What is Gang Form?

How will you react when I say that Gang form has more than 20 years of history in Vietnam?

Maybe you will burst out: “Oh really, is it confused with Korea or not?”.

The truth is 22 years old, my friend!

The proof is that the Gang form was used for the Nha Trang Dock project in 1997. Constructed by Hyundai and provided by Sammok with a value of more than 1 million USD at that time.

During that period of years, Gang form was only used “sparingly” for a few high-rise buildings.

Notably:

• Keangnam Hanoi Landmark Tower, supplied by Hyundai & Kumkang Kind in 2008;
• Landmark 81 by Kumkang Kind in 2018.

It was not until recent years that Gang form was used more widely. Especially in the Vincity project chain of Vingroup.

And sure enough, you’re one of the many people wanting to learn about this new formwork measure.

But I think, you should know a little bit about it first.

What is a gang form?

Gang form are a formwork system use for the exterior of the building. Combining large size Steel Form plates with the working desk system that is combined into monolithic arrays.

Gang form are linked to a concrete structure by anchors. Can slide up to the height of the building and work within 2-4 floors under construction.

The gang form are connected to the formwork system inside the building (aluminum formwork, Euroform, ..) by Sepa Tie with pre-made holes on the face of the gang form.

Gang form system also known as Climbing Formwork System, Climbing Systems is operated by a tower crane.

Advantages of gang form

In the case of using conventional formwork, there are no safety components before, during and after pouring concrete.

Therefore, it is necessary to use the scaffolding system, which is fixed and throughout the building height.

However, most of them are not needed when using Gang form.

Safety

When using traditional formwork or aluminum, it is required to install cover scaffolding. This can lead to unexpected errors and accidents.

In addition, it is difficult to ensure the working efficiency of workers and tends to decrease at certain altitudes. Especially, it is also influenced by the weather, when the afterglow.

Gang form can overcome these disadvantages. The system is mounted and linked within the calculation range to ensure safety.

Working position of workers is working floor and “cage” cover creates psychological comfort, so the productivity is significantly improved.

At the same time, minimizing the risk of “falling” of construction materials and materials from above.

Easily

When the building uses traditional formwork and scaffolding cover a space on the construction site. The number of materials increased later, causing difficulties in the arrangement, management, preservation and handover of equipment.

But for the Gang form, this disadvantage is greatly mitigated. Just set-up at the first 3 to 4 floors.

Thrifty

The cost of erection and dismantling is significantly improved by not requiring too much manpower for disassembly and management.

Besides, a lot of work is reduced, defecting. Along with not using T-bracket as the scaffolding system, Gang form has reduced a lot of money.

Accuracy

For super-hight buildings, water loss is often difficult to overcome when the height exceeds 30 floors. The quality of concrete is affected quite a lot.

When using gang form, this situation can be improved thanks to the “tightness” between the concrete stopper and the adjacent lower floor.

The gang form an excellent connection with the internal precast formwork. It is completely vertical and horizontal to the top of the building. Because it is made of steel, there is no bloating and shrinking deformation like wood formwork.

The accuracy of the structure’s directions is clearly shown.

Quickly

When using wooden or aluminum formwork for the boundary surface, scaffolding must be done first. It is sometimes difficult to want to shorten project progress because scaffolding requires too much manpower.

When using gang form, the assembly is done easier and makes the most of the tower crane waiting time. Different sites can be constructed at the same time.

The finishing works are done in parallel in the “tail” area of the Gang form.

Friendly and aesthetic

Does not require too many materials and equipment, the construction site at the site using the Gang form are quite clean and neat.

Minimize waste, dirt caused during construction like other forms.

Disadvantages of gang form

• The high initial investment cost is the first drawback of the Gang form.
• Requires human resources to be skilled and well-trained.
• Tower cranes can be used more than in any other form.
• Reusability is not high.
• Working floor width is not large, loading capacity is limited.
• Applies to works with boundary wall construction and relatively large number of floors.
• Intensive calculation method is required, especially for structures that are super high or located in wind-affected areas.

Gang form companies are there in Vietnam

According to the statistics of Blog Coppha Nhôm, as of the end of 2018, there are the following units in the Vietnamese market:

• Korean gang form companies: Kumkang, Hyuhdai, Sammok (S-form), Daehan, SFK, Seobo.
• Vietnam gang form companies: Saki, BM Windown, Vietform or VForm (separated from Formtech), Fomrtech, Anh Vu, Illho-IPC and some others.

Epilogue

Gang form are a modern formwork system because of its superiority to high-rise buildings.

In Vietnam, Gang form are still a new type, due to a lot of influence from the cost and construction capacity of the contractor.

However, I believe that this is one of the formwork options that is interested in the future.