ABSTRACT
Access for concrete placement The importance of good access to the form cannot be overstressed. Without good, safe working platforms (which are, of course, mandatory) the operatives are unable to concentrate on or apply the necessary effort to the work in hand. Working platforms, complete with handrails, toeboards and ladder access, ensure that concrete can be placed at or near its final position in the structure. Where columns or isolated walls and beams are being cast, stable mobile platforms, provided with positive braking facilities, may provide an excellent access arrangement. As the element of the structure being cast increases in size, so does the need for a more substantial platform, either attached to the forms or freestanding. Access platforms are often incorporated in an overall access/working scaffold. In this case it is necessary to ensure sufficient clearance between the face of the structure and the scaffold standards to allow erection and striking of the forms to proceed unhindered by the standing scaffold. It must be remembered here that the space required to a large extent depends upon the type of tie and the form of carcassing member selected. Where extremely deep lifts of concrete are being cast, it will be necessary to provide intermediate access levels to allow men access to install and remove tie bolts, place concrete into openings, compact the concrete and so on.
