AU2019210519A1 - A formwork system - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention provides a formwork system (10) for moulding a concrete wall. The system includes at least one primary anchor (14) permanently fixed in position with respect to a ground surface (200). The system also includes formwork (16) defining a forming surface (20) for the concrete wall. The formwork is removably engageable with the at least one primary anchor such that lateral movement of the forming surface is fixed in position during moulding of the concrete wall. I ul I / I'1/ co CO 0I 111CNJ C.000%I0 - C\ N\~cN ~ 1JI\ '-.. 'ICY I H - ,Yf

Description

A FORMWORK SYSTEM

FIELD OF INVENTION [0001] The present relates to formwork systems and, in particular, to formwork systems for moulding concrete walls.

[0002] The invention has been developed as a formwork system for moulding a vertically extending concrete wall and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use.

BACKGROUND [0003] The following discussion of the prior art is intended to place the invention in an appropriate technical context and enable the associated advantages to be fully understood. However, any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should not be considered as an admission that such art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field.

[0004] It is known that the first step in building a structure is the provision of a subfloor. In many cases, the subfloor is supported by concrete piers which are set into the ground surface. In many applications, the subfloor takes the form of a concrete slab, which is poured in its liquid state within a formwork installed on site; the formwork providing a mould for the vertical edges of the horizontal slab.

[0005] When the ground surface is sloping, the subfloor will normally take the form of two horizontal concrete slabs with a vertical wall connecting each horizontal slab, together forming a stepped surface. This vertical wall is typically known in the art as a dropped edge beam (DEB). When moulding a DEB, formwork providing a mould for the vertical edges for the DEB connecting the horizontal slabs will also be required. Similarly, further DEBs can be provided to connect further horizontal surfaces as required.

[0006] The DEB formwork normally comprises a series of wooden pegs which are hammered into the ground surface, a series of vertical members secured to the wooden pegs, and one or more wooden planks attached to the vertical members defining a flat mould surface for one side wall of the DEB and its edges. The remaining side of the DEB will be limited by the ground surface and the proposed formwork for the one or more horizontal slabs. Due to the high loads applied to the mould surface during concrete pouring and setting, the formwork for

-22019210519 30 Jul 2019 the DEB also includes a series of cross brace members which typically obliquely extend between the vertical members at one end, and additional wooden pegs hammered into the ground surface, at the other end. As is known in the art, once the formwork for each horizontal slab and DEB is constructed, steel reinforcement and waterproofing membranes are placed in the areas where the liquid concrete in its unset form is to be poured. The liquid concrete can then be poured into the various formworks to mould the complete subfloor.

[0007] Normally the first step in the pouring process for stepped surface is the pouring of concrete into the area behind the mould surface for the DEB. As the DEB defines the edge for both the upper and lower horizontal slab, the upper horizontal slab can be poured directly after the DEB. Once the concrete in the DEB and upper horizontal slab is set, the formwork for the DEB is removed to provide access, and concrete is poured for the lower horizontal slab. After the setting of the concrete in the lower horizontal slab, the formwork for the horizontal slab can be removed and the subfloor is essentially complete.

[0008] One problem with this existing system and process is that due to the weight of concrete being poured into the DEB formwork and the resulting loads incurred during setting, the wooden pegs are known to move during pouring and setting of the liquid concrete. Installers are therefore required to continually check the positional dimensions of the DEB mould surface and adjust the wooden pegs and cross bracing accordingly.

[0009] In some extreme situations where the concrete is poured too fast into the DEB formwork, it has been known for the mould surface to collapse whereby the weight of the concrete being poured or the load incurred during setting pushes out the wooden pegs from the ground. This is commonly known as “blowout”. For this reason, installers have been known to provide additional cross brace members to the DEB formwork supported by additional wooden pegs. Whilst the additional formwork may minimise the possibility of blowout, the underlying problem of the moving wooden pegs and continual checking remains.

[0010] The additional DEB formwork construction also results in significant amounts of time to install, remove and transport the DEB formwork to the building site. Additionally, as alluded to earlier, installers are required to pour the concrete into the DEB formwork at a very slow rate to minimise the possibility of blowout. These factors in combination mean that often the lower horizontal slab cannot be poured on the same day as the upper horizontal slab and DEB. Moreover, the significant amount of time required, normally over two days, results in additional labour cost and increased built cost.

-32019210519 30 Jul 2019 [0011] In some circumstances where additional bracing is provided in response to movement of the DEB formwork during concrete pouring, the extra wooden pegs may be hammered into the ground in a haphazard and reckless manner. Under these circumstances, it is known for underground services such as water, sewage, or gas lines, to be damaged. Often this damage is only discovered after the subfloor is set making repair extremely expensive.

[0012] It is an object of the invention in one preferred form to provide a DEB formwork system that is quick and easy to install relative to prior art systems and does not move during pouring or setting of the concrete.

[0013] It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0014] According to one aspect, the present invention provides a formwork system for moulding a concrete wall, the system including:

at least one primary anchor permanently fixed in position with respect to a ground surface; and formwork having a forming surface for the concrete wall, the formwork being removably engageable with the at least one primary anchor such that lateral movement of the forming surface is fixed in position during moulding of the concrete wall.

[0015] In one embodiment, one end of the formwork is removable engageable with the at least one primary anchor.

[0016] In one embodiment, the at least one primary anchor includes a primary post member cast into a primary concrete pier, the primary concrete pier being disposed in the ground surface.

[0017] In one embodiment, the formwork system includes at least one elongate brace member for angularly bracing the formwork during moulding of the concrete wall.

[0018] In one embodiment, the at least one elongate brace member has an adjustable length for adjusting the angle of the formwork.

[0019] In one embodiment, the at least one elongate brace member includes a screwjack

-42019210519 30 Jul 2019 head for adjusting its length.

[0020] In one embodiment, the at least one elongate brace member is engageable with a secondary anchor, the secondary anchor being permanently fixed in position with respect to the ground surface.

[0021] In one embodiment, the secondary anchor includes a secondary post member cast into a secondary concrete pier, the secondary concrete pier being disposed in the ground surface.

[0022] In one embodiment, the at least one elongate brace member is removably and hingedly engageable with the formwork.

[0023] In one embodiment, the formwork includes at least one elongate vertical support member.

[0024] In one embodiment, the at least one elongate vertical support member is removably engageable with the at least one primary anchor.

[0025] In one embodiment, the at least one elongate vertical support member includes a rectangular hollow section for complementary removable engagement with the at least one primary anchor.

[0026] In one embodiment, the formwork includes at least one forming member defining the forming surface, the at least one forming member being removable engageable with the at least one vertical support member.

[0027] In one embodiment, the formwork system includes a plurality of the primary anchors permanently fixed in position in the ground surface.

[0028] In one embodiment, the formwork system includes a plurality of the brace members for angularly bracing the formwork during moulding of the concrete wall.

[0029] In one embodiment, the formwork system includes a plurality of secondary anchors each being removably engageable with one brace member.

[0030] In one embodiment, the formwork includes a plurality of the vertical support

-52019210519 30 Jul 2019 members, each vertical support member being removable engageable with one of the primary anchors.

[0031] In one embodiment, the concrete wall is an internal or external dropped edge beam.

[0032] In one embodiment, the formwork includes a pair of opposed forming surfaces for the concrete wall.

[0033] According to one aspect, the present invention provides a method of moulding a concrete wall using a forming system according to any one of the preceding claims, the method including the steps of:

I) permanently fixing at least one primary anchor to a ground surface;

II) removably engaging formwork having a forming surface to the at least one primary anchor such that the forming surface is restrained; and

Hi) pouring unset concrete into an area defined by the forming surface.

[0034] In one embodiment, the method includes the step of permanently fixing at least one secondary anchor to a ground surface.

[0035] In one embodiment, the method includes the step of removably engaging at least one elongate brace member to the at least one secondary anchor and the formwork.

[0036] In one embodiment, the at least one primary anchor and the at least one secondary anchor are permanently fixed to the ground surface by permanently fixing them to respective concrete piers disposed in the ground surface.

[0037] In one embodiment, the at least one primary anchor and the at least one secondary anchor are each inserted into respective concrete piers during setting of the concrete piers.

[0038] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment”, “some embodiments” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment”, “in some embodiments” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of

-62019210519 30 Jul 2019 ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0039] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0040] Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a formwork system for moulding a concrete wall according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the formwork system of Figure 1;

[0042] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the first step in installing the formwork system of Figure 1;

[0043] Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part of the formwork system of Figure 1;

[0044] Figure 5 is a further enlarged cross-sectional view of part of the formwork system of Figure 1;

[0045] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the formwork system of Figure 1, shown with the formwork required for two connecting horizontal concrete slabs;

[0046] Figure 7 is a perspective view a vertical wall formed using the forming system of Figure 1 extending between two completed horizontal concrete slabs; and [0047] Figure 8 is a cross sectional view of a formwork system for moulding a concrete wall according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0048] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout. In the following description, detailed descriptions of known functions and configurations incorporated herein have been omitted for conciseness and clarity.

-72019210519 30 Jul 2019 [0049] Referring to the accompanying drawings and initially to Figure 1, there is provided a formwork system 10 for moulding a concrete wall 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. For reference, the completed concrete wall 100 is shown in Figure 7 and is typically substantially vertical. In the illustrated embodiment, the concrete wall 100 forms part of an internal or external floor slab for a building built on a sloping ground surface 200. The concrete wall 100 is shown extending between an upper horizontal slab 110 and a lower horizontal slab 120. In this application, the vertical wall is used to allow for the change in ground surface height and is generally known as a dropped edge beam.

[0050] Returning to Figure 1, the forming system 10 of the illustrated embodiment includes at least one primary anchor 14 permanently fixed in position with respect to the ground surface 200. Formwork 16 is also provided and includes one or more forming members 18 defining forming surface 20. Forming surface 20, in turn, defines the front face of the concrete wall 100 once poured. Formwork 16 is removably engageable with the at least one anchor 14 so that lateral movement of the forming surface 20 is fixed during moulding of the concrete wall.

[0051] In the illustrated embodiment the concrete wall will extend generally perpendicular from the ground surface 200. In another embodiment discussed below, the forming system 10 is used to mould individual concrete walls as part of a retaining wall or any substantially vertical type concrete walls. Under these circumstances, two forming surfaces are provided to define the opposing faces of the proposed concrete wall.

[0052] The concrete wall 100 may not be required to be vertically extending from a ground surface and, in some applications, may be substantially obliquely extending from the ground surface 200.

[0053] As those familiar with this art will understand, prior to building any structure, spaced concrete piers are required to support the weight of the building. These concrete piers are installed into the ground surface prior to the pouring of any concrete floor slab sub floor as part of the building, to directly support the sub floor. In these respects, concrete piers are typically constructed by first digging a hole in the ground surface. Concrete in its unset liquid form is then poured in the hole. Once set, the concrete pier is generally not movable unless the surrounding ground surface is dug up around it, and therefore in combination with other concrete piers, will be strong enough to support a completed building structure.

[0054] In the present invention, the at least one anchor is in the form of a primary post 14, which is set into a primary concrete pier 22, while the concrete pier is setting. The position of

-82019210519 30 Jul 2019 the primary post 14 is aligned to correspond to the proposed concrete wall position. Once the concrete pier is set, the primary post 14 becomes available for removable engagement with the formwork 16 of the present invention.

[0055] The formwork 16 further includes at least one elongate vertical support member 24 for supporting the at least one forming member 18. The lower end of each vertical member 24 is removably engaged with a respective primary post 14. More specifically, in the present embodiment, each elongate vertical support member 24 is in the form of a steel rectangular hollow section beam having a plurality of alignment holes 26 disposed along its length. Each primary post 14 is also formed of rectangular hollow section material having a cross-sectional dimension that is substantially complementary to the inside hollow section of vertical support member 24. Therefore, upon engagement between each elongate vertical support member 24 and primary post 14, a complementary telescopic and removable engagement is defined. Once the vertical support member is in position over the primary post 14, it becomes laterally restrained. In this way, the completed formwork 16 will also be laterally restrained.

[0056] The formwork system 10 further includes at least one elongate brace member 28 for angularly bracing the formwork 16 during the moulding of the concrete wall. Each brace member 28, which in the illustrated embodiment is in the form of another steel rectangular hollow section member, is removably engageable to the formwork 16 at one end, and removably engageable with a secondary anchor in the form of secondary post 30 at its other end. To facilitate the removable connection to each vertical support member 28, the brace member 28 includes hinge joint 32 at its upper end that is engageable with one of the alignment holes 26.

[0057] In the illustrated embodiment, the secondary post 30 is placed into a secondary concrete pier 34 while the pier is setting. As discussed further below, the secondary post 30 is in the form of elongate round pin, which fits inside one end of the brace member 28. Each brace member 28 has an extendable length so that the projected angle of the vertical support member 24 and by extension the projected angle of the forming surface 20, may be adjusted to the user requirements. In the illustrated embodiment, each brace member 28 includes a screw jack head 36 for the length adjustment. In a further not shown embodiment, the brace member 28 may include adjustable telescopic sections with screw locking or other type of clamp in order to facilitate the length adjustment in a similar manner to a telescopic tripod leg.

[0058] Referring now to Figure 2, we can see the complete formwork system 10 set out to

-92019210519 30 Jul 2019 produce the complete concrete wall 100 shown in Figure 7. As can be seen, formwork 16 includes a plurality of spaced vertical members 24, each removably engaged at their lower ends with corresponding primary posts 14, set into spaced primary concrete piers 22. It should be appreciated, however, that in this view, the primary posts are concealed by the vertical support members 24.

[0059] A plurality of spaced brace members 28 is also provided. Each brace member is removably engaged at its lower end with a secondary post 30, and with a vertical support member 24 at its upper end. The forming members 18, which in this embodiment are in the form of a plurality of stacked wood planks 18 defining the forming surface 20, are screwingly fixed to the vertical support members 24.

[0060] Returning now to Figure 3, the first step in installing the forming system 10 of the illustrated embodiment is the setting of primary posts 14 and secondary posts 30 into the primary concrete piers 22 and secondary concrete piers 34. As shown, each primary post 14 is placed in a generally upward direction into the primary concrete piers 22 whilst the concrete is still setting. The secondary posts 30 in the illustrated embodiment are in the form of round pins. Each secondary post 30 is also placed into the secondary concrete piers 34, while the concrete is setting such that they are generally obliquely extending. It is important to note that an exact extension angle for the secondary posts 30 is not required, as long as they generally point at an oblique angle towards the proposed vertical support members 24.

[0061] If there are insufficient number of primary or secondary concrete piers, further concrete piers may be placed into the ground surface. String lines or other measuring means as known in the art are typically used to position and align the primary or secondary posts. In most applications, the setting of the primary and secondary posts into their respective piers is done soon after pouring the piers. Typically, this occurs the day before the proposed moulding of concrete wall 100 so that they are set and can support the proposed horizontal slabs on the next day. Once the primary and secondary concrete piers are set, the primary and secondary posts become available to the forming system 10 of the present invention.

[0062] Returning now to Figure 1, the next step in installing the forming system 10 of the illustrated embodiment, is the positioning of steel reinforcement 25 (Rebar) against the vertical side of the ground surface 200. Alternatively, the Rebar can be positioned in between the forming surface 20 and the ground surface after the formwork is positioned.

[0063] With additional reference now to Figures 4 and 5, the vertical support members 24

- 102019210519 30 Jul 2019 are then slid over the primary posts 14 to rest on the primary concrete piers 22. Similarly, each brace member 28 is placed over secondary posts 30 to rest on the secondary concrete piers 34. The fit between the secondary post 30 and brace member 28 should be generally loose so that the brace member 28 may be angularly manipulated as required.

[0064] Returning to Figure 2, the upper ends of each brace member 28 are then engaged with one of the holes 26 provided on the vertical support members 24 to achieve as close as possible to the desired extension angle of the forming surface 20. Screw jacks 36 can then adjusted to achieve the exact extension angle of each vertical support member 24 and the forming surface 20 using a spirit level or other means. By adjusting each of screwjacks 36, the brace members 36 will be lengthened to push up against the secondary concrete piers 34. Accordingly, at this stage due to gravity force and the length extension provided by screwjacks 36, the vertical support members and the brace members are respectively retained in position over the primary and secondary posts and no mechanical fasteners are required.

[0065] Returning again to Figure 1, the next step in the installation process is the fixing of wood planks 18 to the vertical support members using mechanical screws 38 which enter the planks from the reverse side of the forming surface. As mentioned earlier, in the illustrated embodiment, the vertical wall 100 will extend between two horizontal slabs. For this reason, stacked planks 18, which define the forming surface, do not extend all the way to the ground surface 200 and discontinue at the point where the lower horizontal slab 120 would begin (see Figure 6). Optionally, the wood planks 18 can be fixed to the vertical support members 24 as soon as they are placed over the primary posts 14. Generally speaking the installation of the forming system 10 according to the illustrated embodiment is now complete.

[0066] Subsequent to the installation of the forming system 10 and in order to mould the concrete wall 100, waterproofing material should be installed in the areas where the concrete would contact horizontal formwork 16 for the upper and lower horizontal slabs. It should be understood that both the installation of waterproofing material and Rebar a common practice as known in the art. In the event where there is no lower slab, the wood stacked planks would extend all the wall to the ground surface 200.

[0067] Referring now to Figure 6, it can be seen how the formwork for the upper horizontal slab 110 and lower horizontal slab 120 together with appropriate Rebar 25, are installed around the forming system 10 of the present invention. Once all the formwork is installed, the pouring of liquid concrete can begin.

- 11 2019210519 30 Jul 2019 [0068] Returning to Figure 1, the first step in the pour process involves pouring unset liquid concrete into area 50 between the upper horizontal slab formwork and forming surface 20. Advantageously, the load of concrete pour is restrained by the formwork system 10 with no movement during the concrete pour due to the engagement with the primary post 14 and secondary anchors 30, so that concrete may be poured all at once. The concrete is now left to set. The upper horizontal slab 110 can then be poured, with the forming surface 20 acting as one edge of the upper horizontal slab. Once the concrete for the upper horizontal slab has set the formwork system 10 can be removed to allow access to pour the lower horizontal slab.

[0069] The formwork system 10 may be easily removed by first loosening of screwjacks 36 to allow removal of the brace members 28. The wood planks 18 are then removed by removal of fasteners 38 from the reverse side to the concrete wall. The final step in the removal of the forming system 10 is the withdrawal of the vertical support members 24, which are easily withdrawn by lifting off the primary posts 14 to complete the removal process.

[0070] Once the formwork system 10 has been removed, access to the formwork for the lower horizontal slab is provided, which can now be poured. In this regard, the primary posts 14 and secondary posts 30 are simply left in position to be concealed when the lower horizontal slab 120 is poured. Subsequent the setting of the lower slab 120, the subfloor is completed as shown in Figure 7.

[0071] Advantageously, the formwork system 10 is removed very quickly and easily allowing the lower horizontal slab to be poured as soon as the vertical wall 100 and upper horizontal slab has sufficiently set. Indeed, the formwork system 10 is substantially faster to assemble and remove relative to prior art methods.

[0072] Referring now to Figure 8, there is provided the forming system 10 of the present invention in accordance with a further embodiment. In this embodiment, the forming system 10 has been adapted to mould an individual concrete wall 150 as alluded to earlier. The concrete wall 150 may be used as a retaining wall, a fence, or other boundary wall. The concrete wall 150 may even be used a one part of a water retaining system or swimming pool. Whilst the embodiment is shown as a cross-sectional view, it should be appreciated that a straight, or in some circumstances, a curved concrete wall using curved wooden planks 18, could be moulded using the forming system 10 ofthe illustrated embodiment.

[0073] As can be seen, in this embodiment, opposed forming surfaces 20 are provided, each including a plurality of wooden planks 18. These forming surfaces define the lateral faces

- 122019210519 30 Jul 2019 of the concrete wall 150 upon completion of the moulding process. The wooden planks are supported by vertical support members 24 in a similar way to the earlier embodiment. In this embodiment, however, opposed vertical support members are provided. Each vertical support member is removably engaged with opposed primary anchors 14 placed into primary concrete piers 22.

[0074] In a similar way to the earlier embodiment, a brace member 28 angularly braces one of the vertical support members 24. The brace member is removably engageable with a secondary post member 30 set into a secondary concrete pier 34 at one end, and removably engageable with one of the vertical support members 24 at the other end through hinge joint 32. Unlike the previous embodiment, a locking member 60 is used to lock each opposed vertical member 24 with respect each other. In this way, brace members 28 are only required on one side of the vertical wall 150 to angularly restrain opposed vertical members 28.

[0075] Reinforcement in the form of Rebar 25, extends longitudinally through the centre of moulding area 50 so that it will be in the centre of the more moulded concrete wall 150 upon setting. In this embodiment, Rebar 25 is set into the primary concrete pier 22 so that it laterally restrains the concrete wall 150 with respect to the ground surface, once set.

[0076] Installation of the forming system 10 according to this embodiment is similar to the earlier embodiment. However, in this embodiment, two primary posts 14 are required to be set in each primary pier 22 the day before so that they are available to anchor the opposed vertical support members 24. Additionally, locking members 60 may be installed at any time during the process after the opposed vertical support members 24 are positioned. The rebar 25 may also be set into the primary pier 22 the day before.

[0077] The present invention provides a forming system that addresses many of the disadvantages of the prior art. Since the primary and secondary posts are set into the concrete piers at their pouring stage and remain there for the duration of the wall and slab moulding, the forming system 10 provides a solid forming surface that does not move during pouring or setting. This allows the rest of the wall formwork installation process to be accelerated as there is no need to check and re-check the dimensions of the forming surface.

[0078] The formwork system 10 of the illustrated embodiments is constructed mainly from mild steel and wood plank forming members 18 and therefore is relatively inexpensive and reusable saving substantially on formwork costs over repeated uses. Further cost savings are provided due to the accelerated time and labour costs to assemble and disassemble the

- 132019210519 30 Jul 2019 formwork system compared to prior art systems which require wood pegs into the ground and constant rechecking during use.

[0079] Advantageously, due to the greater retaining strength provided by the primary and secondary anchors, the forming system of the present invention can be used to mould substantially taller vertical walls than can be achieved using prior art methods without risk of movement or blowout. In these applications, the concrete can be poured all in one time rather than waiting for the lower portions to set before pouring upper sections.

[0080] Moreover, due to not having to recklessly hammer wooden pegs into the ground to additionally support the formwork, the possibility of catastrophic damage of any underground service line using the forming system of the present invention is greatly minimised. In this respect, it should be appreciated that in this context, digging a hole into the ground surface for installation of additional concrete piers does not carry the same risk profile as hammering wooden pegs into the ground. In this regard, the risk of any damage to underground services is generally eliminated using the forming system of the present invention as the primary and secondary anchor points are all set out prior to the concrete wall being moulded.

[0081] In the above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, Figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

[0082] In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

[0083] While there has been described what are believed to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that other and further modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to claim all

- 142019210519 30 Jul 2019 such changes and modifications as falling within the scope of the invention. For example, any formulas given above are merely representative of procedures that may be used. Functionality may be added or deleted from the block diagrams and operations may be interchanged among functional blocks. Steps may be added or deleted to methods described within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (24)

1. A formwork system for moulding a concrete wall, said system including:

at least one primary anchor permanently fixed in position with respect to a ground surface; and formwork having a forming surface for said concrete wall, said formwork being removably engageable with said at least one primary anchor such that lateral movement of said forming surface is fixed in position during moulding of said concrete wall.

2. A formwork system according to claim 1, wherein one end of said formwork is removable engageable with said at least one primary anchor.

3. A formwork system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said at least one primary anchor includes a primary post member cast into a primary concrete pier, said primary concrete pier being disposed in said ground surface.

4. A formwork system according to any one of the preceding claims including at least one elongate brace member for angularly bracing said formwork during moulding of said concrete wall.

5. A formwork system according to claim 4, wherein said at least one elongate brace member has an adjustable length for adjusting the angle of said formwork.

6. A formwork system according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein said at least one elongate brace member includes a screwjack head for adjusting its length.

7. A formwork system according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein said at least one elongate brace member is engageable with a secondary anchor, said secondary anchor being permanently fixed in position with respect to said ground surface.

8. A formwork system according to claim 7, wherein said secondary anchor includes a secondary post member cast into a secondary concrete pier, said secondary concrete pier being disposed in said ground surface.

9. A formwork system according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein said at least one elongate brace member is removably and hingedly engageable with said formwork.

- 162019210519 30 Jul 2019

10. A formwork system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said formwork includes at least one elongate vertical support member.

11. A formwork system according to claim 10, wherein said at least one elongate vertical support member is removably engageable with said at least one primary anchor.

12. A formwork system according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein said at least one elongate vertical support member includes a rectangular hollow section for complementary removable engagement with said at least one primary anchor.

13. A formwork system according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein said formwork includes at least one forming member defining said forming surface, said at least one forming member being removable engageable with said at least one elongate vertical support member.

14. A formwork system according to any one of the preceding claims, including a plurality of said primary anchors permanently fixed in position in said ground surface.

15. A formwork system according to any one of claims 4 to 14 including a plurality of said brace members for angularly bracing said formwork during moulding of said concrete wall.

16. A formwork system according to any one of claims 15, including a plurality of secondary anchors each being removably engageable with one brace member.

17. A formwork system according to any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein said formwork includes a plurality of said vertical support members each being removable engageable with one of said primary anchors.

18. A formwork system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said concrete wall is an internal or external dropped edge beam.

19. A formwork system according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the formwork includes a pair of opposed forming surfaces for said concrete wall.

20. A method of moulding a concrete wall using a forming system according to any one of the preceding claims, said method including the steps of:

I) permanently fixing at least one primary anchor to a ground surface;

ii) removably engaging formwork having a forming surface to said at least one

- 172019210519 30 Jul 2019 primary anchor such that said forming surface is fixed in position; and iii) pouring concrete into an area defined by said forming surface.

21. A method of moulding a concrete wall according to claim 20, including the step of permanently fixing at least one secondary anchor to a ground surface.

22. A method of moulding a concrete wall according to claim 21, including the step of removably engaging at least one brace member to said at least one secondary anchor and said formwork.

23. A method of moulding a concrete wall according to claim 21, wherein said at least one primary anchor and said at least one secondary anchor are permanently fixed to said ground surface by fixing them to respective concrete piers disposed in said ground surface.

24. A method of moulding a concrete wall according to claim 21, wherein said at least one primary anchor and said at least one secondary anchor are each inserted into respective concrete piers during setting of said concrete piers.