A sensible choice of materials can reduce the carbon footprint of construction. In recent years, more wood has been used to construct high-rise buildings, among other things. Fossil raw materials can also be replaced at several construction stages, thanks to wood-based solutions.
Metsä Wood has developed a new type of formwork panel for the construction industry, with an added durability. The panel consists of birch plywood with a top veneer treated to make it more resistant to wear and moisture.
Thanks to a new manufacturing method, the panel surface consists of a composite material, making it much stronger than the plywoods traditionally used in formwork and avoiding the use of thermoplastics. The solution gives longer panel life and promotes the use of wood in formwork.
Metsä Wood reports that the surface of the Duraform formwork panel is more wear- and scratch-resistant than more conventional solutions. The material is also less sensitive to rippling. It is highly resistant to moisture and dimensionally stable.
The panel can be used in pouring up to as many as 200 times. At the end of its life cycle, it can be safely burned for energy or chipped and composted.