Abstract:
The present invention relates to a formwork arrangement for forming a suspended concrete floor slab comprising a change in level in an underside thereof, a support bracket for use with such a formwork arrangement, and a method for employing the support bracket and formwork arrangement.

Description:
PRIORITY DOCUMENTS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority from Australian Patent Application No. 2014215950 titled “CONCRETE FORMWORK AND A FORMWORK SUPPORT BRACKET” and filed on 19 Aug. 2014, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
       INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE 
       [0002]    The following publication is referred to in the present application and its contents are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety: 
         [0003]    International Patent Application No PCT/AU2013/000855 (WO/2014/019029) titled “FORMWORK SUPPORT ELEMENT” in the name of Form 700 Pty Ltd. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0004]    The present invention relates to concrete formwork. In a particular form the present invention relates to formwork for forming a suspended floor slab comprising a change in level in an underside thereof, such as occurs where a beam is to be moulded into the underside of the slab, and a formwork support bracket for use with such formwork. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0005]    Formwork is used in concrete construction to provide a mould onto which wet concrete can be poured for forming various elements such as suspended floor slabs and beams. In the case of floor slabs, it is common for floors of a multistorey building to be formed sequentially and for formwork to be set out on a preceding floor in order to form a subsequent higher floor. 
         [0006]    Such formwork normally comprises a frame or scaffolding that is used to support elevated forms comprising either lost formwork or formwork that can be removed from the concrete slab once the concrete is set. Reusable formwork may comprise aluminium formwork pans which are held at the top of the scaffolding. In addition, sheets or boards may also be used at the top of the framework. 
         [0007]    One issue arises where a change in a level in an underside of a suspended floor slab is required, such as occurs where a beam is to be moulded into the underside of the slab. Currently, where a beam is to be formed, formwork for a side of a beam mould is generally contrived from horizontal timber beams and vertical plywood sheets. Assembling a beam formwork in this way is quite time consuming, and therefore expensive in terms of labor costs. 
         [0008]    It is against this background and the problems and difficulties associated therewith that the present invention has been developed. 
         [0009]    Certain objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    According to a first aspect, there is provided a formwork support bracket for use with table forms to form a suspended floor slab comprising a change in level in an underside thereof, the formwork support bracket comprising a base, a wall extending from the base, and a formwork support atop of the wall, wherein in use the base sits atop lower formwork, the formwork support supports upper formwork, and the wall provides a surface for moulding an edge extending between the upper and lower formworks. 
         [0011]    In one form, the upper and lower formworks are vertically spaced apart. 
         [0012]    In one form, the lower formwork forms a mould for a lower level in an underside of a suspended floor slab. 
         [0013]    In one form, the upper formwork forms a mould for an upper level in an underside of a suspended floor slab. 
         [0014]    In one form, the formwork support comprises an upper formwork support platform. 
         [0015]    In one form, the formwork support comprises a beam cradle comprising a cradle wall forming a continuous surface with the wall extending from the base. 
         [0016]    In one form, the formwork support comprises at least one locating lug for engaging with a formwork to locate the formwork with respect to the formwork support bracket. 
         [0017]    In one form, the upper and lower formwork comprises formwork panels. 
         [0018]    In one form, the bracket comprises a column extending from the base, where the column comprises the wall for forming the step, and wherein the formwork support platform and the beam cradle sit atop of the column. 
         [0019]    In one form, the bracket comprises a pair of columns extending from the base and supporting the platform. 
         [0020]    In one form, the formwork comprises panels, such as those sold under the proprietary name Airodek, or similar. 
         [0021]    According to a second aspect, there is provided a formwork arrangement comprising a temporary support structure (falsework) for supporting each of upper and lower formworks for forming upper and lower levels in an underside of a suspended floor slab, each of the upper and lower formworks terminating at an edge, where the upper formwork edge and lower formwork edge are adjacent and vertically spaced apart, and a plurality of formwork support brackets set atop of the lower formworks and supporting a plurality of formwork panels bridging the edge of the upper formworks and the formwork support brackets. 
         [0022]    According to a third aspect, there is provided a method for forming a suspended floor slab comprising a change in level in an underside thereof, the method comprising the steps of erecting a temporary support structure (falsework) supporting each of upper and lower formworks for forming upper and lower levels in the underside of a suspended floor slab, where each of the upper and lower formworks terminate at an edge, where the upper formwork edge and lower formwork edge are adjacent and vertically spaced apart, positioning a plurality of formwork support brackets atop of the lower formworks, and positioning a plurality of formwork panels so that these bridge the edge of the upper formworks and the formwork support brackets. 
         [0023]    In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0024]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate certain embodiments of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         [0025]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, to recognise that the claims should be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0026]    Embodiments of the present invention will be discussed with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: 
           [0027]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a support bracket; 
           [0028]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the support bracket of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0029]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the support bracket of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
           [0030]      FIG. 4  is a schematic illustration of an assembly for use with table forms to form a change in level in an underside of a suspended floor slab, the assembly comprising the support bracket illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 3 ; 
           [0031]      FIG. 5  is a detail front view of the step in the formwork; 
           [0032]      FIG. 6  is a detail end view of the step in the formwork illustrated in  FIG. 5 ; and 
           [0033]      FIG. 7  is a plan view of a formwork panel supported by four support brackets. 
       
    
    
       [0034]    In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the figures. 
       DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0035]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , where there is shown a formwork support bracket  1 , comprising a base  2 , a wall  4  extending from the base  2 , and a formwork support  6  atop of the wall  4 . 
         [0036]    The exemplary formwork support bracket  1  set forth in the following description is formed by metal fabrication, although it need not necessarily be manufactured in this way, or from this material. It could, for instance, be manufactured by another means, such as casting, and from another material, such as another alloy or a composite. 
         [0037]    In this exemplary embodiment, the base  2  is a mild steel plate of rectangular shape, from which there extends a pair of columns  8  of rectangular hollow section (RHS) steel standing on end and welded to the base. One of the faces of one of these columns  8  serves as the wall  4 . 
         [0038]    The formwork support  6  sits atop of the columns  8  and comprises a formwork support platform  10  comprising a further mild steel plate  12  of rectangular shape and a pair of locating lugs  14 , the purpose of which will be discussed in detail below. 
         [0039]    The formwork support  6  further comprises a beam cradle  16  comprised of mild steel parallel flange channel (PFC) which is arranged so that one of the flanges forms a continuous surface with the wall  4  extending from the base  2 . 
         [0040]    In this exemplary embodiment, the beam cradle  16  is supported atop a pair of laid over mild steel square hollow section (SHS) tubes, which may or may not be required depending on the type of formwork to be supported by the bracket  1 . 
         [0041]    In use, the formwork support bracket  1  is used with temporary support structures (sometimes referred to as falsework) to support formwork for forming a suspended floor slab comprising a change in level in an underside thereof. 
         [0042]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the formwork for forming a suspended floor slab comprising a change in level in an underside thereof will comprise upper and lower formworks U and L, which are vertically spaced apart, with the lower formwork L forming a mould for a lower level in an underside of the suspended floor slab, and the upper formwork U forming a mould for an upper level in the underside of a suspended floor slab. 
         [0043]    For the purpose of explanation, the formwork will largely, but not exclusively, comprise formwork panels of the type commonly referred to by the proprietary name “Airodek”, and the temporary support structures will largely, but not exclusively, comprise scaffold structures of the type disclosed in PCT/AU2013/000855. 
         [0044]    In use, the lower formwork L will comprise a plurality of formwork panels  20  supported so as to provide a continuous moulding surface, by a plurality of the scaffold structures  30 . 
         [0045]    Similarly, the upper formwork U will comprise a plurality of formwork panels  20  supported so as to provide a continuous moulding surface, by a plurality of the scaffold structures  30  at a level vertically spaced apart from the lower formwork panels  20 . 
         [0046]    The upper and lower formworks U and L will each terminate at an edge, where the upper formwork edge A and lower formwork edge B are adjacent, less than one formwork panel&#39;s  20  length (or width) apart, and in all likelihood substantially parallel. With the majority formwork and falsework arranged in this way, a plurality of the formwork support brackets  1  can be set atop of the lower formworks L, so that a plurality of formwork panels  20  can be positioned so as to bridge the edge A of the upper formworks U and the formwork support brackets  1 . 
         [0047]    That is to say, each bridging formwork panel  20  will be supported at each of its corners. Each of one pair of corners will be supported on a prong of a fork  32  provided by one or more of the support structures  30 . Each of the other pair of corners will be supported on a locating lug  14  of a different formwork support bracket  1 . 
         [0048]    With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , it can be seen that in order to build up some formwork at the corner to the level of the formwork panel  20 , a timber beam  40  is laid in the beam cradle  16 , and a sheet of plywood  50  is laid atop of this so as to create a formwork surface which is a continuation of the upper formwork surface extending to form a corner with the flange of the beam cradle  16  which itself forms a continuous surface with the wall  4  extending from the base  2 . 
         [0049]    Throughout the specification and the claims that follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the words “comprise” and “include” and variations such as “comprising” and “including” will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers, but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. 
         [0050]    The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement of any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge. 
         [0051]    It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is not restricted in its use to the particular application described. Neither is the present invention restricted in its preferred embodiment with regard to the particular elements and/or features described or depicted herein. It will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth and defined by the following claims.