Permanent Formwork
Permanent formwork systems form and reinforce concrete elements without being stripped after the pour, becoming a functional part of the finished structure.
Big River supplies permanent formwork solutions including ArmourDeck steel decking for suspended slabs and AFS Rediwall polystyrene block systems for structural and retaining walls, cutting stripping labour and programme time on site.
Showing 2 products
ArmourDeck Steel Formwork
Permanent steel formwork for suspended concrete slabs
Multi-storey suspended slabs
Smarter Permanent Formwork
About AFS Rediwall® AFS Rediwall® Sizes Benefits of AFS Rediwall® AFS Rediwall® is a versatile Permanent Formwork...
Concrete formwork and accessories
How to Choose the Right Permanent Formwork
Stay-in-Place vs Strippable Systems
Where traditional formwork plywood is removed and reused after the concrete cures, permanent formwork remains part of the structure. This removes an entire stripping operation from the build programme and, in wall systems like AFS Rediwall, can also provide built-in insulation and a fixing substrate for internal and external linings.
Choosing a Permanent System
For suspended concrete slabs, ArmourDeck steel decking provides composite formwork with no stripping required. For structural and retaining walls, AFS Rediwall’s interlocking polystyrene block system forms, insulates and reinforces the wall in a single pass, well suited to residential and light commercial construction.
Site Efficiency
Permanent formwork systems are selected on projects where reducing trade sequencing, propping duration and formwork removal labour outweighs the flexibility of a strippable, reusable system. They are commonly specified alongside conventional formwork plywood used elsewhere on the same project.
Why Specify Permanent Formwork?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is permanent formwork?
Permanent formwork is a formwork system that stays in place after the concrete has cured, becoming part of the finished structure rather than being stripped and reused like traditional formwork plywood.
What permanent formwork systems does Big River supply?
Big River supplies ArmourDeck permanent steel decking for suspended concrete slabs, and AFS Rediwall polystyrene block permanent formwork for structural and retaining walls.
Why choose permanent formwork over strippable formwork?
Permanent formwork removes the stripping and re-propping cycle from the construction programme, which can reduce labour and speed up trade sequencing, particularly on multi-storey or repetitive-pour projects.
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