings, such as a shuttering for a concrete staircase that can be poured on the spot, or a combination of inner- and outer casings, such as refractory concrete, used for a variety of purposes.
We can also make a shuttering for pouring an artwork in concrete. This can be done based on the measurements but also by scanning a design model in clay or other materials.
Formwork for refractory bricks (concrete result on the left of the picture).
Formwork with a diameter of 2m for refractory concrete.
Part of the formwork in styrofoam (covered with wax).
Assembled formwork
Completely assembled formwork
Coating
Everything you always wanted to know about 'formwork' but were afraid to ask.
To get a less rough concrete surface and to facilitate stripping!
To get an idea of your concrete result, ask for our coating-sample packet!
These samples give an idea what the results are depending on the material and coating for shutterings. Experiment with the samples and your concrete mixture!
It is possible that substances in your concrete mixture and our shuttering material or coating react. This might lead to a colloration of the concrete, rougher or smoother texture or another reaction.
The shape of the product in concrete determines also what the possibilities are in formwork.
When you use these samples, a support formwork is always necessary.
1. Styrofoam-EPS: (f.i.: EPS 100 a.k.a. ‘P20’): this is nude expanded polystyrene with a density of 20kg/m³ and a compressive strenght of 100kPa at 10% deformation (which is 1kg/cm²).
Expanded polystyrene is also possible in other densities: EPS 60 (15kg/m³), EPS 150 (25kg/m³) EPS 200 (30kg/m³), EPS 250 (35kg/m³) en EPS 300 (40kg/m³). Pieces bigger than 4000x1200x1000mm will be glued together, the seam remain visible in the concrete.
The result of the concrete is comparable with rough sand paper.
2. Styrofoam-EPS Fine: (EPS 100 fijn a.k.a ‘P20 Fine’): this is the same as the EPS 100 but with a finer grain. The result of the concrete is comparable with less rough sand paper.
3. PUR 40: this is polyurethane with a density of 40kg/m³. Pieces bigger than 2500x1250x740mm will be glued together with PUR-glue, the seam remain visible in the concrete.
The result of the concrete is comparable with sand texture.
4. Styrofoam-EPS covered with orange PVC foil: because of the orange foil, there is less attachment of the concrete to the formwork, which facilitates the removal of the formwork.
The foil has a maximum width of 1200mm. If the EPS element is bigger than 1200mm, then the foil will have an overlap. This leaves an impression in the concrete. The foil can be used on curved surfaces but not on dubble curved surfaces (like a sphere).
The result of the concrete is comparable with the surface of an orange.
5. Styrofoam-EPS covered with polystyrene foil: because of the 1mm thick foil, there is less attachment of the concrete to the formwork. The foil exists also in a 2mm thick execution. An element bigger than 2100 on 1000mm cannot be covered in one piece of polystyrene foil of 1mm. There will be an overlap. The 1mm foil can be used on curved surfaces but not on dubble curved surfaces (like a sphere). The 2mm foil cannot be used on curved surfaces.
The result of the concrete is relative smooth.
6. Styrofoam-EPS covered with wax: covering with wax is also used for facilitating the removal of the formwork. The wax covered side feels greasy and has a yellow collor. The wax can be put on curved and double curved surfaces. Residues of the wax remain on the concrete, which makes the concrete greasy.
The result of the concrete is comparable with smooth sand paper.
Regardless of the material and covering, you have to be very careful with the formwork. Throwing, pressure or walking over the formwork, will damage the formwork (even when it is covered with styrofoam foil). Point load (f.i. from rebar and spacers) always gives an impression, and thus a bump on the concrete.
It is possible that substances in your concrete mixture and our shuttering material or coating create a reaction. This might lead to a colloration of the concrete, rougher or smoother texture or another reaction.