Charlie Cox Concrete Contractors have been in the formwork business for around 20 years, specialising in large scale commercial work for the town of Dubbo. After years using what head man Charlie Cox describes as ‘old brickies’ planks, Cox made the switch to Edgeform. The futurebuild timber product has been holding its own ever since.
Properly maintained, Edgeform can last for more than a dozen pours.
“We’ve been using Edgeform for tilt-up panels, for concrete walls,” says Charlie Cox. Pouring concrete into the formwork and tilting it upright requires precision. The walls must be straight and conform to the specified thickness. According to Cox, the Edgeform helps to achieve this accuracy.
Edgeform also outperforms the old planks in resisting moisture absorption. “They’re out in the weather all the time,” explains Cox, “never in shelter, so a lot of wear and tear can happen. Edgeform resists the weather.”
Recent projects utilising Edgeform have been the University at Dubbo, big warehouses in town and extensions to the Dubbo RSL club. Cox’s company has been responsible for building a large part of the town and such responsibility demands quality work every time. Any new product needs to be reliable.
It was well-established local frame and truss company, Ramien’s, that recommended the Edgeform. Ramien’s purchasing officer, Mark Turley, sourced the product from a mate in Sydney, suggesting Edgeform for both cost and performance advantages, ideal for Cox’s large-scale formwork. As he says: “Once you had to buy Oregon. Now it’s too pricey, coming out of Canada and the U.S. With our five bob dollar, it’s like buying a Mercedes and taking it out paddock-bashing.”
These cost advantages are increased as the timber can be used again and again. “It’s affordable and reusable,” he adds, “kiln dried and painted, so properly maintained, you might get a dozen pours out of it.”
Cox and his Dubbo clients are impressed with Edgeform so far. The formworkers themselves agree, finding the lightweight and straight lengths easy to use on site. Cox plans to use the product again in their upcoming project, an 8m high, single story warehouse.
Source: Building Products News.
