Flexible and cost-efficient formwork system deployed on large bridge project in Merksem (B)

Due to increasing loads from increasingly busy and heavy traffic, many bridges are in urgent need of renovation or replacement. PERI, the formwork and scaffolding specialist offers an ideal solution for bridge construction and renovation with the VARIOKIT system.

The construction of three new bridges in Merksem, Belgium, is one such large-scale project where formwork systems from PERI were put to optimal use. One of the three contractors, Artes Roegiers, engaged PERI for the formwork for this project. "The main requirement was clear: to deliver the right formwork that was both easy to place and easy to uncover," says Tom Deloof, sales engineer at PERI

Versatile

The versatile VARIOKIT system, ideally suited for short bridges and renovation work on cantilevered parapets, proved to be the ideal formwork solution. Thus, formwork was placed in the bridge deck of the tramway bridge and the eastern road bridge, after which it was floated in. Work then began on finishing the bridge decks. After the final concrete pour, the last formwork panels were removed early this year. As of August 2020, the shuttering and stripping of the second road bridge is scheduled.

Flexibility saves time and costs

The various standard lengths of the VARIOKIT system allow for formwork without having to cut parts to size and all shapes in the bridge deck. The extended VARIO system excels in ease of use during installation and stripping, saving time and costs. This large-scale project requires a huge amount of the same formwork material: the VARIO wall formwork and the VARIOKIT bridge system. Because PERI can call on branches throughout Europe for its materials, it was possible to carry out two bridges in the same phase, which was also beneficial for the construction time. 

Expertise

For the complex concrete elements, such as the ten-meter-high pillars, PERI's professional support was called upon in addition to PERI's products. Tom Deloof: "Thanks to the flexible positioning of the system's supports and anchors, it is easy to adapt to the requirements. Furthermore, the customer used the TRIO panel formwork for the foundations. This PERI system was purchased earlier by Artes Roegiers itself. The universal formwork system places the highest emphasis on uncomplicated formwork and the reduction of formwork time and was combined in this project with the more advanced MAXIMO panel formwork." Contractor Artes Roegiers concludes, "The good cooperation with PERI contributed to a great result on this large-scale bridge project in Merksem."