Panel counts, clamp compatibility and stripping sequence get settled before steel leaves Johannesburg, so the crew on site is not reworking a wall set at 6am. This page sets out the order we follow, what we need from you, and where the practical limits sit.
Most teams come to us with a pour drawing and a date. What follows is the sequence we run on every job, whether it is a single column set or a full wall package headed for a coastal site. The steps below are the ones that actually change the outcome on site.
Step 01
Panel schedule review
Send the wall and slab layout, and we work out the 600x1200 module count, where returns fall, and which panels need cutting or shimming. This is where most over-ordering gets caught, because a crew that guesses panel counts usually ends up with a pallet of unused stock and a shortfall somewhere else.
Step 02
Hardware matching
Column clamps, tie rods and slab props are checked against the panel edge profile so the jaws seat without shimming. If the site is within reach of the coast, we default to galvanised panels and note where powder coating is worth the extra handling care. Load ratings and panel weights go onto the schedule so the foreman can plan crane lifts and truck loads.
Step 03
Stock and dispatch
Standard panels, clamp sets and cone systems sit in stock in Johannesburg. Deliveries run into Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, and we sequence dispatch around your pour date rather than the other way around. Replacement clamps and striking tools can be added to the same load if the yard is running low.
Step 04
First cycle and stripping
We walk the crew through the strike sequence on the first cycle, including cone plug removal and thread cleaning on tie rods. Reusability notes on each item cover when a prop or clamp should come out of service. After that first cycle, most teams settle into a repeatable panel count and stop re-planning every pour from scratch.
Step 05
Repeat orders
Once the module is fixed, follow-on orders are quoted against the same schedule, so a second block or a new site starts from a known panel count. Bulk panel runs and replacement clamp orders are handled the same way, with the hardware pool kept small enough that the yard is not chasing mismatched parts between pours.
A few points come up on nearly every enquiry, and they are worth settling before a panel count is fixed. These notes define how we read an order, what a bundle actually contains, and where the limits sit.
When we quote a wall set, the count covers one side of the formwork. A two-sided wall needs double the panels plus the tie rods and cones that pass through. Foremen who send a drawing instead of a number usually get a more accurate bundle on the first pass.
The rating printed on a prop or clamp holds only when it is paired with the tie rods and jaws listed for that item. Mixing hardware from different batches is common on site, and it is the usual reason a prop reads softer than expected under load.
Coastal yards should stay on galvanised stock, because the zinc layer survives the salt air and repeated stripping. Powder coating is a colour-coding choice for inland yards that sort panels by wall zone. It is a finish, not extra corrosion protection.
A panel edge that is levered off wet concrete will deform long before the face wears out. The reusability notes on each item describe the strike sequence we expect, and a crew that follows it will get far more cycles out of the same set.
Stock sits in Johannesburg, and we route to Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. A bundle quoted for a specific pour date is held against that date. Orders placed without a date go into the normal dispatch queue.
Clamps, cones and wedges wear out faster than panels, and a replacement request needs the code from the original bundle. Without it we can only match by eye, and the jaw may not seat on your existing edge profile.