Mivan/Aluminum Formwork: How Worth & When Headache in Luxury Housing Project??

A miracle invention of modern era construction for housing especially. When say Mivan formwork, it’s nothing new that’s you know about this and have experience; but the fact is entirely different.

My field engineering practical analysis based on several project experience in capacity of frontline civil engineer and quality engineer/inspector/head role. One very important thing I found i.e. very rare OR few people/engineers know and have the actual field engineering challenge and merit/de-merit about this system to do plan control measures.

What’s the majority of people/engineers are aware/have experience about Mivan system as basic??

1.??It is used as formwork to construct a housing project in affordable segment as well luxury segment.

2.??It gives good RCC wall surface finish which save money of plaster if accuracy is good.

3.??It reduces construction time/speed up work (average 10 days slab cycle)

4.??Can use up to 60-100 repetition with little repair/correction to make it economical.

5.??Can remove wall panel in 2-3 days and deck panel of slab after 08-10 days keeping prop as it is.

6.??Casting of slab, wall, staircase and other elements all together as whole system at a time.

What’s majority of engineers including senior don’t know the important fact/technicality causes they sometimes not able to save money to say economical and good quality in RCC accuracy even after spending good money in this??

Factory visit/Source Approval-Quality Assurance;

1.??Factory visit to select vendor/source- (like steel bars, Mivan have also secondary manufacturer and primary manufacturer to identify).

2.??Checking welding aluminum alloy Wire and its Grade (MIG welding manual OR Robotic included weld length, method and finish/defect)?

3.???Checking of alloy Grade for stiffener (6061-T6) OR incase sheet metal Grade (5052-H32), thickness and source of manufacturing as primary OR secondary.

4.????Numbers of stiffeners in standard panel to make it more strengthen and cleat at corners OR other bracing/strengthening detail.

5.???Lacquer coating on inner surface OR other treatment method to gives durable surface to make RCC smoothness.

6.????All accessories iron Grade check, especially Pin & Wedges (temper treatment OR normal)

7.????All assembly locking, jointing & feasibility detail/accuracy included Kickers & Rockers with RCC detail etc.

After doing all these checks & verification you can evaluate you are purchasing right system/material which can assure you a claim typical numbers of successful repetitions of 60-80.

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What is failure in system if local poor Grade OR secondary manufacturer??

?-Welding damage/fail.

?-Sheet/panel buldge/fail during casting and out in tolerance/dimension.

?-Pin & Wedges damage/bent in few repetitions.

?-Failed in chemical/physical test of stiffeners OR sheet material.

?-Line, level & joint finish as well assembly variation.

?-Size, length variation in horizontal line causes end building dimensional issue especially at expansion end margin issue.

?-Overall low repetition i.e. average 15-20 cycle then dent, damage, and line issue to assemble.

?-Underweight system.

?-Corrosion of accessories.

?-Last one is more important tolerance variation beyond acceptance (03 mm acceptable in a floor)

Conclusion- Finally it becomes un-economical as important aim of using Mivan is failed to achieve.

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Site Engineering & Material Management/Control:

One of important factor to get more repetition and economical if taking care of these;

• Use of trained & skilled workers for erecting and de-shuttering Mivan system.
• Method of collecting all small accessories especially Pin & Wedges during de-shutter to prevent from loss (each have cost average 30-40 rupees)
• Use of skilled team and right method of stacking all small & large panels included cleaning, oiling and making ready for re-use.
• Use of right method and stacking in yard and shifting to the work location.
• Mock-up before starting any structural RCC job to review suitability of waller/support, prop, lateral support, Corner L waller & bottom packing to prevent slurry loss.
• Core & shell drawing coordination included site feedback of any specific practical issue.
• Reduce standard slab cycle time up to 06-08 days by modification of concrete Grade and Design if required to save time and speed up project.
• 100% checking and control of dimension tolerance under 03 mm to get other finishing value engineering advantage etc.

Biggest Practical Challenge where majority people failed i.e.

“Missing of electrical conduit OR chocking”

Almost all failed in this, but only the wise approach people use that’s they hiding this at site level and do not making aware to senior level management.

Around 10-15% as an average data shear wall conduit either missed OR chocked, however in worse condition where monitoring and checking is extremely poor/ignorance are may be 20-30% data.

What is biggest painful condition in this??

As like brick/block wall, we cannot cut later to put conduit in RCC shear wall because its damage tends to structural stability of building. (Finally, no option to correct as normal method).

Last option is root diversion through shaft OR hidden pathway/under floor, but this is some time not possible OR feasible then people start damaging RCC wall to fix conduit.

Reason / root cause of this-

1. Slab casting with incomplete job of MEP & ignorance of MEP engineer role/value by civil engineers’ authority domination when there is hard time bound schedule of delivery.
2. Use of conduit Solvent quality & method.
3. Use/method of conduit tie with steel.
4. Use of low-grade PVC conduit OR low duty conduit.
5. Fixing method of electrical boxed with steel shuttering etc.

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Overall conclusion: Cost of repair of missing conduit+ cost of repair of Plaster due to dimensional in-accuracy+ cost of delay +cost of resource/meeting + cost of Mivan low repetition etc.

It's all included can assume practically for as an example 10-30 Crore LOSS in 1000 core value construction project.

Some management level lacunas/understanding practice as well: Give this all Mivan in contractor scope to purchase and manage to be free from this headache.

Fact and Reality: It's all loss of ultimately Nation/project irrespective of Contractor OR Developer. Only Mivan purchase value cost can transfer to contractor responsibility, but what about other cost of failure which is mentioned above i.e. irregularities in RCC surface quality cause big cost of correction/plaster, conduit chocking/missing in case finishing job in other vendor scope??

Wise Strategy & Good Management Approach:

• Job allots based on Competency and knowledge/feedback.
• Opting good system of Mivan with Quality feedback/control.
• Giving value of Skilled, knowledgeable and competent engineers team instead looking fancy degree/qualification and behavioral skills.
• Electrical conduiting job allocation to main civil contractor to fix clear responsibility.
• Top priority of making competent checkers/inspector team to check all process/activity to give assurance from failure etc.

It is not always blame that's in wrong intension OR lack of knowledge competency engineers are doing mistake OR wrong/incomplete job.

The one of biggest fact is when there is tight time schedule of project delivery and speed up job, the first and last easy option to ignore quality and proceed incomplete job causes lots of issues later.

In this case, the responsibility of senior level leadership matter who did not plan how to manage this critical phase OR situation successfully to achieve both parameters i.e. Progress with Acceptable risk-free quality.

One believes that's experience means, Good understanding capacity to plan all-risk in a way which you know what wrong will happen later if not corrected today.

“Money Saving in Engineering Construction means Actual Saving count after complete building handover successfully to Customer till occupancy and complaint resolution”