Advanced formwork method integrated with a layout planning model for tall building construction

Recent increases in the number of irregularly shaped tall buildings have created a need for more applicable formwork methods and automated support for formwork layout planning, which has mainly depended on heuristic approaches based on the intuitive judgment of experienced engineers. This study proposes a new table formwork method integrated with a systematic layout planning approach for tall building construction. Adjustable subunits of the formwork cope with diverse building shapes and the software-based mathematical model helps practitioners make useful layouts for the method with minimal time and effort. In a case study, the proposed layout planning model offered lower costs and improved work efficiency in less time than the heuristic approach. Supported by the planning model, our advanced formwork method showed a 15.5% increase in covered area of irregularly shaped building floors and a 23.9% decrease in material costs compared with existing table formwork methods.