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Applications

Forms with form liners are really no different than the molds we use for concrete countertops, sinks, or furniture (see Concrete Molds). Urethane rubber form liners are frequently used to texture countertop edges and stair risers, whether cast-in-place or precast.

Liners are used in many precast applications. Architectural concrete cladding panels and spandrel beams for buildings often are cast using form liners to impart textures. Textures and custom decorative features on precast highway sound walls are becoming increasingly popular as money on public projects is set aside for art. Panels for mechanically stabilized earth (what used to be called Reinforced Earth) nearly always are cast with some decorative features. On the recent reconstruction of Interstate 25 in Denver, over 8 miles of sound walls were precast using a variety of form liners.

Tilt-up panels, which amount to on-site precast, are also often cast using form liners, especially ribbed patterns. "For tilt-up, you should always look for single-use plastic form liners," said Jill Richards, Fitzgerald Formliners, Santa Ana, Calif. Cast-in thin bricks are another common feature of tilt-up panels—installed using what amounts to plastic form liners to hold the thin bricks in position so they can bond with the concrete.

In this article, though, we are primarily reviewing form liners used inside the forms for cast-in-place concrete walls—although the liners and techniques are really no different for precast concrete. Liners are attached to the form panels in various ways (see How To Use Form Liners) and concrete is cast for vertical element: walls or columns. The most popular liners today, provide a stone masonry appearance that is then stained, resulting in a wall that looks like stone but that has more strength and durability. Paul Nasvik, Milestones, Hudson, Wis., has built concrete "guard rails" in several national parks, including Yellowstone and Sequoia. In these applications, the Federal Highway Administration specifications won't allow masonry, although the parks demand walls consistent with the traditional masonry walls. Concrete walls made with custom form liners and special stains easily meet these requirements.

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