The formwork assembly process is carried out according to the design drawing. It shows all the dimensions, the height of the march, the dimensions of the steps, risers, etc. If the staircase is not straight, the drawing shows all the angles and radii of the structure.
How is the formwork for the steps of a straight staircase made?
- For this purpose, only two side boards are required, wooden, the width of which should be at least 20 centimeters. We also need water-repellent plywood, 20 millimeters thick, a wooden beam with a section of 0.1 by 0.1 meters, steel reinforcement with a diameter of 10-20 millimeters, and boards 4-5 centimeters thick.
- The boards must be marked according to the size of future steps and the technical drawing.
- According to the marks, it is necessary to nail the wooden bars. They will serve as support for the wooden boards that will be under the steps.
- In the middle of the steps, a board is attached for rigidity. It will keep the central part of the formwork from deflecting under the weight of the concrete.
- If the width of the flight of stairs is small, the lower “deck” for the steps is made of boards up to 40 millimeters. In this case, the boards in the middle are not used, or you can fix them with an emphasis.
- All elements of the formwork system must be perfectly joined and adjusted to each other. Avoid cracks.
- The assembly of the structure and the elements’ fastening is carried out using self-tapping screws. It is not recommended to use nails; when dismantling the formwork, there will be considerable difficulties when you start to remove them. The process of connecting the components will greatly facilitate the use of small plates and angles of steel.
- The final step in the assembly of formwork for stairs is the reinforcement necessary to increase the strength of the stiffness characteristics. Steel reinforcement with ribs is used, connected by twisting with soft steel wire.
The pouring of a monolithic staircase of a concrete mixture takes place necessarily in one go. You need to start from the bottom and finish with the top step.