If you’re pricing construction formwork, you’ve probably come across the H20 beam.

It looks simple.

But choosing the wrong beam length, quantity or support arrangement can make your formwork more expensive than it needs to be.

An H20 beam is an engineered timber beam commonly used as part of slab, wall and column formwork systems. It works together with components such as props, plywood and connecting accessories rather than as a standalone support.

The first question isn’t “How much?”

It’s:

“What exactly am I trying to support?”

Your slab thickness, spans, support arrangement, construction height and formwork design all affect the requirement.

That’s why copying another project’s H20 beam spacing isn’t necessarily a good idea.

The project next door may have a completely different structural arrangement.

Buy or rent?

This is where contractors can save money.

If you’re using H20 beams for only a few floor cycles, renting can avoid spending heavily on equipment you’ll later need to store.

If you’re running several projects or repeatedly casting floors, buying may make more sense.

And there’s a third option:

Buy your core stock and rent additional quantities when demand increases.

That can be useful when a project suddenly needs more formwork than your existing inventory can cover.

At Dova, H20 beams are available for both sale and rental, so the decision doesn’t have to be based purely on what happens to be sitting in your yard.

Before requesting a quote

Have these ready:

• Slab area
• Slab thickness
• Number of floors
• Expected formwork duration
• Project location
• Buy or rental preference

If you have a BOQ or drawing, even better.

It gives the supplier something concrete to work with.

The right H20 beam isn’t simply the cheapest one you can find.

It’s the one that fits the formwork system your project actually needs.