Concrete Formwork & Reinforcement — Quick Reference

Key Specs & Dimensions

Item	Value
Advance panel face	1 1/8" HDO composite (200+ pours)
Panel widths	4"–24" in 1" increments
Panel weight	4.5–5.1 lbs/ft²
Snap tie working load	3,000 lbs (13.3 kN)
Snap tie grid (fdn wall)	600 mm H × 400–600 mm V
Footing form boards	2×6 / 2×8 / 2×10 SPF #2
Stakes	2×4 × 24" min, 12" min embed
Stake spacing	600 mm o.c. (≤450 deep) / 400 mm o.c.
Spreaders	1×2 or 2×2 at 1200 mm o.c.
Chair spacing (max)	1200 mm o.c.
Vapour barrier (min)	10 mil poly; 15 mil under sensitive flooring
Poly lap (min)	150 mm (recommended 300 mm), taped

Element	Cover
Cast against soil (no blinding)	75 mm
Cast on blinding / poly	50 mm
Fdn walls (ext., below grade)	50–75 mm
Interior walls & columns	30–40 mm
Slabs on grade (interior)	40 mm
Elevated slabs (interior)	20–30 mm

Check	Tolerance
Plan dimensions (width/length)	± 12 mm (or +25 / −12 mm)
Top elevation	± 12 mm from design
Plumb (vertical face)	1:200 ratio, max 25 mm
Location on plan	± 12 mm from grid
Anchor bolt position	± 3 mm from design
Embed plate position	± 6 mm from grid

Cold weather (<10°C): Extend times significantly. Do not strip unless cylinder breaks confirm strength.

CSA A23.1: Concrete Materials & Methods — tolerances (Cl. 6), cover (Table 17), stripping (Table 21)
CSA A23.3: Design of Concrete Structures — lap splice & development lengths
CSA S269.1: Falsework & Formwork — elevated slab shoring design
OBC Part 4: Structural design requirements for commercial buildings
OBC 9.13 / Part 5: Below-grade waterproofing — waterstop at all construction joints
Ont. Reg. 213/91 s. 85: Elevated formwork requires P.Eng. design — no exceptions

Concrete burns: Fresh concrete is pH 12–13. Wear rubber boots, long sleeves, gloves, safety glasses. Wash skin immediately on contact — burns can reach 3rd degree without immediate pain.
Elevated slab shoring: Must be P.Eng.-designed and inspected before every pour (Ont. Reg. 213/91). Stamped drawings on site at all times.
Never strip vertical forms <12 hrs without cylinder break confirmation. In cold weather, leave forms up an extra day.
Free-fall limit: Do not drop concrete >1500 mm — causes aggregate segregation. Use tremie or mid-height windows for tall columns.

Pre-pour form walk: Walk every footing with a tape measure before the truck arrives. Check widths, mark out-of-tolerance spots with spray paint. Takes 20 min, catches 90% of problems.
Vapour barrier walk: Walk every m² of poly before slab pours. Check for tears, untaped laps, pulled edges. Bring a roll of tape — fix on the spot. This 15-min walk prevents months of flooring warranty claims.