IN LINE with its slogan “Pathbreaking. Beyond solutions”, international formwork supplier Doka will be showcasing innovations in four different theme worlds at its own 3,600-sq-m pavilion at bauma 2013.

Among the exhibits awaiting visitors are the panel floor formwork Dokadek 30, the new framed enclosure Xbright, the next generation of crane-independent Climbing formwork SKE100 plus systems, a new development for tunnel-building (DokaCC) and a number of other new Doka developments.

“What Doka has to offer goes far beyond mere products. We work closely with our customers to devise individualised solutions for every construction project. Our value proposition is that when we develop the formwork concept, we incorporate aspects and experience that give our customers new insights and create genuine added value for them,” says Josef Kurzmann, Doka Group chairman, explaining the motto.

Four different theme worlds will give visitors an overview of formwork solutions for all sectors of construction: residential, highrise, transport and energy.

Residential
• Dokadek 30: A new addition to the floor-formwork portfolio, panel floor formwork Dokadek 30 can be seamlessly combined with Doka’s flex and table systems for obtaining the optimum match between equipment and task. It is a beamless hand-set formwork system, designed as a lightweight steel construction with powder-coated frames and rugged Xlife sheets. This panel floor formwork system stands out for safety, ease of handling and high speed, not only during set-up but also during dismantling.

At 3 sq m, the panels are ideally sized for forming large areas, fast. Dokadek 30 has only a small number of separate parts needing shifting, which speeds up the whole forming operation. The construction workflow is also faster, as no crane is needed during formwork set-up and removal.

Dokadek 30 is erected working from the safety of floor level, with no need to walk on the formwork. The panels’ rectangular shape means that it takes users much less effort to engage them in the prop heads and then to tilt them up safely from below, even when forming higher slabs.

Depending on the requirements, users can opt for Dokadek 30 either without or with drop-heads: simply exchanging the heads and using closure panels turns the standard system into an early-stripping system. Even after very many times of use, the proven Xlife sheet is said to deliver an immaculate concrete finish with a clean, uniform joint pattern.

• Dokaflex 15: This new lightweight hand-set system is for floor slabs that are between 10 cm and 15 cm thick and have a larger number of downstand beams, as often found in residential construction.

Doka developed Dokaflex 15 to take account of the lower weight of this type of slab. The result is a cost-saving formwork solution that is optimised for this area of use, based on the field-proven Doka timber formwork beam H16 and the new Floor prop Eco 15 with a load capacity of 15 kN. Both these basic components are optimally tailored to Dokaflex 15’s field of use. This versatile system is an all-in-one solution for floor slabs and downstand beams, with only a few different system components – for short forming times and easy handling on the site.

• Frami eco: This new framed formwork is described as being ideal for quick, economical forming of foundations, walls and columns – with or without a crane. Frami eco combines a hard-wearing powder-coated hollow steel-section frame with a 15-mm Dokaplex form-facing: sturdy system components with optimised product quality for long service life and dependability over many re-use cycles. The ergonomic design combines high load capacity with easy, straightforward handling. Tried-and-tested components and strong connectors from the Frami Xlife ‘toolbox’ round off this product system.

Frami eco scores for its simple system-grid and low form-tie ratio. With widths from 0.3 m to 0.9 m – in a 15-cm grid – and heights of between 1.2 m and 3 m, the range of usage is broad and varied, providing flexibility on the site, reducing the commissioning quantities and minimising costly infill zones. Consequently, the system shortens the forming times, ensuring fast workflows.

The special grid holes in the formwork sheet make the Frami eco universal panels suitable for cost-effective forming of stop-ends, outside corners and columns – with no extra panels needed. With a few practical accessories, Frami eco is also a suitable formwork system for pouring foundations.

High-rise
Under this theme, Doka will showcase proven formwork solutions and innovative systems for erecting the world’s tallest buildings including some that are already doing sterling service on prestige projects such as the 555-m Lotte World Tower in Seoul (South Korea), the 432 Park Avenue project in New York (US), the TaunusTurm in Frankfurt (Germany), or the Torre Intesa Sanpaolo in Turin (Italy).

• Xbright: The newly developed gapless framed enclosure Xbright for the protection screen Xclimb 60 makes for safe working conditions on the site, shielding the crew in the top levels of rising structures from the wind and the weather. The self-climbing system is simple to adapt to varying layouts and inclinations, enabling it to be used even on complex high-rise projects. Depending on the requirements, users can choose between two different design variants, with frames that have either polycarbonate or mesh inlays.

Like all Doka safety systems, Xbright is easy to plan, use and operate. It is structure-guided at all times, ensuring safety even in windy conditions.

A portable hydraulic system is available for Xclimb that saves crane time during the construction work and allows climbing to take place even when the floor-slab formwork is still in place and in winds of up to 72 kmph. Xclimb 60 can also be repositioned quickly by crane, if desired. Integral loading platforms and the Table Lifting System TLS from Doka optimise the construction workflow by making it easy, safe and fast to reposition, for example, floor-slab formwork and workplace equipment. Optional pre-assembly of this fully rentable framed enclosure by Doka brings yet more time- and cost-savings.

• SKE100 plus: Another system set to debut at bauma is SKE100 plus, the refined and optimised result of 15 years of project experience with automatic climbing formwork SKE100. This crane-independent formwork system is a byword for fast cycle times and great versatility: its modular design concept makes it possible to craft individualised, cost-effective and safe solutions for any type of structure. This more advanced version adds or optimises a number of important details. SKE100 plus is available in three practical standard versions: with travelling units, with rising working platforms, or with a mast system. The latter is a new development specially for shafts and structures being built on confined, cramped sites.

SKE100 plus frees up craneage, as even high payloads can stay on the platforms during the climbing operation. It is also possible to integrate platforms for concrete-placing booms in the system.

Transport
Doka provides formwork solutions for transportation infrastructure based on its long-standing expertise in bridge and tunnel projects. At bauma, the spotlight will be on the Doka composite forming carriage, bridge formwork ParaTop, DokaShore and on a new innovation for tunnel-building.

• DokaCC: The new tunnel system DokaCC (Cut&Cover) is the first to be specifically designed and optimised for cut-and-cover tunnel construction. Different types of traffic tunnel, such as rail or road tunnels, can be built quickly, efficiently and safely using DokaCC. Doka says the development of this innovative tunnel system was made possible only by the use of high-tech construction materials and products such as the composite formwork beam, I tec 20. The choice of high-grade steel members enabled the weight to be considerably reduced. These attributes make for quick system set-up and great ease of use on the site.

Flexibility, efficiency and safety are what make this new formwork system an all-round solution for every cut-and-cover tunnel project, says Doka. The system provides a high degree of safety against base failure. Safe shoring is possible whenever needed, regardless of the type of foundation. Another benefit of this variable tunnel formwork system is that it is geometry-independent and can be adapted to even the most challenging shapes and routes of tunnel.

When finding solutions, Doka always takes a holistic, A-to-Z approach. The tunnel formwork traveller has an all-hydraulic wheel system that allows it to be three-dimensionally aligned with millimetre precision, without needing to be set down between alignments. Even gradients of as much as 10 per cent can easily be negotiated. A slide-type solution for the new stop-end system saves time when stripping out, and the integral platform system and ladderways provide a high level of safety.

Energy
Under this theme, Doka will be displaying individualised solutions for tackling the technological challenges and complex assignments encountered on power station structures of all kinds. With products such as dam formwork D35, large-area formwork Top 100 tec or load-bearing tower Staxo 100, Doka will be bringing versatile solutions for every type of power generation infrastructure to bauma.

Doka can be visited at Stand N817, Open-Air Area North, at bauma.