Construction Manual: Concrete & Formwork

Book excerpt: Concrete as a building material -- Concrete mix compounds -- Proportioning concrete mix -- Excavation -- Laying out the building -- Design of concrete forms -- Form materials and how to use them -- Construction of pier and footing forms -- Construction of foundation wall forms -- Formwork for openings in concrete walls -- Formwork for steps -- Formwork for floors and sidewalk slabs -- How to make beam and girder forms -- Forms for arched openings -- Handling and placing concrete -- Finishing concrete -- Curing and patching concrete -- Effects of temperature -- Reinforced concrete construction -- Precast concrete -- Cleaning concrete and masonry methods -- Appendix A : Method of making slump test for consistency of Portland cement concrete -- Appendix B : Estimating quantities and labor hours for concrete, forms and reinforcing.