RMD Kwikform
Encyclopedia
RMD Kwikform is the Equipment Services division of Interserve
plc. It specialises in the hire and sale of temporary works and engineering design for complex building, construction and infrastructure projects.
Interserve
plc is a UK
based engineering and support services company headquartered in Reading, Berkshire
. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange
and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
.
was born out of the acute shortage of building materials which followed the end of the second world war.
At the time the company Robert M Douglas was the main contractor for the construction of a large cold reduction tinplate mill for the Steel Company of Wales at Trostre, Llanelli
.
This scheme for the modernisation of the tinplate industry, called for some 200,000 cubic yards of reinforced concrete which necessitated the use of formwork
for its construction.
Timber
was the traditional material for such purposes but could only be obtained on permit from the Ministry of Supply
. The quantity allocated by the ministry was inadequate to maintain the required progress of the work so alternative means of providing the necessary formwork
were investigated. Limited quantities of cold steel plate were available and the timber obtained by permit was to a considerable extent used as framing to which the steel plate was fixed.
The available quantities were soon absorbed and the supply was augmented by the purchase of old “Anderson” air raid shelters which were rolled flat and pressed into panels of uniform size.
This was the first steel panel formwork
system.
The system was so successful that the decision was made in 1948 to produce the units in large quantities and to make it available to the industry as a whole. With this decision came the formation of Rapid Metal Developments Ltd, a subsidiary of Robert M Douglas Ltd.
The company’s first export order was received from Australia in the early 1950s when large quantities of formwork
were shipped out for use on the construction of the original Woomera rocket range.This led to the formation of an Australian subsidiary quickly followed by one in New Zealand.
Export markets were opened up around the world during the 50s and 60s with a major drive into the Middle East in the 80s. During this period the UK branch network had been developed with a focus towards hire of equipment.
In 1975 RMD received the Queens Award to Industry as an acknowledgement of the company’s export success quickly followed by the Group Chairman – Robert M Douglas becoming “Sir Robert”.
Further geographic expansion took RMD to New Zealand in 1967, the United Arab Emirates in 1978 and Spain in 1991.
Following the acquisition of R M Douglas by Interserve in 1991, RMD accelerated overseas expansion. During the 1990s, a significant number of product lines were introduced to broaden and deepen its service offering.
Following Interserve’s acquisition of Kwikform UK operations were transferred to RMD Kwikform in 1999.
Concrete construction is used in virtually every sector including transport, energy, utilities and industrial, commercial and residential buildings. It varies from the simple construction of foundations in residential developments to highly complex engineered solutions for major infrastructure projects.
Formwork is the generic name given to temporary moulds which are constructed to contain wet concrete in order to form the required finished dimensions and surface quality.
Falsework or shoring is the temporary works used to support horizontal formwork.
The formwork and falsework are removed when the concrete has set and hardened sufficiently for it to support its own weight.
There are two broad types of formwork:
Traditional (or component) formwork comprises bespoke products manufactured in-situ from basic timber, sheet and section materials. Once used, the materials may be re-worked a limited number of times before being disposed of.
System formwork uses a wide variety of standard proprietary modules which can be used together to provide a bespoke solution. After use, the components are disassembled and can be re-used many times in different configurations. For highly specialised applications, customised components may be manufactured and supplied to compliment the use of standard proprietary systems.
Benefits of system formwork
System formwork currently accounts for approximately 7.0% of the world formwork market and there is considerable scope to expand use of System formwork over time. Broader acceptance of system formwork is likely to come about as a result of an increased emphasis on safety in some developing markets and of contractors gaining a fuller understanding of the value that can be added in comparison to traditional formwork. The key benefits of system formwork are:
The UK and German system formwork companies have been the primary drivers of product development. New products have been introduced that have enabled continued improvements in site productivity and overall cost.
Interserve
Interserve plc is an international support services and construction company based in the UK, with revenue of £1.9 billion and a workforce of 50,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Reading, Berkshire and is listed on the London Stock Exchange...
plc. It specialises in the hire and sale of temporary works and engineering design for complex building, construction and infrastructure projects.
Interserve
Interserve
Interserve plc is an international support services and construction company based in the UK, with revenue of £1.9 billion and a workforce of 50,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Reading, Berkshire and is listed on the London Stock Exchange...
plc is a UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based engineering and support services company headquartered in Reading, Berkshire
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
FTSE 250 Index
The FTSE 250 Index is a capitalisation-weighted index consisting of the 101st to the 350th largest companies on the London Stock Exchange. Promotions to and demotions from the index take place quarterly in March, June, September and December...
.
History
The system of FormworkFormwork
Formwork is the term given to either temporary or permanent molds into which concrete or similar materials are poured. In the context of concrete construction, the falsework supports the shuttering moulds.-Formwork and concrete form types:...
was born out of the acute shortage of building materials which followed the end of the second world war.
At the time the company Robert M Douglas was the main contractor for the construction of a large cold reduction tinplate mill for the Steel Company of Wales at Trostre, Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
.
This scheme for the modernisation of the tinplate industry, called for some 200,000 cubic yards of reinforced concrete which necessitated the use of formwork
Formwork
Formwork is the term given to either temporary or permanent molds into which concrete or similar materials are poured. In the context of concrete construction, the falsework supports the shuttering moulds.-Formwork and concrete form types:...
for its construction.
Timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
was the traditional material for such purposes but could only be obtained on permit from the Ministry of Supply
Ministry of Supply
The Ministry of Supply was a department of the UK Government formed in 1939 to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the Minister of Supply. There was, however, a separate ministry responsible for aircraft production and the Admiralty retained...
. The quantity allocated by the ministry was inadequate to maintain the required progress of the work so alternative means of providing the necessary formwork
Formwork
Formwork is the term given to either temporary or permanent molds into which concrete or similar materials are poured. In the context of concrete construction, the falsework supports the shuttering moulds.-Formwork and concrete form types:...
were investigated. Limited quantities of cold steel plate were available and the timber obtained by permit was to a considerable extent used as framing to which the steel plate was fixed.
The available quantities were soon absorbed and the supply was augmented by the purchase of old “Anderson” air raid shelters which were rolled flat and pressed into panels of uniform size.
This was the first steel panel formwork
Formwork
Formwork is the term given to either temporary or permanent molds into which concrete or similar materials are poured. In the context of concrete construction, the falsework supports the shuttering moulds.-Formwork and concrete form types:...
system.
The system was so successful that the decision was made in 1948 to produce the units in large quantities and to make it available to the industry as a whole. With this decision came the formation of Rapid Metal Developments Ltd, a subsidiary of Robert M Douglas Ltd.
The company’s first export order was received from Australia in the early 1950s when large quantities of formwork
Formwork
Formwork is the term given to either temporary or permanent molds into which concrete or similar materials are poured. In the context of concrete construction, the falsework supports the shuttering moulds.-Formwork and concrete form types:...
were shipped out for use on the construction of the original Woomera rocket range.This led to the formation of an Australian subsidiary quickly followed by one in New Zealand.
Export markets were opened up around the world during the 50s and 60s with a major drive into the Middle East in the 80s. During this period the UK branch network had been developed with a focus towards hire of equipment.
In 1975 RMD received the Queens Award to Industry as an acknowledgement of the company’s export success quickly followed by the Group Chairman – Robert M Douglas becoming “Sir Robert”.
Further geographic expansion took RMD to New Zealand in 1967, the United Arab Emirates in 1978 and Spain in 1991.
Following the acquisition of R M Douglas by Interserve in 1991, RMD accelerated overseas expansion. During the 1990s, a significant number of product lines were introduced to broaden and deepen its service offering.
Following Interserve’s acquisition of Kwikform UK operations were transferred to RMD Kwikform in 1999.
Formwork and Falsework Background Notes
Formwork and Falsework are key components of the concrete construction industry, which itself forms an important segment of the overall construction market.Concrete construction is used in virtually every sector including transport, energy, utilities and industrial, commercial and residential buildings. It varies from the simple construction of foundations in residential developments to highly complex engineered solutions for major infrastructure projects.
Formwork is the generic name given to temporary moulds which are constructed to contain wet concrete in order to form the required finished dimensions and surface quality.
Falsework or shoring is the temporary works used to support horizontal formwork.
The formwork and falsework are removed when the concrete has set and hardened sufficiently for it to support its own weight.
There are two broad types of formwork:
Traditional (or component) formwork comprises bespoke products manufactured in-situ from basic timber, sheet and section materials. Once used, the materials may be re-worked a limited number of times before being disposed of.
System formwork uses a wide variety of standard proprietary modules which can be used together to provide a bespoke solution. After use, the components are disassembled and can be re-used many times in different configurations. For highly specialised applications, customised components may be manufactured and supplied to compliment the use of standard proprietary systems.
Benefits of system formwork
System formwork currently accounts for approximately 7.0% of the world formwork market and there is considerable scope to expand use of System formwork over time. Broader acceptance of system formwork is likely to come about as a result of an increased emphasis on safety in some developing markets and of contractors gaining a fuller understanding of the value that can be added in comparison to traditional formwork. The key benefits of system formwork are:
- Reduced construction times
- Reduced labour costs.
- Improved quality.
- Improved safety both during the construction process and handling and storage of products.
- Added competitiveness for the client contractor, through increased efficiency.
- Design and development
- Product design and development is a key feature of the system formwork industry since it forms an integral part of the overall service offering.
The UK and German system formwork companies have been the primary drivers of product development. New products have been introduced that have enabled continued improvements in site productivity and overall cost.
Operations
Today RMD Kwikform has operations spanning the globe.- Europe - UK, Ireland, Portugal, Spain
- Middle East - UAE, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Al Khobar, Jeddah, Qatar
- Asia Pacific - Australia, Hong Kong, Korea, New Zealand, Philippines
- South America - Chile
- South Africa - South Africa
Projects
A few examples of Projects built using RMD Kwikform equipment- Yas Marina HotelYas Marina HotelYas Viceroy Abu Dhabi is a hotel facility built across the F1 Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.-Design: Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi is located within the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi...
- London Aquatics Centre
- New Tyne Tunnel
- East Tsing Yi Viaduct
- Jumeria Beach Hotel
- Wembley Stadium
- Millennium StadiumMillennium StadiumThe Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
- Jack Lynch TunnelJack Lynch TunnelThe Jack Lynch Tunnel is an immersed tube tunnel and an integral part of the N25 southern ring road of Cork in Ireland. It is named after former Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, a native of Cork....
Ireland