The Truth About Falsework

Have you driven through the West County Connectors project, looked at the work and ever wondered what holds that construction in place? It can often look like a mishmash of steel and wood that’s somehow magically held in place. If you’ve ever held your breath driving under a bridge under construction, we understand. But there’s no need to worry.

The truth is the reason that all that construction work stays right up where it’s supposed to is because of something called falsework.

We wanted to provide you an update on the West County Connectors project and take you behind the scenes of what you’re seeing out on the streets. So let’s talk about falsework. 

Currently, the Valley View bridge has falsework in place. By the end of the year, crews will have falsework in place to aid construction of the 7^th Street bridge over I-405. This will provide structural support as the bridge is built.

The function of falsework is to hold materials in place until construction is advanced enough to support itself. Interestingly enough, with falsework in place, a bridge can actually be driven on while construction is taking place, allowing for the usual traffic to remain undisrupted.

Falsework can be used for either the re-construction of an existing structure or an entirely new structure. It is a temporary structure used to hold up something that will become a permanent structure. Think of it is a construction version of a Jell-O mold before the Jell-O gels.

This can range from a structure that aids in the construction of a bridge, to formwork used to mold concrete in a desired shape. Scaffolding also is another form of falsework that workers use frequently.

In this way, falsework is an important element to many construction projects because it is a great tool for ensuring stability of a structure while also providing safety to construction crews and the public.

For more information on falsework or West County Connector construction, please visit: www.octa.net/westcounty. Or, feel free to like us on Facebook at “WCC Project Info” for timely updates.