A pathbreaking display of capability

The international formwork supplier Doka will be exhibiting at bauma 2013 under the slogan “Pathbreaking. Beyond solutions.” In their own 3600 m² pavilion at Stand N817 in the Open-Air Area North, The Formwork Experts will be showcasing innovations in four different theme worlds. Among the exhibits awaiting fairgoers are the Panel floor formwork Dokadek 30, the new Framed enclosure Xbright, the next generation of crane-independent ‘Climbing formwork SKE100 plus’ systems, a new development for tunnel-building (DokaCC) and a number of other new Doka developments.

 

Before they even enter the Doka Formwork World at bauma, visitors passing through the entrance lobby will have experienced a foretaste of the company’s new visual identity and its tradeshow presentation, which takes as its motto “Pathbreaking. Beyond solutions.”. “What Doka has to offer goes far beyond mere products. We work closely with our customers to devise individualised solutions for every construction project. Our value proposition is that when we develop the formwork concept, we incorporate aspects and experience that give our customers new insights and create genuine added value for them”, says Doka Group Chairman Josef Kurzmann, explaining the motto. Four different theme worlds will give visitors an overview of formwork solutions for all sectors of construction. Kurzmann: “As a supplier that goes ‘Beyond solutions’, we work alongside our customers in all stages of a construction project, from the development stage through until close-out. To do this, we offer a wide range of services to ensure that the very best use is made of the formwork systems.” Experience from construction projects all round the globe finds its way into the new product developments and advances from Doka. At bauma 2013, Doka will be presenting its spectrum of products and services, and the Doka innovations, in four different ‘theme worlds’: Highrise, Transport, Energy and Residential, where Dokadek 30 and many other inspiring solutions can be experienced.

 

‘Residential’ Theme World

 

Floor-slab formwork at its most evolved

Doka has long offered a strong line of slab formwork systems for every field of use. A new addition to the floor-formwork portfolio, Panel floor formwork Dokadek 30 can be seamlessly combined with Doka’s flex and table systems – for getting the optimum match between equipment and task. Dokadek 30 is a beamless hand-set formwork system, designed as a lightweight steel construction with powder-coated frames and rugged Xlife sheets. This panel floor formwork system stands out for safety, ease of handling and high speed, not only during set-up but also during dismantling. “Think about how you’re going to take it down even while you’re still putting it up” is an old maxim of experienced formwork foremen that Dokadek 30 very much takes to heart. Infill zones are often ‘tricky’ to form, but Dokadek 30 lets users form these areas within the system too, quickly and safely.

 

At a spacious 3 m², the panels are ideally sized for forming large areas, fast. Dokadek 30 has only a small number of separate parts needing shifting. This speeds up the whole forming-operation. The construction workflow is also much faster, as no crane is needed during formwork set-up and removal. Dokadek 30 is erected working from the safety of floor level, with no need to walk on the formwork. The panels’ rectangular shape means that it takes users much less effort to engage them in the prop heads and then to tilt them up safely from below, even when forming higher slabs.

 

Depending on the requirements, users can opt for Dokadek 30 either without or with drop-heads: simply exchanging the heads and using closure panels turns the standard system into an early-stripping system. Even after very many times of use, the proven Xlife sheet delivers an immaculate concrete finish with a clean, uniform joint pattern.

 

Formwork solution for thin slabs

Doka’s new Floor-slab formwork Dokaflex 15 is a lightweight hand-set system for floor-slabs that are between 10 cm and 15 cm thick and have a larger number of downstand beams, as often found in residential construction.

 

Doka has developed Dokaflex 15 to take account of the lower weight of this type of slab. The result is a cost-saving formwork solution that is optimised for this area of use, based on the field-proven Doka timber formwork beam H16 and the new Floor prop Eco 15 with a load capacity of 15 kN. Both these basic components are optimally tailored to Dokaflex 15’s field of use. This versatile system is an ingenious all-in-one solution for floor-slabs and downstand beams, with only a few different system components – for short forming-times and easy handling on the site.

 

Framed formwork for many repeat uses

The new Framed formwork Frami eco is ideal for quick, economical forming of foundations, walls and columns – with or without a crane. Frami eco combines a hard-wearing powder-coated hollow steel-section frame with a 15 mm Dokaplex form-facing: sturdy system components with optimised product quality for long service life and dependability over many re-use cycles. The ergonomical design combines high load capacity with easy, straightforward handling. Tried-and-tested components and strong connectors from the Frami Xlife ‘toolbox’ round off this product system.

 

Frami eco scores for its simple system-grid and low form-tie ratio. With widths from 0.30 m to 0.90 m – in a 15 cm grid – and heights of between 1.20 m and 3.00 m, the range of usage is broad and varied. This provides flexibility on the site, reduces the commissioning quantities and minimises costly infill zones. Consequently, the system shortens the forming-times, ensuring fast workflows.

 

The special grid holes in the formwork sheet make the Frami eco universal panels suitable for cost-effective forming of stop-ends, outside corners and columns – with no extra panels needed. With a few practical accessories, Frami eco is also a suitable formwork system for pouring foundations.

 

‘Highrise’ Theme World

 

Proven formwork solutions and innovative systems for erecting the world’s tallest buildings are in store for visitors to the ‘Highrise’ Theme World. Doka will be showcasing new developments that are already doing sterling service on prestige projects such as the 555 m Lotte World Tower in Seoul, the 432 Park Avenue project in New York, the TaunusTurm in Frankfurt, or the Torre Intesa Sanpaolo in Turin.

 

All-round protection in a new light

Doka makes no compromises when it comes to safety on the site. Working safely means working productively. This is why Doka is adding yet more powerful solutions to its wide range of safety accessories at bauma 2013 as well.

 

The newly developed gapless Framed enclosure Xbright for the Protection screen Xclimb 60 makes for safe working conditions on the site, shielding the crew in the top levels of the rising structure from the wind and the weather. The self-climbing system is simple to adapt to varying layouts and inclinations, enabling it to be used even on complex highrise projects. Depending on the requirements, users can choose between two different design variants, with frames that have either polycarbonate or mesh inlays. The wind-impermeable, non-see-through yellow polycarbonate inlays make possible a new quality of working, at any structure height. The tough plastic inlay is translucent, providing good natural daylighting inside enclosed work decks – even beneath floor-slab formwork. The frames with the close-meshed inlays are both translucent and air-permeable. The frames’ hot-dip galvanised and powder-coated finish promises a long service life.

 

Like all Doka safety systems, Xbright is easy to plan, use and operate. It is structure-guided at all times, ensuring safety even in windy conditions. Horizontal and vertical sealing strips prevent any items from being dropped, even while the screen is being raised. The dimensionally stable frames are based on the field-proven grid logic of Doka’s framed formwork system Frami. They can be assembled on a modular basis, both on their sides and in the upright, to make large protection-screen units.

 

A portable hydraulic system is available for Xclimb that saves crane time during the construction work and allows climbing to take place even when the floor-slab formwork is still in place and in winds of up to 72 km/h. Xclimb 60 can also be repositioned quickly by crane if desired. Integral loading platforms and the Table Lifting System TLS from Doka optimise the construction workflow by making it easy, safe and fast to reposition e.g. floor-slab formwork and workplace equipment. Optional pre-assembly of this fully rentable framed enclosure by Doka brings yet more time- and cost-savings.

 

Next-generation crane-independent climbing

Another system set to debut at bauma is SKE100 plus, the refined and optimised result of 15 years’ project experience with Automatic climbing formwork SKE100. This crane-independent formwork system is a byword for fast cycle times and great versatility: its modular design concept makes it possible to craft individualised, cost-effective and safe solutions for any type of structure. This more advanced version adds or optimises a number of important details. SKE100 plus is available in three practical standard versions: with travelling units, with rising working platforms, or with a mast system. The latter is a new development specially for shafts and structures being built on confined, cramped sites.

 

SKE100 plus is a highly efficient system-based ‘construction kit’: there are no restrictions on how its parallel climbing units can be planned, so the system can be adapted to any shape of layout and any structure height, even where there are varying wall inclinations and wall-returns. The new standard solution creates ample workspace on shaft formwork units, for example. In the design variant with rising working platforms, forming and rebar operations can be ‘de-linked’ so as to further shorten the cycle times. An all-round enclosure lets work take place in safety, unaffected by weather conditions.

 

SKE100 plus frees up craneage, as even high payloads can stay on the platforms during the climbing operation. It is also possible to integrate platforms for concrete-placing booms in the system. Climbing takes place all-hydraulically right from the very first casting step, meaning that no crane is needed at any time. SKE100 plus is also fully compatible with the SKE50 plus system, and is already putting in successful performances on highrise projects in Germany and Italy.

 

‘Transport’ Theme World

 

Doka provides formwork solutions for transportation infrastructure based on its long-standing expertise in bridge and tunnel projects. At bauma 2013, the spotlight will be on the Doka composite forming carriage, Bridge formwork ParaTop, DokaShore and on a new innovation for tunnel-building.

 

Novel formwork solution for cut-and-cover tunnel construction

The new Tunnel system DokaCC – the name stands for ‘Cut&Cover’ – is the first system to be specifically designed and optimised for cut-and-cover tunnel construction. Different types of traffic tunnel, such as rail or road tunnels, can be built quickly, efficiently and safely using DokaCC. The development of this innovative tunnel system was made possible only by the use of high-tech construction materials and products such as the Composite formwork beam I tec 20. The choice of high-grade steel members enabled the weight to be considerably reduced. These attributes make for quick system set-up and great ease of use on the site.

 

Flexibility, efficiency and safety – these are what this new formwork system stands for, making it an all-round solution for every cut-and-cover tunnel project. The system provides a high degree of safety against base failure. Safe shoring is possible whenever needed, regardless of the type of foundation. Another benefit of this variable tunnel formwork system is that it is geometry-independent and can be adapted to even the most challenging shapes and routes of tunnel.

 

When finding solutions, Doka always takes a holistic, A-to-Z approach: The tunnel formwork traveller has an all-hydraulic wheel system that allows it to be 3-dimensionally aligned with millimetre precision, without needing to be set down between alignments. Even gradients of as much as ten percent can easily be negotiated. A slide-type solution for the new stop-end system saves time when stripping out, and the integral platform system and ladderways provide a high level of safety. All in all, this all-hydraulic formwork solution makes for straightforward, safe and ergonomically optimised working on the site.

 

‘Energy’ Theme World

 

In the ‘Energy’ Theme World, Doka will be displaying individualised solutions for tackling the technological challenges and complex assignments encountered on power-station structures of all kinds. Whether for renewables or conventional forms of energy, Doka unites international capability and reliable systems. With products such as Dam formwork D35, Large-area formwork Top 100 tec or Load-bearing tower Staxo 100, Doka will be bringing versatile solutions for every type of power-generation infrastructure to bauma.

 

Press Contact:

Jürgen Reimann

Head of Public Relations & Communications

Press Officer Doka Group

Josef Umdasch Platz 1, A 3300 Amstetten, Austria

Tel.: +43 7472 605-2278

e-mail: juergen.reimann@doka.com

Web: www.doka.com