Before Report 108, formwork designers relied on empirical rules-of-thumb or overly conservative hydrostatic pressure models. The hydrostatic assumption—that fresh concrete behaves exactly like a liquid (pressure = density × height)—led to massively over-engineered (and expensive) formwork. Conversely, simplified rules like "pressure = 1.5 × height" often proved unsafe for high-slump, fast-pouring conditions.
Fresh out of university, we all learned the classic formula: Pressure = Density x Height ( ( p = \rho gh ) ). But anyone who has watched a formwork blowout knows that fresh concrete isn’t a fluid. ciria report 108 concrete pressure on formwork
An empirical model to predict fresh concrete lateral pressure Before Report 108, formwork designers relied on empirical