Formwork is molds into which concrete or similar materials are either precast or cast-in-place. In the context of concrete construction, the falsework supports the shuttering molds. In specialty applications formwork may be permanently incorporated into the final structure, adding insulation or helping reinforce the finished structure.
Modular steel frame formwork for a foundation. Rebar has been stubbed up out of the concrete slab to form the base of future columns
Timber formwork for a concrete column. Adjustable metal screw jacks both stabilize and plumb the form
Aluminum formwork system
Placing a wall form. A matching form will be placed on the opposite side to create the space to pour concrete into
Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most widely used building material. Its usage worldwide, ton for ton, is twice that of steel, wood, plastics, and aluminium combined.
A single concrete block, as used for construction
Exterior of the Roman Pantheon, finished 128 AD, the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world.
Interior of the Pantheon dome, seen from beneath. The concrete for the coffered dome was laid on moulds, mounted on temporary scaffolding.
Opus caementicium exposed in a characteristic Roman arch. In contrast to modern concrete structures, the concrete used in Roman buildings was usually covered with brick or stone.