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Throughout February UrbanToronto is featuring a special State of Construction editorial series to explore all the critical issues of construction across our region.
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Constructing a major new concrete building is a messy and complicated process, but one particular piece of equipment helps make the procedure a lot smoother; to construct concrete walls and floor slabs, the liquid material must be poured into a mould. Also known as formwork, these pieces are specially assembled to fit the needs of each part of a construction project… but it there is repetition from floor to floor, fly forms — or table forms — can be used again after the liquid concrete has cured from a previous pour.
When dealing with simpler floor layouts, usually above the more complicated ground floor or garage levels, trusses are assembled and covered with plywood. Layers of steel rebar are then placed to sandwich any electrical and mechanical lines atop the plywood, and concrete is poured to cap the floor. Once the concrete cures, sections of the truss are released and the whole form can then be pulled out, initially by the crew, and then attached to cables and hoisted — or flown, hence the term ‘fly form’ — by the tower crane, to repeat the job again on the next level above.
To ensure strength for the new floor while the concrete continues to cure to its full strength, temporary shoring jacks are installed for a few more weeks. The image below shows two Toronto projects, INDX Condos and EY Tower, both utilizing the fly form technique. Yellow shoring poles are visible on the top floors below the uppermost level with its fly forms, helping support the work above.
Have any other construction and development related terms that you would like to see featured on Explainer? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below!
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From 2015 to 2017, UrbanToronto ran an occasional series of articles under the heading Explainer. The series was revisited, expanded, and articles were updated where necessary in 2023. Now, additions to the series will occur on occasion, like this article. Each Explainer takes a concept from Urban Planning, Architecture, Construction, or related topics covered on our sites, and presents a detailed look at it. While you may already know what some of the concepts covered by the Explainer articles mean, others may be new to you. To read other Explainer features, click on the blue Explainer box at the top of the page. If you have other planning terms that you would like to see detailed in an Explainer article, or thoughts about this one, please share them via the comment field below!
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UrbanToronto’s research and data service, UTPro, provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe—from proposal through to completion. Other services include Instant Reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from initial application.
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Thank you to the companies joining UrbanToronto to celebrate State of Construction Month.