Stay-form ®

Stay-in-place Concrete Form

Made in the
USA HR 1 EH,
Meets ARRA
Section 1110

blindside walls pile caps

ductbanks bulkheads

QUALITY PRODUCTS – COAST TO COAST

®
 Table of Contents
Product Information.......................................................................... Page 1

Blindside Walls............................................................................ Pages 2-4

Bulkheads.........................................................................................Page 5

Pile Caps...........................................................................................Page 6

Grade Beams.................................................................................... Page 7

Ductbanks.........................................................................................Page 8

Bridges.............................................................................................Page 9

Shotcrete........................................................................................ Page 10

Test Data................................................................................... Pages 11-12

Installation Notes............................................................................ Page 13

STAYS IN PLACE
35% LABOR SAVINGS
NO STRIPPING OF FORMS

QUALITY PRODUCTS – COAST TO COAST

Alabama Metal Industries Corporation

3245 Fayette Avenue • Birmingham, AL 35208
Phone (205) 787-2611 • (800) 366-2642 • Fax (205) 786-6527
www.amico-stayform.com
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Stay-Form® is made from hot-dipped galvanized sheet steel per ASTM-A653

Stay-Form® #66 - 26 Gauge

Weight 11.9 lbs. per sheet

V-Ribs 3/4” deep and 3 7/8” on center

Sheet size 27” wide x 96” long* (18 sq. ft. per sheet)

Pallet 250 sheets per pallet (4500 sq. ft.)

*Also available in 10’ and 12’ lengths

.375”

Expanded
”)
½ mesh
”/+ between
-0
.234” ”( solid ribs
96

3/4” rib height (8 ribs)

7 spaces @ 3 7/8” = 27”(-0”/ +¼”)

applications
Pile caps Grade beams Dams Foundations (Windpower)
Blindside walls Bulkheads Bridges Shotcrete
Retaining walls Keyways Ductbanks Tunnels
Footings

features & benefits

• Reduced labor cost—no stripping costs (bracing only)
• Lightweight sheets are easy to work with (install, cut, bend, etc.)
• Easy rebar and conduit penetrations
• Visual inspection of concrete pour and consolidation
• Retains surrounding soil while forming below grade structures
• Permits water to run out of formwork during concrete pour
1
 BLINDSIDE WALLS

When a contractor has to form a concrete wall

within a few inches of an existing structure,
Stay-Form is an excellent product. By utilizing
Stay-Form with rebar studs, hook ties, and a
modular form system, a one sided form can be
accomplished. If you do not have the luxury or
room to strip formwork, Stay-Form is the right
product for the job.

• The V ribs run perpendicular to the vertical

rebar studs which gives the Stay-Form the
rigidity to withstand the concrete pressures
(see detail).
• Stay-Form can be slit with tin snips or grinder
to accommodate the rebar hook tie (see detail).
• Stay-Form is commonly used for concrete pour
rates of 4 to 7 feet per hour.*

To see more examples of blindside wall

applications, visit www.amico-stayform.com
and click on Project Photos.

*See Guidelines for Loading & Bracing Spacings chart on page 12.

2
BLINDSIDE WALLS
Blindside Wall Form Using Stay-Form
NOTES:
1. Wire tie Stay-Form to rebar every other rib.
2. Lap Stay-Form sheets over a rebar support. Rebar
3. Vertical lap (2 ribs minimum)
Stay-Form
4. Horizontal lap 4-8” minimum*
5. Recommended pour rate is 4’ to 7’ per hour.*
6. Do not vibrate previous lift by more than 6”.
7. Use 16-gauge tie wire or sheet metal screws where Slit with tin snips
sheets lap. to accommodate
8. Stay-Form is compatible with self-consolidating rebar hook tie
concrete.

Conventional Form
Stay-Form

Wedge Bolt

Anchor rebar
into footings
Footing

*See Guidelines for Loading & Bracing Spacings chart on page 12.

3
 Hook Tie Installation for Blindside Wall Applications
Using Stay-Form

Rebar
Stay-Form NOTES:
After hook tie has been inserted through the slit in
the Stay-Form and engages the rebar stud, a keeper
Hook Tie is then secured with a washer and nut.
Keeper
Hex Nut

Rebar

Keeper
Hook Tie

S.A.E. Threads

Hex Nut
Flat Washer

Lap

Rebar

Stay-Form

Anchor or dowel rebar stud

into footing
Min. rebar size #5
Min. embedment length 6”
Min. edge distance 4”

Footing
4
BULKHEADS

Stay-Form is an excellent product for forming

bulkheads because it does not have to be stripped
out after the concrete pour. (Plywood and
modular forms have to be stripped.) There is also
no scrabbling required in order to prepare the
surface for the next pour.

• Rebar or metal fabricated bracings are left in

the pour – no stripping required
• The sheets are lightweight and can easily be
bent to form a keyway.
• Stay-Form can be cut in order to accommodate
any rebar or conduit penetrations.
• Visual inspection of the concrete consolidation
is also accomplished due to the open herring
bone mesh.
• Stay-Form provides greater shear bond
strengths due to the open mesh and the V ribs
(or “mini-keyways”).

To see more examples of bulkhead applications,

visit www.amico-stayform.com and click on
Project Photos.

5
 PILE CAPS

When forming below grade structures like a pile

cap, Stay-Form can save a considerable amount
of labor. You have no labor for stripping forms.
If rebar or metal is used for bracing, it stays in
place. (Wood bracing has to be removed.) Some
contractors backfill around the Stay-Form prior to
the pour therefore they minimize bracing.

• Contractors can cut the V ribs in order to bend

the sheets to any geometry.
• During the concrete pour any water in the form
will run out of the Stay-Form as it is displaced
by the concrete (no pumping it out).
• Concrete finish is not a concern since backfill or
a slab-on-grade concrete pour is a typical design
with a pile cap foundation.

To see more examples of pile cap applications,

visit www.amico-stayform.com and click on
Project Photos.

6
GRADE BEAMS

Grade beams are easily formed using Stay-Form

and rebar or lumber as bracing. Some contractors
prefer to backfill 75 to 90 percent up the grade
beam prior to the concrete pour in order to
minimize the required bracing. Backfilling acts
as the bracing which will stop the formwork from
spreading during the pour.

• Using tie wire around the Stay-Form ribs and

rebar or lumber is easy to do.
• Since the Stay-Form is not stripped, the
excavation required is less than what would be
needed using conventional formwork.
• Some contractors use Stay-Form to hold the
surrounding soil from falling in on the grade
beam excavation and reinforcing steel.

To see more examples of grade beam applications,

visit www.amico-stayform.com and click on
Project Photos.

7
 DUCTBANKS

Electrical contractors find it easier to form

ductbanks with Stay-Form than with plywood or
conventional forming systems. The learning curve
to train personnel how to install Stay-Form is
quick, and the labor savings are significant due to
the fact that form stripping is not necessary.

• Attaching Stay-Form to rebar supports is easily

accomplished with tie wire.
• A 2x4 (from rebar to rebar) across the top of
the ductbank prevents the formwork from
spreading during the pour.
• Visual inspection of the concrete consolidation
is also an advantage when using Stay-Form in
order to avoid honeycombing.

To see more examples of ductbank applications,

visit www.amico-stayform.com and click on
Project Photos.

8
BRIDGES

Contractors frequently use Stay-Form on

bridge projects to form footings, edge forms
and bulkheads. When building a cast-in-place
segmental box girder bridge, forming the
bulkheads has significant labor savings because the
bulkhead does not have to be stripped.

• Test reports prove that when forming a

bulkhead, Stay-Form provides 21% greater
shear bond strength to concrete than does
plywood.
• Unlike plywood-formed bulkheads, Stay-Form
bulkheads do not require scabbling of the
concrete. This means additional labor savings.

To see more examples of bridge applications,

visit www.amico-stayform.com and click on
Project Photos.

9
 SHOTCRETE

Using Stay-Form as a backstop for shotcrete appli-

cations has many advantages. It can be bent to any
radius and is easily wire-tied to the reinforcing steel
that will form the structure. The open herringbone
mesh and V ribs do a great job in catching the shot-
crete while minimizing the amount of rebound.

• To visually see both sides of the shotcrete form-

work is advantageous.
• The lightweight sheets are user-friendly to install
for any shotcrete application.
• Contractors can shotcrete one side of the form-
work one day and the other side the following day.

To see more examples of shotcrete applications,

visit www.amico-stayform.com and click on
Project Photos.

10
TEST DATA
Physical Properties of Stay-Form

Description Standard Grade #66

Gauge thickness 26

Galvanized Sheet Thickness* 0.0217 in. (0.5512mm)

Sheet Dimensions 27 x 96 in. (686mm x 2438mm)

Weight 0.66 lbs/ft2 (3.22 kg/m2)

Yield Strength 27.63 ksi (190.50 MPa)

Yield Strain 0.00297

Ultimate Strength 50.28 ksi (346.68 MPa)

Ultimate Strain 0.25

Modulus of Elasticity (E) 29,500 ksi (203,400 MPa)

This data is based on results from testing conducted by an independent testing lab. For more
information on the details of the testing, contact AMICO at 800-366-2642.

11
 TEST DATA
Stay-Form, when used for bulkheads, outperforms traditional plywood for shear
bond strength by as much as 21%.

Carlson Testing, Inc.

P.O. Box 23814 • Tigard, Oregon 97281 • Phone (503) 684-3460 • Fax (503) 684-0954

Shear Bond Strength (Modified ASTM C482):

B-Matte B-Matte Shear Stay-Form Stay-Form Shear
Test Age Total Load Bond Strength Total Load Bond Strength

5/6 day 15,725 lb. 244.6 psi 26,700 lb. 414.9 psi

13/14 day 12,750 lb. 200.3 psi 16,200 lb. 249.7 psi

27/28 day 15,200 lb. 238.9 psi 19,525 lb. 303.9 psi

The 5/6 day shear bond test data indicated that the Stay-Form #66 test was 41% greater than that of
the identically cast test specimen using the B-Matte form board material.

The 13/14 day shear bond test data indicated that the Stay-Form #66 test was 20% greater than that
of the identically cast test specimen using the B-Matte form board material.

The 27/28 day shear bond test data indicated that the Stay-Form #66 test was 21% greater than that
of the identically cast test specimen using the B-Matte form board material.

Guidelines for Loading & Bracing Spacings

Stay-Form #66
Bracing Spacing (in. o.c.) 24” 18” 12”
Lateral Loading (psf) 1200 1200 1600

Liquid Head (ft.) 8 8 10

Pour rate (ft./hour) 4 4 7

Maximum Deflection (in.) 1¼ ¾ 1/8

Recommended lap (in.) 8 6 4

Recommended ties at lap (both ribs) 2 2 1

12
INSTALLATION NOTES
The AMICO rule of thumb is to “brace Stay-Form like you would a piece of plywood.” The use of
rebar, strongbacks, walers, kickers, etc. (location, size and spacing) is similar to that for conventional
forming methods per ACI 347, Guide to Formwork for Concrete.

NOTES:
• 4”-8” minimum lap between running Stay-Form sheets
• 2-rib minimum lap between stacked Stay-Form sheets
• Tie wire around rib and bracing is recommended.
• Bracing where sheets lap is also recommended.
• Attach Stay-Form to bracing with wire, staples, roofing nails or similar.
• Notch ribs to make 90 degree turns; ribs face into the concrete pour.
• Cut Stay-Form sheets with a grinder, cutoff saw, abrasive blade or tin snips.

Stay-Form Sheet Tie Wire Lap Detail

96”

Two Rib
Minimum Lap
x x x x x x
x x x x x x x
x
x 27”
x
x
x
x

2’ Maximum Spacing 4”-8” Minimum Lap

(Bracing at lap is recommended)

NOTE: X denotes 16-gauge tie wire or sheet metal screws

13
UNITED STATES

Birmingham, AL
800-366-2642
Chicago, IL
800-238-0322
Dayton, TX
800-622-5765
Denver, CO
800-425-5558
Fontana, CA
800-962-0100
Greenville, SC
800-476-4430
Houston, TX
800-433-9945
Lafayette, LA
800-326-8842
Lakeland, FL
800-487-2511
Orem, UT
800-645-0340
Seattle, WA
800-859-5363
Visalia, CA
800-642-4334
Wilmington, DE
800-476-4430

CANADA

Burlington, ON
800-663-4474
Montreal, QC
800-463-3255
Vancouver, BC
800-665-4474

www.amico-stayform.com
®

1/2012-4,000