What have been some lessons learned, experiences with shoring Insulated Floor Forms with your ICF bracing?

I am interested in doing larger jobs, like garages with my Reechcraft and/or Giraffe bracing. I have always used my braces for stoop safe rooms, but rented shoring for anything bigger. 

I have heard of guys doing this, but it makes me cringe, spending that kind of money on bracing only to have the potential of it being ruined using it this way. I don't believe it meets OSHA requirements for this purpose. It ties up your bracing for almost a month when it should be on another ICF wall making you more money.

I have always rented shoring for these projects.

Chris, How would the bracing get ruined? What kind of shoring do you rent?

I have gotten safeway scaffolding with screw jacks on the top and heavy steel beams. It is expensive and a pain. I have enough bracing for about 800' of wall, so I have enough for the floor and the house.

It's not designed for shoring purposes, the weight of the concrete pour, particularly on a large floor could cause either the strongback to bend or worse plus the turnbuckle can do the same.

Like I said, I have heard of it, but never tried it. I admit I use a turnbuckle on large openings, garage doors, etc. as the shoring, but I do know better.

We use aluminum I beams and screw jacks, I figure $ .75 per sq.ft. for 30 days. for rental. The Safway system works, but also clogs up your walking area below the deck.

Chris, Do you know the brand of shoring you use?

A-1 Rents, that's where I get it. There is no manufacturer label on it.

a shoring grid of 6' in all direction with a 100 lbs load/sf on top will produce 3600 lbs load per shore/shoring leg. i suggest to consult with a qualified shoring engineer for load rating of the shoring used. this will depend on shoring height, post shores or ladderframes used etc. plus required safety factors.

unless i am misinformed icf wall bracing is not rated for such loads.
better check with the manufacturer, get a load table which is certified by his engineer before you start winging it.

bracing and adjusting a vertical icf wall with icf bracing, when pouring concrete is one thing.

putting 62,000 lbs of concrete, plus people on a 25' x 25' floordeck is another. dont guess, dont take shortcuts.
use shoring designed and certified for the job.

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www.insuld-deck.org

I have talked to Reechcraft about it, they said it was not recommended. A Giraffe distributor used their bracing to do an entire Lite-Deck garage. I am leery.

I was just on Giraffe Bracing's web site and they show pictures of it being used to support Insul-deck and say how it can be used to support it. Maybe they know something we don't!!
Paul Stevens

Now call and ask them for the engineering spec and stamp approving that use.

How's it going up there? I hear you have warm weather for a few days! Hopefully that gets people starting to think 'Let's Build' for you.

I emailed Giraffe and Reechcraft, we will see what they have to say.

But using Insul-decks figures. If I put the strongbacks 6'oc and the turnbuckles every 3' on those, it would be only 1800# per turnbuckle. Surly they can take that.

Chris, down in the Beach it was 65 degrees on Friday, I have to go to Parry Sound on Monday though, I think it might be cold!!
Business is picking up, I will probably have 3 starts in May and 1 in April, that being in the city where 1/2 loads don't exist.
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Paul Stevens

I heard back from Reechcraft, Dan said "Space them every 4 to 5 apart. Each turnbuckle holds 1250 lbs, so you should be fine with that spacing."

Ken at Giraffe says
"Each post is engineered at its shortest length for 2000 lbs". AND "We would normally see a line of shoring every 6’ with a post [turnbuckle] every 2 ½ - 3’. Be sure to set the foot on a 2 x 8 or better and most contractors also put a 2x6 or better between the strong back and the Lite Deck. Also you must use ½” bolts with nuts finger tight to attach the turn buckle to the Strong Back. Do not use gravity pins."

This is promising, I have a lot invested in these two kinds of bracing and it would be nice to have it do double duty instead of renting, I hate renting.

Those of you with other brands of bracing, please contact them and see what they say.