8 



FORMS FOR REINFORCED CONCRETE. 



This discussion of forms is based upon the needs of 

 the superintendent and the carpenter foreman in the 

 field, and an endeavor will be made to present the sub- 

 ject in a very simple way. 



In the first place economy is the great consideration, 

 economy in erecting forms, economy in tajking down, 

 economy in the cost of lumber, which is not always 

 synonymous with cheapness in first cost. This latter 

 item, however, concerns more the purchasing end of 

 contracting. The lumber best adapted is white pine, 

 yellow pine and spruce. Hemlock should not be used 

 except for rough work, as in footings or retaining 

 walls, or when absolutely necessary. 



Use judgment and comprehension in receiving and 

 placing material on the work. As the lumber comes 

 to the job, pile it where it can be handled into the 

 saw mill or framing yard with the least amount of 

 labor. In stacking lumber leave spaces in the pile for 

 drying, and always lap and pitch the top layer to shed 

 water. Pile lumber in the shade when possible. 



Floor Centering. In preparing lumber for erection, 

 the work is laid out according to the foreman's judg- 

 ment, but in erecting the forms there is practically but 

 one order, viz., the column forms are erected first, 

 then follow the bottoms for the girders, bottoms for 

 the beams, the girder and beam sides, the joists or 

 stringers for the floor sheeting and lastly the sheeting 

 itself. The forms are then ready for the steel and the 

 concrete. 



Design the girder forms to rest on the column 

 forms. It will be necessary to remove the latter before 

 the forms. In addition, this practice will save shores. 

 Design the beam forms to rest on the girder or col- 

 umn forms and the slab centering to rest on the beam 

 forms. Above all, good practice requires such a de- 

 sign of the centering that it can all be taken down 

 without disturbing the shores and bottoms under the 



