Fletcher Reinforcing's Stremaform Performs Well For the Memorial Park Alliance

With Anzac Day now behind us for another year, it seems fitting to look at Fletcher Reninforcing’s involvement in Wellington’s NZ Memorial Park. To speed up the construction of the new “cut and cover” trench slab, the engineers looked to Stremaform for their construction joints. The product’s performance allowed a higher speed of concrete pour than traditional methods.

Wellington’s NZ Memorial Park created additional space for significant days of remembrance, as the number of people gathering on major ceremonial occasions like Anzac day is growing every year, and the immediate space around the National War Memorial is often at full capacity. The new Park gives those people wishing to commemorate New Zealand’s proud military history an appropriate place to do so - particularly on Anzac Day 2015 (the centenary of the Gallipoli landings).

Stremaform is used as lost formwork for working joints in floor slabs, ceilings and walls. Consisting of an expanded metal welded between steel bars, Stremaform is placed between the reinforcement bars, providing a rough surface to the finished concrete. This surface forms an indented structure with the second concrete pour so that the working joint transfers shear forces identical to those obtained with monolithic concrete.

The Project Engineer from the Alliance contacted Fletcher Reinforcing to enquiry about the suitability of Stremaform for the trench slab. After several meetings, it was agreed to supply flat sheets of Stremaform for fabrication on site. The product offered the versatility to be supplied pre-fabricated ex-Germany in a full range of heights and configurations, or as flat sheets ex-stock in New Zealand.

Once the slab pours commenced on site in December 2013, the true advantage of Stremaform became clear to the Alliance:“Stremaform offered us the ability to set up our construction joints well ahead of schedule without having to return to the joint after a concrete pour to remove traditional formwork. The joint finish allows us to fix steel continually, without any remedial work to the concrete or waiting for formwork to be removed. Stremaform is a great product which we will be looking at using on future projects.” Cole Meiring, Project Engineer, Memorial Park Alliance.

For more information on steel reinforcement charts, formwork systems and  expansion joints please go to http://www.fletcherreinforcing.co.nz .