Abstract
Choosing the proper formwork had become challenging, especially in the immediate aftermath of the Covid 19 pandemic. Various formwork materials, including wood, plastic, aluminium, steel, magnesium, and fabric, are available today. The purpose of each formwork is the same, but various properties are displayed. Formwork made of steel and timber is frequently used in Malaysia. Several factors, including resource availability, transportation, time constraints, and labour costs, influenced the contractors' preference for formwork materials. Therefore, this research aimed to determine whether contractors' preferred formwork was appropriate before and after the pandemic. Consequently, essential factors, including cost and preferences, were discussed when choosing formwork materials. Only steel and timber formwork were studied for this particular paper. The G7 contractors involved in various project types were interviewed as part of the qualitative methodology used in this study, which also included document analysis based on previous project reports. The cost was the determining factor before the pandemic, and resource availability held the top spot during the recovery stage, according to the first finding. The importance of transport remained at level 5 throughout both eras. In addition, the second finding revealed that all costs, including labour, transportation, and material, had increased for both timber and steel formwork, primarily as a result.
TopIntroduction
Sawn formwork, as defined by JKR 2020, is formwork used to create concrete surfaces suitable for plastering or tiling. It is a temporary construction that creates a space where the structure elements (load transfer elements) that support the building by transmitting the load from the building to the ground can be built. Alternatively, formwork process expenses in reinforced concrete building account for 20% to 30% of total construction costs. In complex projects, the cost of the formwork process could exceed 40% to 60% of the total building cost (Sung et al., 2003). This evidence demonstrated that the formwork consumed nearly half the project's cost. Contractors may believe that selecting formwork is straightforward. However, many factors must be considered before making a decision. All factors that might affect the outcome of expenses, material waste, and the quality of the company's project are interconnected. There are not many studies that compare timber and steel formwork. Thus this study aims to ascertain the suitability of selected formwork in the construction industry. In addition, the importance of essential criteria in formwork selection will be determined in order. This study includes a discussion of material costs. Finally, the formwork material selection preferences of contractors were investigated. The objectives of the study are as follows,
- 1.
To identify the importance of critical criteria in selecting formwork materials.
- 2.
To analyse the cost of formwork materials.
- 3.
To determine the preferences in selecting formwork materials.
TopProblem Statement
As technology advances, the market offers more options for consumers based on their preferences and practicability. This indirectly caused the dilemma while selecting appropriate formwork materials because the formworks perform the same function, but each material has distinct characteristics.
Table 1. | Problem Statement | Explanation |
| Wastages created on site | The highest percentage of construction waste is timber (Foo et al., 2013). Although the practice of reuse was implemented, timber wastage still occupied the highest ranking of wastages due to sustainability. |
| Stereotype of contractor | Suppliers will always instil in consumers the notion that steel can save costs in the long term. In contrast, timber formwork requires a significant capital investment at the start of every project (Abhiyan et al., 2014). |
| Availability of resources | "There is more demand than supply" (Bota, 2021). In 2020, the price of material increased by 30% of wood and steel due to the pandemic. |
| Transportation | Throughout the construction period, the chosen or preferred mode of transportation must be available. The type of transportation used to transport the materials influences the distance. Material safety should also be considered (Sung et al., 2003). |
| Time | The construction period was included to compare the practicability of the formwork (Yip, 2008). The time required for transportation must also be considered, as stated in the contract. |
| Labour | The issue had arisen due to a lack of available labour. Different types of formwork were handled by different labourers (Akomah et al., 2020). |
| Cost | The maintenance costs, transportation costs and capital costs had influenced on the cost performance (Rajeshkumar et al, 2019) |