Void formers such as the compressible ones and the ones that are designed from EPS form have several environmental benefits in construction. These are designed from materials like polished rain an have a thinner foundation for slabs thus reducing the amount of concrete that is required. In other words, it can lower the environmental impact of concrete production and transportation.

Void formers reduce the environmental impact of concrete

When creating large building projects, contractors invest heavily in huge slabs of concrete. A void former is essentially used to create avoid in the building so that it remains empty and does not require to be filled in with concrete. This results in a building which has less weight but is structurally durable. It not only helps reduce the environmental impact of concrete but but has a number of other benefits as well.

• Void formers help reduce the dead weight. The ones which are made from expanded polystyrene help decrease the volume and weight of large concrete structures such as buildings bridges and infrastructure projects. The reduction in dead weight uses less concrete.
•  The void formers are designed to provide an empty space between the concrete and the soil thereby it reduces the amount of concrete that is required. These provide a temporary support structure for concrete that has been poured in recently until it is able to achieve adequate strength.
• Using void formers require the use of thinner slabs of concrete and also provides insulation in the buildings. The thin slabs of concrete reduce the volume that is required to create a specific structure. On the other hand, void formers also provide structural installation thus optimizing the use of concrete.
• Using void formers results in cost effective building projects and shorter run times. Since void formers decrease the use of concrete is you see the weight of building while increasing strength and therefore is ideal to be used in major constructions such as motorways and laying down foundations.

 Some common materials used to make void formers

• Expanded polystyrene or EPS form is pretty much versatile and is used as a material for designing void formers.  It is known to be lightweight and can be customised into different shapes and sizes. Despite being lightweight it has got great compressive strength. The void formers are used in the construction of concrete slabs, beams and road infrastructure projects.
• Corrugated paper is used to create degradable void formers that can be used in construction sites which have a sufficient water supply. These are used in place of foam void formers and are lightweight and easy to install.
• Void formers made from moulded plastic are non degradable and remain in one place for a long time. These are generally designed from plastic and Styrofoam.
• Wood and metal are also used to create void formers that are non degradable and have long term support and stability.
• Void formers can also be constructed from expanded metal paper and wood depending on certain applications and the requirements of the project.

Facts you wanted to know about metal fabrication

Steel metal fabrication refers to the process of building a steel structure through a series of processes which included, cutting, bending and assembling. It’s a process which is sued to build machines, structures and equipment made from different materials. All this work is carried out in a fabrication shop. So how does a metal fabrication shop get a contract for building the complete structure? The owners at the hop make a bid for any equipment which needs to be built and is awarded the contract based on the bid that they made.

The following are a few interesting facts about metal fabrication.

• The first process in a metal fabrication procedure is the designing of precise structures on the basis of scaled drawings.
• Once the drawings are completed the fabrication procedure starts.
• The last part of the complete procedure is installation.

The first step to assembling includes

• Cutting of the metal sheets into different shapes and designs. The machinery used to carry out cutting is either operated manually or automatically based on the precise kind of cutting taking place. Sawing can take place with the help of hand held torches which emit laser rays which leads to precise cuts. On the other hand cutters such as shears, lasers or mill bits can be used during the cutting process as well.
• The cut out shapes are then bent into different structures. It is normally done with the help of press brakes or tube handles. The press brakes can be operated with the help of a built in software which make for precise structuring.
• The final process includes assembling. This is done with the help of machines such as welders which act like adhesives and threaders which thread or sew the different pieces of metal together to create giant structures.
• In a fabrication shop the material is cut and then bent into shape. Once that is done the assembling may not necessarily take place in the steel fabrication shop and the structure are sent to machine shops here they are assembled with the help of different tools.
• The raw materials used in a fabrication shop include plate metal sheets, formed or expanded metal and welding rods.
• Once the raw material is gathered it has to be cut into specific shapes and figures. The usual form of cutting is done with the help of metal shearers. It’s the most common tool used for the cutting of the metal sheets.
• Forming is also an operation carried out in the fabrication shop. It is the process wherein a metal sheet is converted into a 3 D shape. A force is applied to the raw material. There is no cutting or sheathing just a force is applied in such a way that the sheet take in the shape of a 3 D structure.
• Later on machining removes all the unwanted metal from the structure. Once that is done welding takes place to complete the entire structure.