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For the ninth time, the Federal Association of Old Building Renovation (BAKA) along with the Messe München had jointly sponsored the international competition "Praxis Altbau – Preis für Produktinnovation" under the auspices of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).
Award recipient was the PERI DUO, a universally applicable composite formwork featuring a lightweight design. Its material and production concept basically corresponds to the cradle-to-cradle principle. It was designed as a system that can be used to form foundations, walls, slabs, beams and columns. Due to its constructive design, not only have the number of basic components been greatly reduced but also the amount of connecting parts and connections.
No component weighs more than 25 kg. Thus, PERI DUO does not require the use of a crane during construction operations nor any other mechanical transport and assembly aids. Thanks to its light weight, simple and hammer-free assembly technology as well as practical intuitive handling, the formwork system can be assembled and used quickly, quietly and safely also by less experienced construction teams.
Using DUO in redevelopment projects of existing buildings
The diverse areas found in existing building redevelopment range from inner-city vacant lots and the preservation of historical monuments through to refurbishment of transportation infrastructures during ongoing operations. The implications for the execution of the construction work are as varied as they are challenging. Basically, the task is to examine the physical nature of the existing building in its environment and then to provide the appropriate working equipment for the respective building project. In addition, working in existing structures usually has to take place in extremely confined spaces. In order to also be able to work quickly in restricted space conditions and without a crane, the equipment used should be lightweight and can preferably be moved by hand.
Advantages in the use as universal and hand-set formwork
Where four different formwork systems are normally required for realising foundations, walls, slabs and columns, PERI DUO composite formwork can do this using just one system. As a result, rapid amortisation is achieved already after a short period of use.
The system is quick and easy to understand while any training that might be required is kept to a minimum. Less experienced construction team teams can likewise achieve a high level of work performance and quality due to the almost self-explanatory assembly and usage logic. At the same time, PERI DUO is a real lightweight and hand-set formwork system in terms of weight and element sizes. For construction sites where space is at a premium, the possibility of being able to carry out forming and concreting operations without requiring a crane or other lifting and transportation aids ensures big time and productivity advantages.
Further advantages result from the consistently high percentage of identical parts used for all types of formwork application and from the completely different assembly technology. The connecting means and system connections are effortlessly fixed in position by hooking in, snapping into place, turning or screwing – as far as possible without any additional securing through the use of a hammer. The resulting reduction in noise levels is as much an advantage for construction sites in residential or urban areas as it is for refurbishment work in existing buildings.
Even during cleaning, maintenance or repair operations, the PERI DUO composite formwork achieves a high level of economic efficiency. Surfaces made of fibre composite materials are easy to clean and a change of formlining does not result in any system downtime but can be carried out directly on the construction site in only a few minutes by means of a cordless screwdriver.
Solution with a lightweight construction system
Massive weight savings without sacrificing the strength, rigidity and load-bearing capacity of the construction – a brief description of lightweight construction with fibre composite materials which was also the blueprint for the development of PERI DUO composite formwork. However, while lightweight construction has become an established architectural feature for constructing supporting structures or regarding weight-optimized building materials, this development is still in its infancy for construction machinery and equipment.
In particular, in combination with fibre composite materials, the topic of lightweight construction has been met with scepticism. In the area of plastic-based tools and work equipment, it is frequently assumed that semi-professional building products are in use with insufficient mechanical strength. This is a significant misjudgement of a design and production method that is increasingly seen as a key competence in the future of the manufacturing industry in light of dwindling material and energy resources. A point of view that PERI has long shared and has increasingly integrated in its product development programme.
For the PERI DUO, the three most important principles of lightweight construction have been incorporated into the product´s development – material, design and system lightweight construction. The lightweight material design corresponds to the use of light, high-strength fibre composites. The lightweight design is realised through the cassette-shaped construction of the DUO formwork panels. The integration of multiple functions in the DUO formwork panel or DUO connections and connectors completely fulfills the principle of system lightweight construction.
Sustainable material and production concept
PERI carries out intensive research and development work on metallic and non-metallic lightweight materials. One result of this is the increased use of fibre composites. These are based on a polymer matrix whereby fibres with high or the highest possible strength and rigidity are embedded in accordance with the external loads.
In addition to the optimisation of the technical characteristics, fibre composite materials allow virtually unlimited component design. In construction site operations, they stand out due to their low weight, high pressure absorption and increased durability against moisture as these components neither shrink, swell or rust. Also regarding long-term stability or from a sustainability viewpoint, the fibre composite used guarantees an entirely positive balance.
PERI DUO is manufactured using a zero-waste manufacturing process that results in no waste being produced. All of the raw materials are integrated in the production process. The life-cycle concept follows the intentions of the cradle-to-cradle principle which distinguishes between closed natural and technical material cycles. Thus, at the end of their usage, the materials are no longer disposed of as waste at landfill sites or incinerators but are completely preserved as nutrients or recyclables. In line with this closed cyclic economy, the DUO material remains as a material after recycling and can be used for new products such as formliners.
Related link: www.duo.peri.com/en