Learn this crucial safety tip for rural self-built house construction to stay safe and smart!
This video shows a rural self-built house site where workers are setting up formwork for concrete pillars. A worker is suspended in mid-air relying only on simple scaffolding poles, with no safety belt on—extremely dangerous! What’s more, they’re building brick walls first before setting up pillar formwork and pouring concrete, which makes formwork bursting highly likely; the correct process should be pouring pillars first, then building walls. Also, the step clamps are used incorrectly: you shouldn’t hook one step clamp to another—they need to be fixed to the wall instead!
The scene in this video is a textbook example of what not to do. Let’s break down the mistakes one by one:
1. Working at Heights Without a Safety Belt – The #1 Fatal Hazard
Problem: Working suspended on flimsy scaffolding poles with no fall protection. This is strictly prohibited in construction.
Consequence: A slip, loose scaffolding, or loss of balance will send the worker plummeting from height—resulting in severe injury or death with no chance of recovery.
Correct Practice:
Erect a stable work platform or scaffolding with guardrails.
100% of workers at heights must wear and fasten safety belts—using the “high-hang, low-use” method, secured to a sturdy independent lifeline or structural element.
2. Wrong Construction Sequence: Building Walls First, Then Pouring Pillars
Problem: As you rightly pointed out, this is an outdated and incorrect method.
Consequences:
1. Formwork Bursting/Bulging: The lateral pressure from wet concrete (amplified during vibration) will push against the brick walls, which can’t withstand the force. This causes formwork to split, concrete to leak out, and pillars to deform—ruining quality.
2. Poor Structural Integrity: It’s hard to properly install tie bars between pillars and walls, creating a “weak connection” that severely impairs the house’s seismic resistance and structural safety.
3. Troublesome Construction Joints: The seams between pillars and walls become weak points.
Correct Sequence (Core Rule: Vertical structures first, then horizontal ones):
Rebar tying for pillars → Formwork installation → Concrete pouring for pillars → Formwork removal → Masonry of infill walls
3. Incorrect Use of Step Clamps
Problem: Hooking step clamps to each other creates an unstable “floating” system with no reliable load-bearing support.
Consequence: The lateral pressure from concrete pouring will easily pry or bend this fragile “chain,” failing to secure the formwork and inevitably causing it to bulge or shift.
Correct Practice:
The load-bearing end (hooked side) of step clamps must be firmly fixed to a solid, immovable object. For pillar formwork:
1. Best Option: Embed steel bars or use ground anchors in the poured floor/slab for the step clamps to grip onto.
2. Common Option: If there’s a cured concrete structure nearby (e.g., another pillar, ground beam), fasten the step clamps to it.
Never rely on formwork, timber battens, or other step clamps to bear the lateral pressure of concrete.
Summary & Strong Recommendations
The construction methods in this video are riddled with safety risks and quality flaws:
Safety: Disregarding workers’ lives and violating high-altitude work safety regulations.
Quality: Using the wrong sequence and methods guarantees substandard, structurally flawed pillars.
If you’re the homeowner, stop construction immediately! This isn’t a minor fix—it requires a complete redo:
1. Top Priority: Order a shutdown, and provide workers with proper safety belts and a secure work platform for high-altitude tasks.
2. Technical Rectification: Dismantle the incorrectly installed formwork and restart following the “pillars first, walls later” sequence.
3. Method Upgrade: Use a proper formwork bracing system (e.g., tie rods with channel steel/timber battens). If using step clamps, ensure they’re fixed to an absolutely solid anchor point.
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