A research project was undertaken with the aim of developing expertise and guidelines for predicting lateral formwork pressures associated with self-consolidating concrete (SCC). Lack of information regarding formwork pressure variations during casting and pressure decay following placement has prompted contractors and engineers to design for full hydrostatic pressure as recommended by ACI Committee 347. Unfortunately, this leads to increased costs for formwork systems—compromising profitability by offsetting cost savings associated with rapid placements and labor savings associated with SCC. This article reviews the study and discusses a pressure column device for predicting lateral pressure exerted by SCC; empirical test methods for evaluating the at-rest structural buildup of SCC—a phenomenon that has been shown to significantly affect formwork pressure; and proposed design equations

The quality of the built environment is a key factor for a truly sustainable society. Even in ancient times, every society defined itself by means of landmark construction projects. This hasn’t changed much today as we are witnessing ongoing competitions to have the tallest building or the longest bridge in the world. From a social point of view, the quality of life that buildings and infrastructure provide is even more important. The careful design and construction of new buildings can lead to reduced energy demand. The real challenge in creating a sustainable built environment is retrofitting the existing building stock.