Formwork is the temporary mould that gives concrete its shape while it sets. Getting it accurate before the pour is essential — once concrete has set, its shape is permanent and corrections are expensive.

Residential slab edge formwork is typically stripped within 24 hours. Wall and column formwork at 24–72 hours depending on the engineer's requirements. Suspended slab soffit props remain until the engineer confirms sufficient concrete strength — typically 7–14 days minimum.

Residential formwork is primarily slab edge work. Commercial formwork covers walls, columns, beams, suspended slabs and sequential pour joints, operates under formal building programme requirements and is priced as a standalone scope.

The most common materials are timber (treated pine planks and framing), structural plywood, and steel props or pins. Engineered proprietary panel systems (steel or aluminium frames with ply faces) are used for wall and column formwork on commercial projects. Cardboard tube form is standard for circular columns. The material choice depends on the element being formed, the pressure involved, and how many times the form will be reused.

Yes — most commercial formwork systems are designed for multiple reuses. Plywood faces typically last 5–20 pours depending on how well they're stripped and stored. Residential slab edge timber can be reused many times if handled carefully. Reuse is factored into the material choice on larger scopes, particularly for column and wall forms where the same profile is repeated across multiple pours.