Coming to the UK - the Dokaxdek slab-formwork system

Doka, a global leader in formwork and scaffolding, is to launch its revolutionary slab-formwork DokaXdek system in the UK. Highly versatile DokaXdek is the ideal solution for industry professionals working on a wide range of projects from small residential sites to large commercial schemes. The system’s UK launch follows an extremely successful rollout in 2023 to customers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Norway.

The DokaXdek range consists of three complementary systems – the DokaXdek table, DokaXdek panel, and DokaXdek I-frame. Designed to seamlessly combine or work independently, the systems optimise flexibility and address current and future issues around safety, ergonomics and economy on construction sites internationally. The system has already impressed customers with its versatility, ability to streamline work processes and increase cost-effectiveness. The DokaXdek range encapsulates the innovative spirit which underpins Doka’s overall approach to supporting its customers on-site.

Doka CEO, Robert Hauser, said: “With DokaXdek, we have developed a slab formwork system that fulfils our customers' requirements. The system, which is incredibly flexible, can be combined so easily that it’s as valuable on small residential projects as it is to workers on large construction sites. Customer feedback has been consistently positive, and many success stories from construction sites prove that DokaXdek has added real value to the market. We have listened to our customer feedback and are confident that the system has a promising future here in the UK.”

DokaXdek brings slab-formwork innovation to building sites Europe-wide

DokaXdek has already been successfully deployed on a wide range of building projects across Europe. The ecological DokaXdek table – a key element of the DokaXdek range – was selected for the ‘Dalgårdstunetl’ residential development in Norway. DokaXdek’s ease of use and durability optimised the supply of 9,000 m³ of in-situ concrete on all slab surfaces for the creation of 115 flats, spread across four buildings, and 14 terraced homes.

DokaXdek’s table form is available in sizes of between 4m x 2m, and 5m x 2.5m. The system’s compact hot-dip galvanised steel frame, which stands just 12cm high, offers a long product life cycle and optimised transportation. This excellent capability helps to minimise the product’s CO₂ footprint.

Speaking of the DokaXdek table’s performance, Jostein Flatås, owner of the development company delivering the Dalgårdstunet project, said: "We particularly like the four logical DokaXdek table formats. The slab system has a modular structure that allows the tables to be combined as required."

Three projects in Germany are also benefitting from the DokaXdek system. For the building of a new four-storey commercial property with an underground carpark in Bavaria, a modern, clean, exposed concrete aesthetic was required. The quick and easy assembly and repositioning of DokaXdek formwork, facilitated by its slab tables, was integral to achieving the concrete’s smooth, smart appearance. The system’s low construction height also led to reduced transportation and project costs.

In Munich, DokaXdek slab formwork was specified for a development comprising 250 residential units with balconies, an underground car park and commercial properties. Michael Drexler, Senior Foreman at S. Pöttinger GmbH & Co, which is overseeing the project, hailed DokaXdek ‘a real all-rounder’. “We used the tables from the basement to the roof and for the balcony,” he said. “The system’s easy handling saved us not only time and money, but also nerves.” The Munich project was also notable for DokaXdek’s permanently installed side protection optimising worker safety during the assembly of balconies and pergolas. This outstanding feature also eliminated the need for additional façade scaffolding.

A specialist four-storey clinic in Treuchtlingen was another beneficiary of DokaXdek’s versatile, easy-to-operate slab formwork. The new building’s complex design comprised two U-shaped wings connected by a central core. Speed and safety were of the essence for the project’s concreting aspect, which led to DokaXdek’s specification. The lightweight system requires just two operatives to assemble and dismantle, with its panel slab formwork’s built-in anti-liftout guards providing additional user protection. Project foreman Christian Postler said: “DokaXdek in four words: light, fast, yellow, ingenious. Great formwork and great concrete results.”

In Doka’s home country Austria, DokaXdek panel slab formwork is being used on one of the country’s largest construction projects. It’s supporting a complex geometric floor design that will feature as part of 109m high-rise tower being built in Linz. The building, which will contain residential apartments, offices, shops and a hotel, is one of the largest of its type outside of the capital Vienna. DokaXdek’s 1m x 2m flexible panels, joined together in a longitudinal and transverse grid, are providing the safe, efficient, easy-to-assemble formwork support for this impressive high-profile construction project. Project Supervisor, Franz Dorninger, said: "The many critical closure zones can be filled quickly and easily using DokaXdek panels, infill beams, suspension clamps and formwork sheets. Handling the system is simple and self-explanatory."

Doka CEO Robert Hauser said DokaXdek will unlock new potential for UK customers with its emphasis on safety, efficiency, and its user-friendly operation. He said: “The construction industry continues to focus on improving safety, increasing cost-efficiency and reducing CO₂, and with the DokaXdek system, we are enabling our customers to achieve these goals by supporting more efficient construction sites throughout the country. We are looking forward to sharing more details with our customers here.”