Lightweight formwork construction with newly developed technopolymer

Universal lightweight formwork PERI DUO for walls, columns, slabs and foundations

It has not been on the market very long – and yet it has still managed to establish a new category of lightweight formwork: PERI DUO is made of high strength technical plastic and can be quickly assembled without requiring any special tools. In its performance segment, it offers unusually simple and comfortable handling.

The majority of the building sector is made up mostly of smaller construction companies, artisanal and municipal businesses involved in correspondingly modest contracts rather than a focus on large construction projects. Small-format and easy to handle formwork systems such as the PERI DUO are therefore a valuable option to have available in order to deal with the wide range of tasks found in construction, refurbishment and renovation.

Technical plastic instead of steel, aluminium and wood

Consistent lightweight construction is not only a question of optimizing geometries and material usage but also the materials actually used. On the basis of a new fibre reinforced technopolymer especially developed for this application, PERI has realized a formwork system which is robust and ageing resistant even when regularly used in tough jobsite environments. PERI DUO is comprised of relatively small sized panels whereby a frame element is covered with precisely adapted formlining sheets.

The material, which is used to produce the panels along with a large number of the required components, is resistant to moisture-induced swelling and shrinkage, is extremely corrosion-resistant and is problem-free when coming into contact with concrete. In the intended application segments, with their comparatively manageable loads and fresh concrete pressures, this results in significant weight savings compared to steel or aluminium constructions. The new material has further advantages such as far fewer sharp edges. The fact that almost no tools are required reduces noise levels which are very beneficial in the case of refurbishment work on existing buildings as well as inner city projects.

Lightweight construction has a positive impact regarding logistics and handling. Transport on the construction site can be carried out manually without requiring any machines or a crane as the heaviest components weigh only around 25 kg. Even two connected DUO Panels with a standard wall height of 270 cm can easily be brought into position by two workers. In particular, the system can therefore make full use of its advantages in closed areas.

Walls, foundations, slabs, columns with one system

In the design phase, PERI also focused on designing the system components to ensure that they could be used very flexibly for a wide range of applications in different combinations and configurations. With DUO, walls, slabs, columns and foundations can be formed with largely identical system components. More than two thirds of the components are identical for horizontal and vertical applications.

The systematic reduction of the components is continued throughout the entire system. There is only one connector for all panels, one post for external and internal corners, the push pull prop connector is simultaneously the connection for the guardrail posts and serves to fix the bracing for slab formwork. The versatility in application has therefore been broken down to the level of the individual system components.

Less storage space, wider range of functions, less investment costs

The numerous identical components for horizontal and vertical applications not only ensure a consistent operating and assembly logic, they also keep purchasing costs and storage space to a minimum - without compromising the range of functions in any way. All this makes the system formwork particularly interesting for smaller companies as well as for enterprises that are seldom or to a lesser extent active in concrete construction. PERI configures and provides corresponding standard equipment packages.