Spent 3 hours trying to figure out why my concrete forms kept bulging

I used to think any old stake would hold a form in place. Then last month on a job in Phoenix, I had a 4 foot tall wall form that just kept pushing out no matter how many stakes I pounded in. I wasted a whole morning trying to brace it with 2x4s and scrap plywood, and it still bowed out by almost an inch. What finally worked was renting a set of metal form clamps and using double headed nails every 16 inches instead of 24. The difference was night and day, the wall came out dead straight and I poured the whole thing in one shot. Has anyone else dealt with forms shifting on a tall wall pour, and what did you switch to that actually worked?

3 comments

3 Comments

amy_west1mo ago

Also try vibrating the concrete MORE than you think you need to.

gavin4691mo ago

Glad it worked out for you, nothing worse than surprise air pockets.

the_terry1mo ago

Did you find it helped with the air pockets near the edges? @amy_west I ran a few extra passes with the vibrator on my last slab and it made a huge difference in the finish.