Section 03.10.00 covers the formwork, ties, liners, bracing, shoring, and embedded items required to shape concrete and maintain dimensional accuracy during placement.
Because forms carry full fluid pressure until the concrete gains strength, even small alignment or sealing issues can produce large defects, blowouts, honeycombing, loss of cover, or tolerance drift.
The three-phase QAQC flow, Preparatory, Initial, and Follow-Up, ensures forms are structurally ready before concrete arrives, validates form performance at the first placement, and maintains alignment, tightness, and stability as production continues.
FTQ360 captures alignment measurements, form-sealing photos, embed locations, and shoring details, creating a traceable record that protects against rework and disputes at stripping.
You use this checklist from preconstruction through form removal. Early steps document form materials, structural design, tie spacing, shoring plans, and embed coordination, tying directly to the failure modes that originate before the first pour.
As you move into the first placement, the checklist guides you through verifying form tightness, elevation control, alignment, leak-sealing, and reinforcement clearances. During placement, it walks inspectors through observation of form behavior under load, bowing, leakage, vibration response, and documents actions taken to maintain stability.
By the time stripping or reshoring occurs, inspectors complete checks on surface quality, dimensional accuracy, embed exposure, and hardware conditions. The resulting record links each form configuration to the pour that used it.
Forming has recurring field issues because load, alignment, and embed location all converge during placement.
Most failures originate in the Preparatory and Initial phases when bracing, joint sealing, and embed positioning are set. Bowed faces, honeycombing, misaligned edges, and embed conflicts later in construction all tie back to inadequate early control.
Each of the failure modes below links directly to phase checkpoints that prevent them.
Root cause: Insufficient bracing, under-designed walers or studs, vibration forces transferring into unsupported panels, or concrete placed too quickly for the bracing pattern.
Field indicators: Bowed faces, shifted corners, stepped edges, or audible cracking in formwork.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase photos capture bracing layout and tie patterns; Initial-phase alignment measurements verify forms before the first pour; Follow-Up records document movement trends or changes across placements.
Root cause: Unsealed plywood joints, worn form liners, tie holes not plugged, or panel-to-panel gaps.
Field indicators: Paste leakage, hardened fins, void pockets behind leak paths, discoloration at seams.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase joint-sealing checks and close-up photos; Initial-phase leak checks during the first few lifts; Follow-Up entries track repeated leaks by form set or crew.
Root cause: Poor survey control, incorrect fabrication dimensions, or movement of embeds during vibration or placement.
Field indicators: Embeds partially buried, not aligned to templates, conflicting with reinforcement, or producing misaligned connections later.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase location-verification photos; Initial-phase checks confirm embed exposure and stability during early vibration; Follow-Up mapping ties recurring embed issues to specific locations or crews.
Root cause: Shoring removed too early, reshoring patterns not followed, or insufficient support for multi-storey loads.
Field indicators: Sagging slabs, cracking at columns, or form deflection under fresh loads.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase shoring-plan verification; Initial-phase elevation and deflection checks before concrete arrives; Follow-Up logs track reshoring removal timing and structural sequencing.
Root cause: Damaged form faces, insufficient release agent, contamination, or inconsistent panel wear.
Field indicators: Sticking, torn surfaces, grain impressions, patchwork appearance after stripping.
FTQ360 Inspection: Preparatory-phase documentation of form-face condition; Initial-phase checks for release uniformity; Follow-Up photo records highlight recurring surface issues to adjust materials or cleaning.
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Prepare for success by verifying that personnel, materials, equipment, and documentation are ready for work to begin. Inspectors confirm shop drawings, form-design requirements, bracing capacity, tie spacing, and embed templates. They check form surfaces, release agents, and the sealing of joints, controls directly linked to the failure modes of leaks and surface defects. Shoring and reshoring plans are reviewed to prevent deformation during subsequent loads. Photos document bracing, alignment, and embed readiness, giving the Initial phase a clear baseline for comparison.
This phase confirms that work starts correctly. Inspectors verify form alignment, elevation, joint tightness, and embed stability at the first placement. These checks directly counteract the root causes of form movement, embed displacement, and leakage. During the first lifts, inspectors observe form behavior under load, deflection, vibration response, and joint performance, and record adjustments before full production continues. The goal is to establish the standard that all subsequent placements must follow.
This phase aims to keep work proceeding correctly. Inspectors regularly confirm alignment, bracing tightness, joint sealing, and shoring conditions, catching issues before they cascade into misalignment or honeycombing. These checks directly track the indicators identified in the failure modes. FTQ360’s location-linked logs reveal patterns, recurring leaks, consistent bowing in certain form sets, or embed drift, allowing crews to adjust techniques before defects multiply across floors or elevations.
All of the work culminates with a final result; this phase ensures the completed installation meets project requirements. Inspectors verify stripping conditions, form removal timing, and surface quality. Any fins, voids, or patching needs are documented and tied back to specific forms or crews. Shoring removal is logged with supporting photos, and embed locations are confirmed for downstream trades. Records from FTQ360, alignment checks, bracing photos, joint-sealing confirmation, become part of the formal closeout package.
ACI 301 – Specifications for Structural Concrete.
ACI 117 – Specifications for Tolerances for Concrete Construction.
UFGS 03 10 00 Concrete Forming and Accessories
FTQ360 runs on tablets and phones (online or offline), allowing inspectors to capture photos and measurements at the point of work.
Required fields and conditional logic prevent skips and enforce holds. Time and user stamps maintain traceability, and lot/location tracking ties each reinforcement inspection to the pour or structural element.
Dashboards reveal patterns, such as recurring low cover or splice drift, so teams can correct issues before they propagate across floors or shear walls.
Prefer the FTQ360 in-app setup?
Open Checklist Setup → Library, search for the code and tap to clone the checklist.
Then tailor checkpoint templates to your requirements.
If your team still needs paper in select areas, you can print the PDF from the FTQ360 app, mark it up in the field, then transcribe results and attach photos later, just note that paper won’t enforce required fields, conditional logic, or holds like the app does.
For step-by-step help, visit support.ftq360.com.
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