What is a plastic formwork
Plastic formwork is an energy-saving and environmentally friendly product. It is a new generation product followingwood formwork, composite steel formwork, bamboo-wood composite formwork, and full steellarge formwork, and it is essentially a new type of construction formwork designed to replace traditional wood formwork.
Plastic formwork and wood formwork: similarities and differences
The material of plastic formwork is PVC. The first point is that PVC is waterproof and flame-retardant, and it does not have the issues of deformations and rot that wood formwork experiences when exposed to water. The only difference in usage compared to wood formwork is that no release agent is needed because the surface of plastic formwork is smooth and clean, and the wall surface does not require secondary plastering. Therefore, it reduces two procedures compared to wood formwork. Nailing, sawing, planing, and drilling are the same as wood formwork, and the specifications are identical. It can also be customized according to client requirements, and can be cut to any size. Another important point is that plastic formwork is fully recyclable, even the scraps can be reused.
Why is the usage rate of plastic formwork still low after several years of development?
1. The first point is that the country has only recently begun to value green building, and the promotion of plastic formwork in terms of policy has been weak. The government has not yet issued mandatory policies for the use of green and environmentally friendly building materials. However, at this year's 2016 Two Sessions, Premier Li Keqiang pointed out in his government report that the country is actively promoting new urbanization construction. Many areas are facing demolition and reconstruction, leading to a huge demand for building materials. Traditional building materials have problems such as high usage, high energy consumption, and severe pollution, which no longer meet market needs. Therefore, it is essential to actively promote green buildings and materials and vigorously develop the energy-saving and environmentally friendly industry, which is a significant policy benefit for the environmentally friendly and energy-saving plastic formwork.
2. The quality of products is uneven and many are poorly made. Although national standards were issued in 2013, the technology is still far from mature. To produce high-quality plastic formwork, the costs remain high. If manufacturers compromise on raw materials, it results in issues like thermal expansion and contraction, becoming brittle in winter and soft in summer, but these differences are not easily visible. Currently, there are many cheap plastic formworks on the market, and some prices are absurdly low, even below our production costs. Don’t tell me they have better formulas to significantly reduce costs; as of now, the formulation of plastic formwork remains a tricky issue, and the cost difference between companies does not exceed 2%, and that is an optimistic estimate. If prices are low, it only indicates one problem: cutting corners, leading to inevitable quality issues. Given the current technology, low prices absolutely mean low quality, with no other possibilities.
3. Low acceptance among carpenters and builders. Whenever a new product is introduced, there will always be a portion of people who hesitate and wait to see the results from other builders. The first to try something new is always a minority. If policies do not truly mandate it, the builders using it will still be a minority. Secondly, carpenters earn based on work progress. They are accustomed to using wood formwork, and suddenly switching to another product can be uncomfortable. In the first few days, there will certainly be a period of adaptation, and they may resist using it. There was a serious incident on one of our job sites where a group of workers went on strike because they believed the plastic formwork was useless. The project team was quite assertive and directly replaced the carpenters, which resolved the issue.
Our product positioning: Only producing high-quality buildings with standard floors.
Usage Situation of Zhengzhou Lanbao Bay Construction Site
Why do so many companies choose to use Linyi plastic formwork?
1. We have hundreds of cooperative clients both domestically and internationally, exporting to multiple countries and regions.
2. Our production scale and supply capacity are three times that of our peers.
3. Delivery to the customer's construction site in three days.
4. Customizable production according to customer requirements.
5. Saves 10% more costs than peers.
Linyi plastic formwork's quality advantages
1. We have been engaged in the plastic chemical industry for thirty years, owning multiple patents and have developed a third-generation improved plastic formwork that has been on the market for two years.
2. Every batch of plastic formwork undergoes a series of tests including elastic modulus, Vicat temperature, impact strength, and nail holding power, and only after passing these tests will they be shipped out.
3. Strength: Our independently developed plastic formwork formula maintains the product's strength and toughness, reducing the breakage rate during violent dismantling by workers. The average usage exceeds that of peers by 3—5 times.
4. Temperature resistance: Modified with high-temperature resistant plastic additives, making plastic formwork exceed national standards by 10 degrees.
5. High extrusion temperature ensures the surface of plastic formwork is smooth and has greater hardness.
How plastic formwork can save 50% on costs
A previous case was the Zhengzhou China State Construction Seventh Engineering Division Guanhai International project. When signing the contract, the budget was over 3 million, which was based on wood formwork estimates. After the building was topped out, the actual cost was only over 1 million,with budget savings exceeding 50%.
To save costs, the first important point is that the product must meet standards. If the product does not meet standards, just staying within the budget will not suffice; it’s better to stick to using wood formwork.
The second point is construction management. Since plastic formwork is a new product, some carpenters have not used it before, and compared to wood formwork, plastic formwork may also be slightly heavier. Workers may be reluctant to use it. If they are resistant, they will complain about the product's performance, and we have encountered these issues before. And these complaints sound familiar; similar situations occurred during the promotion of wood formwork back in the day. The promotion of new products will inevitably go through a transition period, but this is the trend of the times. If the construction site perseveres in using it, they will have no issues.
Another significant issue is waste, which is also related to construction management. Sometimes, some plastic formwork can still be used, but workers may prefer new boards over the old ones, leading to significant waste. However, the management method of China State Construction Seventh Engineering Division is very effective. They let two buildings use plastic formwork simultaneously, comparing which one wastes more. If there is a significant difference, it indicates that one of them is not being managed well. In this case, they can directly engage the labor force to see how to address the situation. When there is a comparison, workers tend to be more careful in their usage, as they are concerned about excessive waste. As a result, using both buildings together can lead to cost savings of over 50%.
Many people ask me how many times plastic formwork can be recycled. This question is quite difficult for me to answer, as the number of cycles is directly related to the construction team. If used normally with minimal wear, 30 uses is definitely not a problem, and there are instances of 50 uses, depending on how you use it. If it is mishandled, I cannot guarantee the number of cycles. Therefore, the premise for achieving 30 uses is that it must be under normal wear and tear, not through careless wastage.
Therefore, to save over 50% on the budget, the first step is the product, and the second is management.
