ForConstructionPros.com

There are many different footing form systems hitting the market today, but the majority of them share a common thread: non-wood forms. With the concrete industry moving in the "green" direction, and with an emphasis being placed on the materials used, the trend to use aluminum or plastic forms instead of wood is growing.

These new forms have multiple benefits, including a longer life span than wood, which results in less construction waste. The trend has been growing, and new footing products are gaining popularity among contractors who want to explore alternatives and reap the benefits these new footings systems offer.

Making the switch
Tri-State Builders, N.Y., spent nearly 22 years using standard 2 by 12 wooden planks and stakes to create footings, says Skip Collins, owner. But three years ago the company switched to using Fine Line Footings. This aluminum form footing system requires no stakes, which was exactly what Collins was looking for.

"We were doing a pour in a rock quarry, and the bottom was all solid rock," Collins says. "We really couldn't stake any planks so I was looking into other systems that would accommodate that, and Fine Line fit it perfectly."

Collins says there is actually a lot of rock in that area of the country, so those situations can be common for his company. On the other hand, he says they also have pours in river valleys where the ground is very silty. Both situations make it difficult for stakes to hold in the ground. The Fine Line Footing forms work great on both ends of the spectrum, Collins says.