The German construction equipment and tool provider combines Hünnebeck formwork with the alkus AG formwork panel

The demands on the quality of visible concrete surfaces continue to grow. Yet overall formwork refurbishment times should be kept as short as possible. As such, the use of plywood panels is becoming increasingly less attractive to formwork suppliers, as these panels are prone to damage, resulting in unnecessary costs and project delays. The Friedrich Niemann Group is therefore in the process of gradually replacing its existing rental portfolio with the alkus^® solid plastic panel.

The construction equipment and tool provider from northern Germany previously only used plywood panels for its rental portfolio of Hünnebeck formwork. However, the typical disadvantages associated with plywood and the costs of a short service life became problematic: "Wood rots, swells and ripples. As soon as the panel surface is damaged, the number of necessary repairs rises as do the repair costs. This yielded a negative impact on the revenue performance of our rental portfolio," claims Michael Block, who is Head of Construction Equipment and responsible for formwork at the Friedrich Niemann Group. "So, we were on the lookout for an alternative and tried out the alkus^® solid plastic panel as part of an in-situ test. And we were very pleased with the result. The alkus^® panel might be slightly more expensive to buy but is much more durable and easier to repair. That is more economical for us. Further, it delivers excellent concrete surface quality that our customers really appreciate."

Simple transition from plywood to alkus^®

The successful test marked the start of close cooperation between the Friedrich Niemann Group and alkus AG. The formwork supplier currently employs the alkus^® solid plastic panel in its Topec slab formwork. Plans are already underway to expand its use to Manto large-area wall formwork and Ronda circular formwork. The gradual transition of the formwork rental portfolio from plywood to the alkus^® solid plastic panel could not be going any better. "We supply the ideal alkus^® panel for the corresponding formwork system," explains Markus Weiermayer, who is Head of Direct Sales and Head of Business Development at alkus AG and the direct contact for the Friedrich Niemann Group. "In this case, the customer is a Hünnebeck dealer and received the correspondingly assembled panels from us. We also provided Niemann with on-site support as part of our service offering and ensured staff received relevant training on how to install, repair and clean the alkus^® solid plastic panel."

The Friedrich Niemann Group involved in the Ipanema construction project in Hamburg

The Friedrich Niemann Group is currently involved in the development of the major Ipanema construction project: In Hamburg's City Nord, a new residential quarter, featuring commercial office spaces and retail outlets, has been under construction since 2020 following the demolition of a 1970s building. The project comprises a total area of roughly 76,000 m², and the first residents and commercial tenants are expected to move in next year. The construction project is being delivered by Richard Ditting GmbH & Co. KG, who is using both its own formwork and Hünnebeck rental formwork from the Friedrich Niemann Group, including the Topmax floor table, Topec slab formwork, Topflex H20 timber beam system formwork and Manto large-area wall formwork. "As a long-standing local partner, we are delighted to support Ditting in the development of this awesome project. The new quarter will be a real architectural feature in Hamburg-Winterhude," says Michael Block.

Press release