Why just settle for building when you can invent?

EllisDon, in collaboration with Peri Formworks, has developed a slab formwork system that has changed everything. The first of its kind in the world, the system was initially conceived to build the over 200,000 m² concrete floors of Calgary's South Health Campus in a relatively short amount of time. But the invention's application beyond this project are quickly being realized.   

What is the PERI IntElliDeck System?

Frankly, we didn't have time for the usual way of doing things. Instead, we designed a system allowing weight from the form / rebar and concrete to be transferred to the lower level columns and not the slabs beneath – with no reshoring. The innovation also allowed the continued use of full, bay-sized panels (each measuring 9.6m x 9.6m); reducing the weight by half, with less vertical crane lifting.       

The result? We could place and finish 4,000 m³ (2800 m²) of concrete per week and all within ± 2mm of level. How? Because, as its name implies, IntElliDeck is intelligent. Unlike most formwork systems (often just scaffolding) the IntElliDeck system has hydraulic motors, complete with deflection sensors. As concrete is poured, the sensor picks up on the form deflection, and hydraulically compensates.

What does all this mean for a construction project?

The immediate benefit of transferring weight – without reshoring – to the existing structural columns, allowed for construction of the floor plate below to start almost immediately and saved 6 months alone. An additional 6 months were saved because the system turned out to be 30 to 40% more efficient than regular formwork and necessitated the use of only four cranes as opposed to the planned-for six.       

One small step for us. One giant leap for construction.

If this innovation already existed somewhere in the world, we would have used it. It simply didn't exist – so we needed to invent it. And that's the kind of know-how and effort we bring to each project. That's the kind of spirit that gets recognized with the 2010 Excellence in Innovation Award by the Canadian Construction Association for our role in creating the most sophisticated and efficient slab formwork system on our planet to date. The PERI IntElliDeck System is sure to have far-reaching, industry-wide benefits. The efficiency seen at Calgary's South Health Campus will be seen on other projects across Canada and around the world.       

Want to know more about EllisDon's Engineering, Research and Development and QA Services? Talk to us.

Steve Siefert
VP of Engineering
866-998-1387