Comparative analysis of shoring towers for high-clearance construction

Formwork for cast-in-place concrete in high-clearance construction is commonly based on multitier shoring towers. The market has responded to the demand for shoring towers by offering numerous proprietary models, from which the constructor can choose. Thus, there is a need for comparative data and selection criteria that are comprehensive, objective, uniformly processed, and systematically organized. This paper presents methodology, formatted data, and findings that purport to assist constructors in rationally selecting the appropriate shoring towers for their projects. For the benefit of industry practitioners, the paper offers an overview of tower configuration and classification, a formatted list of selection criteria generated on the basis of input from formwork manufacturers, and interviews with representatives of formwork service companies, examples of comparative data on selected tower models, and quantitative comparisons based on the introduction of normalized parameters and on formwork solutions for typical cases. This information is particularly vital given the high cost of tower-based formwork relative to the overall construction cost of the supported concrete element, while published srection and dismantling work input data are largely still unavailable for most models and heights of shoring towers.