Whether dry cleaning with a flat bladed scraper or a concrete scraper or wet cleaning with a rotation cleaner or high-pressure washer: ® formwork panels">alkus^® formwork panels can be cleaned quickly and easily in a variety of ways. This article describes how to clean alkus^® formwork panels properly at the construction site or the building yard.
 

Cleaning formwork panels at the construction site

At the construction site, alkus^® formwork panels are cleaned between the individual formwork applications. After stripping the formwork, any remaining concrete is initially removed using a flat bladed scraper or a concrete scraper. (Make sure not to use carbide-tipped scrapers or any other metal objects that could scratch the surface.) Then simply spray the formwork with formwork oil – making sure it is ready for the next concreting cycle. The alkus^® formwork panel’s cost effectiveness also becomes apparent when applying formwork oil, as the non-absorbent alkus^® solid plastic panel requires up to 70 percent less formwork oil than a timber panel.

Intensive cleaning of formwork panels at the building yard

After completion of the formwork, the panels stacked at the building yard are initially cleaned with a high-pressure washer. Any remaining screws or nails must be removed before cleaning the formwork panels. The panels are then cleaned with a rotation cleaner using a suitable pad holder, cleaning pad and abrasive cleaning grit. This removes all concrete and formwork oil residue from the formwork panel. Superficial scratches or surface imperfections caused by nail holes are also removed, thereby providing a smooth surface once again. (However, it is important to only use a rotation cleaner fitted with a plastic pad in order not to damage the panel surface.) Stubborn concrete residue can be removed with a scraper, a trowel or a high-pressure washer at up to 14,500 psi.

This guarantees the best concreting results during the next formwork application. In addition, the adhesive capacity of the concrete is reduced in subsequent applications — thereby minimising the amount of cleaning required at the construction site considerably.
 

Extensive range of accessories for cleaning your formwork panels

alkus provides an extensive range of accessories for cleaning alkus^® formwork panels: from the rotation cleaner and the alkus^® pad holder to the alkus^® concrete scraper for panel cleaning and the abrasive cleaning grit and cleaning pad. You can order all the equipment necessary for cleaning your alkus^® formwork panels directly from us. For further information on the range of alkus^® accessories, refer to our brochure. When using the right tools and/or accessories and ensuring proper use, care and cleaning, a single alkus^® solid plastic formwork panel can be used up to 1,500 times — or even more.
 

Watch the video for more information on panel cleaning: