What is a plastic formwork
Plastic formwork is an energy-saving and environmentally friendly product, following the emergence of wooden formwork, composite steel formwork, bamboo-wood glued formwork, and all-steel large formwork, and is a new generation product that replaces wooden formwork, essentially a new type of construction formwork designed to improve upon wooden formwork.
Plastic formwork and wooden formwork: Similarities and Differences
The material of plastic formwork isPVC. The first point is thatPVC is waterproof and flame-retardant, and it does not suffer from deformation and deterioration when exposed to water like wooden formwork does. The only difference in usage compared to wooden formwork is that no release agent is required. Due to the smooth and flat surface of plastic formwork, it does not gather dust, and walls do not require secondary plastering, resulting in two fewer processes compared to wooden formwork. Nailing, sawing, planing, and drilling are the same as with wooden formwork, and the specifications are not different. Additionally, it can be produced to custom lengths as required by clients and can be cut freely. A significant advantage is that plastic formwork is completely recyclable, even the scraps can be reused.
Why has the usage rate of plastic formwork remained low after several years of development?
First, the country has only begun to emphasize green buildings in recent years, and the promotion of plastic formwork in policies has been weak. The government has not introduced mandatory policies for using green and environmentally friendly building materials. However, during the two sessions in 2016, Premier Li Keqiang pointed out in the government report that the country is actively promoting new urbanization construction, with many areas facing demolition and reconstruction, leading to a huge demand for building materials. Traditional building materials have issues of high consumption, high energy use, and serious pollution, which cannot meet market needs. Therefore, it is essential to actively promote green buildings and building materials and vigorously develop energy-saving and environmentally friendly industries, which is a significant favorable policy for environmentally friendly and energy-saving plastic formwork.
Second, the quality varies significantly, with some products being poorly made. Although national standards were introduced in 2013, the technology is still far from mature. Producing high-quality plastic formwork comes with high costs. If cost-cutting is done on raw materials, it leads to issues such as thermal expansion and contraction, being brittle in winter, and becoming soft in summer, but visually the differences are not apparent. Currently, many low-priced plastic formworks have appeared in the market, and some prices are completely absurd, lower than our production costs. Don't tell me their formulas are better and they can reduce costs significantly. As of now, the formulas for plastic formwork are still considered a complex problem, with cost differences between companies not exceeding 2%. Even this is an overestimation. If the price is low, it only indicates one thing: there has been cutting corners, leading to inevitable quality issues. Given the current technology, a low price absolutely means low quality, with no other possibilities.
Third, the acceptance level among carpenters and builders is low. Each time a new improved product is launched, some people will always wait and see, observing the effects of usage by other builders. The first to try is always a minority. If there are no policies in place, the builders using it will still be few. Also, carpenters rely on work progress for income; they are used to working with wooden formwork. Switching to other products may cause some discomfort. In the initial days, they will definitely be unaccustomed and resistant. In one of our construction sites, a group of workers even went on strike because they felt plastic formwork was useless. At that time, the project team was quite strong and simply replaced the carpenters, which eventually resolved the issue.
Our product positioning: Only produce high-quality buildings with standardized layers.
Zhengzhou Lanbao Bay Construction Site Usage Situation
Why do so many companies choose to use Linyi plastic formwork?
First, we have collaborated with hundreds of domestic and international clients, exporting to multiple countries and regions.
Second, our production scale and supply capabilities exceed those of our peers by three times.
Third, we can deliver to client construction sites in less than three days.
Fourth, we offer customized production according to client requirements.
Fifth, we save clients 10% more costs compared to our peers.
Linyi plastic formwork quality advantages
1. Engaged in the plastic chemical industry for thirty years, holding multiple patents and having developed the third-generation improved plastic formwork that has been in the market for two years.
2. Each batch of plastic formwork undergoes a series of tests including elastic modulus, Vicat temperature, impact strength, and nail holding force, and only after passing these tests is it shipped out.
3. Strength: Our independently developed plastic formwork formula maintains the product's strength and toughness, reducing the damage rate during violent disassembly by workers. The average number of uses is 3-5 times more than that of peers.
4. Temperature resistance: The use of high-temperature-resistant plastic additives for modification has made plastic formwork exceed national standards by 10 degrees.
5. The extrusion temperature is high, making the surface of the plastic formwork smooth and increasing its hardness.
How plastic formwork can save 50% of costs
A previous case was the Zhengzhou China State Construction Seventh Engineering Bureau Guanhui International Project. At the time of signing the contract, the budget was over 3 million, based on the budget for wooden formwork. However, after the building was topped out, only 1 million was used, achieving over 50% savings in the budget..
To save costs, the primary requirement is that the product must meet standards. If the product does not meet standards, as long as it is within budget, it is a blessing, and do not think about saving costs; honestly use wooden formwork instead.
Secondly, the management of construction sites is crucial. Since plastic formwork is a new product, some carpenters are not familiar with it. Compared to wooden formwork, plastic formwork may also be slightly heavier, which workers may not prefer. If they dislike using it, they will develop resistance and express negative opinions about the product. We have encountered these issues as well, and these remarks sound familiar. When wooden formwork was being promoted, similar situations arose. The promotion of a new product will inevitably have a transition period, but it is a trend that cannot be reversed. If the construction site insists on using it, they will eventually adapt.
Another significant issue is waste, which is also related to construction management. Sometimes there are plastic formworks that could still be used, but workers prefer to use new ones instead of the old ones, leading to significant waste. The management approach of China State Construction Seventh Engineering Bureau is excellent; they use plastic formwork on two buildings simultaneously and compare the waste levels between the two sides. If there is a large disparity, it indicates that one side is not managing properly. This situation can be directly addressed with the labor force to see how to resolve it. With this comparison, workers become more careful during usage, reducing the chances of waste. As a result, the cost savings achieved across the two buildings exceed 50%.
Many people ask me how many times plastic formwork can be recycled. This question is difficult to answer, as the number of cycles directly depends on the construction team. If used normally without excessive wear, 30 uses should not be a problem, and there are cases with 50 uses. It all depends on how you use it. If it is thrown around carelessly, I cannot guarantee anything. Thus, achieving 30 cycles requires normal wear and tear, not reckless waste.
Therefore, to save more than 50% of the budget, the first requirement is the product quality, followed by management.
