Concrete is used for a great many things these days. While primarily considered to be a useful construction material, its use may be observed in more places than just the local building sites. It may also be found in parks, gardens, yards, and museums. No matter what its final use, however, it must be molded or held in place while it hardens into the required shape. This is accomplished with the use of the concrete form.

The type and construction of the form work will largely depend on what is being built from it. It can be as simple as a pair of wooden boards or complicated as engineered metal framing. While the form itself is often destroyed or disassembled after the structure is complete, some forms are designed to be left in place as part of the finished product. This is sometimes the case in certain types of building construction.

For smaller household items such as counter tops, sinks, and furniture, prefabricated liners may be used. Some custom fixtures are made with Plexiglas, Formica, and even oilcloth. Practically any material can be used, providing it can be stricken from the finished product.

Tilt-up panels, a broader method of prefabrication, are sometimes molded with single use plastic preform liners to elicit a ribbed or brick style pattern. Other materials, such as wood chamfer, can be added to existing forms to further shape the panel and provide a clean finish. In this manner, specific shapes and textures are achieved without difficulty.

When being sculpted for artistic or utilitarian purpose, there are two basic shapes used for such forms: the cylinder and the box. More complex molds can be built up from these basic forms, often by adding flexible elements such as sheet metal. These forms must be reinforced as necessary to account the weight it must contain. Otherwise, the form can get pushed around while the material is being poured into it.

Most forms for this kind of work serve as a kind of soft tooling, and are built to be removed after the project is finished. In nearly all cases, the forms must be constructed in a manner that allows them to be pulled away from the final structure. To facilitate this, a releasing agent is usually required. Diesel fuel is often used for the purpose, both for its comparatively cheap price and its ability to saturate wooden forms easily. However, other agents with a petroleum base, such as petroleum jelly, are also sometimes employed.

For more industrial purposes, some forms are built to be left in place as part of the construction. This can be done to add insulation, enhance the strength of the building, or leave space in the construction for ventilation, conduit, and piping. While slightly more expensive, this technique results in a quieter, more comfortable environment and reduced energy costs.

Modern society does a lot with concrete these days. What many people do not realize, however, is how much of the heavy lifting is being performed by concrete forms and insulated concrete forms. Hence, the structural and aesthetic function must ultimately follow its form.

Author Bio: The leading supplier of Concrete Form for energy-efficient, green commercial and residential construction.

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