CSI 03 11 00
How is concrete formwork contact area measured?
Formwork contact area, often called SFCA, is the square feet of form face that touches concrete. Measure it from the sections and details, element by element. Do not multiply the concrete volume by a generic factor and call it formwork.
Which faces are included?
- Sides of continuous and spread footings when the detail shows a form, not earth forming.
- Both faces of a cast-in-place wall, minus formed openings.
- The perimeter of a column or pilaster times the formed height.
- Slab edges, turn-downs, and equipment-pad edges at the specified thickness.
- Bulkheads at pour stops and keyed construction joints when a form is required.
What stays out of the SFCA total?
Earth-formed trench sides are not formwork. The top of an exposed footing is not formwork. Shoring design, reshoring, and form-panel rental are not contact area. If the bid needs those costs, they are separate lines with their own basis. A vapor barrier under a slab is not formwork either; it is its own area.
What does one SFCA line look like?
Example only. Replace every number with the dimension on your sheet.
| Element | Contact faces | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Grade beam, both sides | 2 × length × formed height | SF, waste not included |
| Elevated slab edge | Perimeter × slab thickness | SF |
| Pour bulkhead | Joint length × member depth | SF, listed apart from the wall |
Structural concrete scope · Takeoff checklist · Ask for a formwork quantity
Questions about formwork quantities
Is formwork contact area the same as the concrete surface?
It is the area of form that touches plastic concrete. A wall usually has two faces. A slab edge is a strip. The top of a footing that is not formed is not contact area.
Do you include form material, shores, and ties?
Only when the quote says the package prices formwork, not just quantities. Contact area is the quantity. Studs, wales, shores, and tie layout are a method, and they are not assumed from the state or the soil note.
How should bulkheads and construction joints be listed?
List them as their own linear or area lines when the joint is formed. Do not fold them into the wall contact total, or the reviewer cannot see the joint.