Rough form liners (e.g., plywood) and stiff formwork can reduce measured pressure compared to smooth steel forms. CIRIA 108 provides reduction factors but recommends caution—friction effects are unreliable.
CIRIA Report 108, titled “Concrete Pressure on Formwork,” is a widely cited guidance document that synthesizes research and practice on the lateral pressures exerted by fresh (plastic) concrete against formwork during casting. Its primary aim is to help engineers, formwork designers and site teams predict and safely design formwork systems for vertical and inclined concrete elements.
Key points
Pressure characteristics and influencing factors
Design recommendations (practical guidance) ciria report 108 concrete pressure on formwork
Typical practical procedure (condensed)
Limitations and application notes
Further action
Related search suggestions (terms)
You can use this as a LinkedIn article, a technical bulletin, or a forum post (e.g., for Engineers, Construction Managers, or Concrete Technologists).
Title: Back to Basics: Why CIRIA Report 108 Still Rules Concrete Pressure Design
Post Body:
Fresh out of university, we all learned the classic formula: Pressure = Density x Height ( ( p = \rho gh ) ). But anyone who has watched a formwork blowout knows that fresh concrete isn’t a fluid. Rough form liners (e
That’s where CIRIA Report 108 (1985) comes in. Despite being nearly 40 years old, it remains the gold standard guidance for calculating lateral pressure on vertical formwork in the UK and beyond.
Here is why this specific report is still relevant on every pour.
In the world of concrete construction, few elements are as critical—and as often misunderstood—as lateral pressure on vertical formwork. Over-pour a wall or misjudge the setting rate of a column, and the result is a blowout: thousands of dollars in wasted material, potential worker injury, and crippled project timelines.
For decades, engineers and contractors have relied on a single, authoritative document to navigate this risk: CIRIA Report 108, "Concrete Pressure on Formwork." Pressure characteristics and influencing factors
Published by the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA), Report 108 fundamentally changed how the industry calculates the lateral pressure exerted by fresh concrete. Even with the advent of Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) and modern admixtures, the principles laid out in this 1985 report remain the industry benchmark.
This article breaks down every aspect of CIRIA 108, explaining how to apply its formulas, why it outperforms older standards like ACI 347, and how to prevent formwork failure on your next pour.