Setting Forms for Basement Walls

It feels like we're moving right along. A week after the big move down the street, Bert was forming up the walls. The next day (today, Tuesday) he had all the forms set and is ready to pour the foundation. The pouring of these foundation walls will be tomorrow.

The house has 184 linear feet of foundation. Bert uses Symons® forms. These are 6 feet high and most of them are 2 feet wide. Of course, there are corner pieces, narrower panels, etc. As the walls need to be formed on both sides, it took about 368 feet of forms. That means there are over 200 pieces of forms in use. Bert hauled those in on his trailer and started setting some of them on Monday. Today, he had two helpers with him and they got the rest of the forms set. This is really a big job to get all that set.

 A trailer loaded with forms for the walls.

Bert and two helpers set forms. 

 Forms go up to form both sides of the wall. Each form is connected to the one beside it with a locking pin. The inside and outside forms are tied together with connecting straps. Reinforcing bar is laid on those connectors at the 1, 3, and 5 foot levels.

Rebar is on top of the connecting strap. Distance between forms is 8 inches.

The frame for one of the egress windows is set into the wall. The space between the top of the 6' wall and the sill of the house will be filled in with 4 rows of concrete blocks.

 Forms set, they will be made rigid by using the "whaler" brackets that attach to the form. These hold 2x4s that keep the walls straight and keep the forms from moving when they are poured.

2x4s in place in the whalers. 

Looking down the north wall. Ready to receive ready-mix.