Composite steel formwork manufacturer: What are the advantages and disadvantages of steel formwork compared to wooden formwork and aluminum formwork?

1、 Advantages and disadvantages of steel formwork
advantage:
High strength and strong bearing capacity
Steel formwork has high rigidity, excellent compressive and bending resistance, and is suitable for large concrete structures (such as bridges and high-rise buildings) and high load scenarios.
High reuse rate
Steel formwork has a long service life and can be reused hundreds or even thousands of times, with low long-term costs.
Accurate size and smooth surface
The surface of the formed concrete is smooth, with high dimensional accuracy, reducing the need for later repair work.
Fire resistant and corrosion-resistant
Good stability and low maintenance cost in high temperature or humid environments.
Good environmental friendliness
Recyclable and reusable, reducing construction waste.
Disadvantages:
High initial cost
Steel prices are high and require significant upfront investment, making it suitable for large-scale repetitive projects.
Heavy weight and difficult handling
Mechanical assistance is required for installation and disassembly, making manual operation inconvenient.
Poor flexibility
Difficult to modify after finalization, not suitable for complex irregular structures.
Easy to rust (requires maintenance)
Long term exposure to humid environments requires rust prevention treatment, which increases maintenance costs.
2、 Advantages and disadvantages of wooden formwork
advantage:
low cost
Low wood prices make it suitable for small projects or temporary works with limited budgets.
Flexible processing
Easy to cut and nail, can quickly adapt to complex shapes and curved structures.
Lightweight and easy to operate
Manual handling and installation are convenient, without the need for large machinery.
Good insulation performance
Wood is non-conductive and suitable for certain special construction environments.
Disadvantages:
Poor durability
Easy to get damp, deform or crack, with few repeated uses (usually only 5-10 times).
Low surface quality
More polishing treatment may be required after the concrete is formed.
High resource consumption
Dependence on wood, poor environmental friendliness (requiring deforestation).
Poor fire resistance
Wood is flammable and poses a safety hazard.
3、 Advantages and disadvantages of aluminum formwork
advantage:
Lightweight
Aluminum has low density and weighs only one-third of steel formwork, making manual handling convenient.
High construction efficiency
Modular design, quick assembly, suitable for standardized high-rise buildings (such as residential buildings).
Good surface quality
The concrete is formed smoothly and can achieve a clear water effect.
Corrosion resistant and maintenance free
Aluminum has strong oxidation resistance and a long service life (about 300 times or more).
Environmentally friendly and recyclable
Aluminum can be 100% recycled, in line with the trend of green building.
Disadvantages:
High initial cost
The unit price of aluminum formwork is higher than that of steel formwork, making it suitable for long-term turnover projects.
Weak impact resistance
Aluminum has low hardness and is prone to deformation upon collision, requiring careful maintenance.
Limited flexibility
After being finalized, it is difficult to modify, and the irregular structure needs to be customized, which increases the cost.
Conductivity risk
Aluminum material is conductive, and attention should be paid to construction safety.
4、 Comprehensive comparison and applicable scenarios
Type applicable scenario not applicable scenario
Steel formwork for large bridges, factories, repetitive high-rise buildings, small projects, irregular structures, and projects with limited budgets
Projects with low rise residential buildings using wooden formwork, complex shapes, high-precision short-term engineering, and high reuse requirements
Standardization of aluminum formwork for high-rise residential buildings, non-standard design for rapid construction projects, and small projects with limited funds
Summary suggestion:
Due to limited budget and short-term projects, wooden formwork is preferred.
Large repetitive structures: Steel formwork offers higher cost-effectiveness.
Standardized high-rise buildings: Aluminum formwork has the best efficiency and lower long-term costs.
Based on project requirements such as schedule, budget, and structural complexity, a comprehensive selection can be made, and different templates can be combined and used if necessary.