Top 4 ways in which the formwork industry has changed

In the mean time, we’ve compiled our shortlist of what we believe have been the four major game changers in our industry over the past decade, and how they have effected the construction market as an industry.

Technology

Many of the categories in our list overlap to some extent, however none more so than the development and application of technology. As a process of innovation, the formwork industry has used technology to enhance areas such as safety, efficiency and sustainability and in so doing, has contributed towards the betterment of the construction industry as a whole.

As mentioned earlier, the embodiment of Doka’s commitment to technology can be found in its R&D centre in Austria where many of our latest innovations were conceived, tested and authorised for production.

While there are many products and services that we’re proud to have produced in the last decade, our flagship product that was launched a few months ago is Concremote; an innovative sensor solution that allows real-time nonstop measuring of concrete hydration temperature evolution and compressive strength build-up. Placed directly into the concrete structure after pouring, project stakeholders are constantly connected to the device allowing for a real time measurement of the concrete’s strength. Once the predefined compressive strength target is reached, a message will be sent to the stakeholders’ smart phone or tablet device who can then instruct the safe stripping of formwork or pre- and post tensioning operations.

As a product, this is a perfect example of how technology has been created to optimise efficiency, while offering ease of use to our stakeholders, while guaranteeing quality.

Safety

It is highly unlikely you will find a credible construction company that doesn’t emphasise its concern for safety as a leading priority amongst its corporate objectives. While the increasing emphasis on safety began over a decade ago, today’s safety measures include not only more mandatory seminars and education for labourers about how to avoid serious injury, but furthermore a greater investment from formwork companies to design products that create a safer working environment. At Doka, our recent innovations do just that.

For instance Panel floor formwork Dokadek 30 embodies safety right down to the last detail. The beamless handset system Dokadek 30 is very easy to operate, with an erection and dismantling sequence that is so straightforward that even semi-skilled crewmembers are soon familiar with. At the same time, this floor-slab formwork scores for high speed, not only during set-up but also during dismantling.
At Doka, safety is much more than a policy. Studies provide evidence that the factor for calculating “return on prevention” is 2.2. That means an investment in safety measures of $1million leads to a ROP of $ 2.2million. Safety solutions are therefore an integral part of the company’s culture.

Efficiency

With construction being the multiple stakeholder industry that it is, finding ways to improve efficiency on any given project is the collective responsibility of all on site. Typically efficiency refers to the minimisation of time and materials, without sacrificing quality or safety. In recent years, Doka has emphasised the importance of not only working with our clients from the very start of the project in order to tailor the best possible solution, but furthermore design new technology and software that can offer a range of efficiencies across both labour and planning.

As an example, myDoka is our online customer portal, which was created to allow project stakeholders to receive up-to-the-minute information on a variety of aspects of their project including planning and control of formwork material quantities, re-ordering (rental or purchase), and a paperless exchange of project data with up and download functionality.

Sustainability

Although the meaning of sustainability has been diluted thanks to its pervasive use in most corporate brochures, it is nonetheless an important aspect of a company’s performance, providing it is practised and not just preached. As far as the formwork industry is concerned, the development of sustainability reaches across products and services, business models, logistics and professional development.

At Doka, all our products comply with the most rigorous requirements in terms of quality and environment, as per ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, meaning our products are designed to be both durable and safe.

From a business model aspect, Doka rents, as well as sells its products enabling a greater flexibility for our clients when it comes to their projects, while saving energy and raw materials, which would otherwise be used in production.

Doka’s pre-assembly is another aspect that offers a more sustainable way of working, helping to avoid complex assembly processes which inevitably saves time for our customers.

Finally, in line with our international operations, Doka has made sure to establish logistic hubs in proximity to its clients meaning greater flexibility, faster delivery times and reduced Co2 emissions in the long term.

Conclusion

If you are a construction professional who currently works in the Middle East, we’d like to hear your thoughts about our list.

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