This is my guide to concrete. Concrete may not seem like a very sexy subject to write about but I hope that by the time you reach the end of this blog, you will have been inspired to use concrete to improve your home. Concrete isn't just for driveways and walls. You can use concrete in a lot of pretty creative ways around your home. I discovered this when I hired a team of concrete contractors. They were really great guys and while they were completing work around my home they taught me lots of cool things about working with concrete. I hope you enjoy this blog!
Slipforming and jumpforming are both efficient ways of constructing vertical concrete structures. Sometimes your specific project will call for one or the other; other times, you'll be able to choose which process to use. Slipforming has some distinct advantages over jumpforming when you're constructing something that will not have additional external layers, leaving the jumpformed joints visible.
It Looks More Complete
Joints in jumpformed concrete are created as one layer of concrete dries, and then another layer is added on top of it. When you see these joints, they can make the project look incomplete or rather industrial. That might not be a problem if you're actually constructing an industrial structure, like a silo, but it doesn't look that nice for non-industrial projects. Slipformed concrete, which is continuously poured without stopping to let previous layers of concrete dry first, has no joints and looks more finished.
No Risk of Leaks
Those joints in jumpformed concrete should not, if poured correctly, have any gaps or cracks in them. They should be just as solidly concrete as the slabs themselves. But there is always the risk, even when the pouring is going well, that a tiny gap is left open. This can let in draughts and water, for example when a severe storm with strong winds drives rainwater into the side of the structure. Unless the company pouring the concrete seals or covers the joints, leaks are a risk. Slipformed concrete doesn't have this problem.
It's Much Faster to Complete
Jumpformed concrete takes longer to complete than slipformed. In similar projects, you'd have to wait for jumpformed layers to dry first while the slipformed layers could continue to be added. If you have a tight construction schedule, slipformed concrete is usually the better choice.
One issue people often have with slipformed concrete is that it can be more expensive than jumpformed. However, given that you'd need more time to complete a jumpformed structure, the difference in cost may turn out to be negligible due to increased personnel and payroll times to create the jumpformed concrete. So, you might pay less for jumpformed concrete itself but still end up paying more for the manpower and time needed to use that process.
It's best to speak with a concrete contractor to find out if they recommend one process over the other for a specific project, but in general, slipforming has some real benefits and is appropriate for many structures. Contact a slipform contractor near you to learn more.
Share14 May 2021
