# Applicability of Formwork Automation Design Software for Aluminum Formwork
## 1 Introduction  
Temporary work that includes temporary structures used to support building construction, such as formwork, is one of the crucial cost factors in construction work [1]. In temporary work, the way in which temporary structures are planned has a significant influence on the entire project [2; 3; 4], given that the planning of temporary structures is affected by dynamically changing conditions and characteristics of construction sites. However, temporary structures such as formwork are installed on construction sites without sufficient planning and analysis that may lead to safety-related accidents [5; 6; 7; 8].  
The quantity of formwork has mainly been calculated by manually laying out formwork based on two-dimensional (2D) computer-aided design (CAD) data. However, given that this method relies heavily on the knowledge and experience of formwork designers, the outcomes can vary depending on their skill levels. This makes it difficult to verify the objectivity and efficiency of the formwork design. In addition, if inaccurate 2D CAD data are prepared owing to designer mistakes, defects in the manufacturing of formwork may occur.  
To address these issues, studies have applied various algorithms and advanced systems to formwork design [9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17]. A study was conducted on the automation of the formwork system based onthe development of building information modeling (BIM) software using Revit and AutoCAD [11]. However, this formwork system is a proprietary system of Revit software, and the available research results are thus limited. A study was also conducted that set up a plan for the use of the formwork, and calculated the amount of formwork required for a project based on the use of the data extracted from the BIM model [12]. A study was conducted to propose a search algorithm to optimize formwork panels [14]. Research has also been conducted on an automated form layout system that arranged standard and nonstandard slab forms to increase work efficiency and reduce manufacturing costs [15]. As observed in these studies, there are recent approaches to formwork design that use advanced methods, moving away from the traditional method of formwork design based on 2D CAD data.  
Meanwhile, formwork manufacturing companies have been developing various programs to support formwork design. For instance, typical programs include Tekla Structures, PERI CAD, ELPOS, Tipos, and DokaCad [14]. However, using these programs is inconvenient given that formwork designers need to directly set contact points. Furthermore, the formwork layout plan may be used in different ways depending on the designers, thus resulting in many errors around obstacles. Accordingly, formwork manufacturing companies have been conducting studies on the development of three-dimensional (3D)-based formwork automation design software, but this is still at the research stage. An accurate design is essential for formwork. Given that it takes a significant amount of time to calculate the quantity of materials and to prepare drawings, the development of formwork automation design software is essential.  
We developed formwork automation design software based on the conversion of the randomly arranged vertices among the BIM data of the target structures to a specific form based on certain rules, followed by the setting of specific rules for the face. In this study, by applying the developed formwork automation design software to three target structures, we reviewed the applicability of the formwork automation design software for the aluminum formwork.