In Belgium, as well as in numerous countries globally, standard-quality wood serves as a building material in a plethora of applications. From permanent structures to temporary solutions, it finds use in auxiliary constructions such as scaffolding and formwork. Formwork wood is abundantly used during construction and represents up to 30% of the total on-site waste. However, it has a limited lifespan due to the on-site solicitations. Typically, it's employed only one to four times before its surface begins to deteriorate, causing imperfections that affect the quality of concrete curing. The wood surface may not respond to formwork requirements, but it still has qualitative structural properties and great potential for reuse.
This research studies and explores the reuse possibilities of formwork wood materials in structural applications. The first step is to learn more about the uses in Belgium by contacting actors in the industry and associations. In parallel, the formwork wood material is collected on several construction sites and prefabrication centres. Its mechanical properties are determined through bending, traction, compression, and non-destructive tests. Subsequently, a database is created to catalogue the gathered waste wood along with its properties. A spatial structure is then designed based on the studied properties of the formwork wood.
The goal is to find new structural applications with upcycled formwork wood materials to valorize the at-disposal wood material.