Doka USA receives NOVA Award for its Table Lifting System

Doka USA has received the NOVA Award for Innovation in Construction from the US-based Construction Innovation Forum (CIF) for its Table Lifting System (TLS).

This award was accepted by Michael Schaefffer, head of US product management, on behalf of Walter Holawe, Konrad Schiefer and Dietmar Wagner, the system's primary innovators.

"This award symbolizes Doka's strong commitment to innovation within our industry and gives honored recognition to a product proven to improve safety, speed and cost efficiency in construction," said Andrew Mair, Doka USA CEO.

The electric powered TLS allows pre-assembled Dokamatic table formwork to be cycled between an under-construction building's floors without the need for a crane. According to Doka USA the TLS enables high production concrete forming methods, previously only affordable in large high-rise construction projects, to be used for construction of low to mid-rise building projects.

The system is adaptable to any building structure and can be used from the ground floor up. It attaches to the previously cast slab with only two embedded anchors and cantilevers from the building as a mechanical outrigger platform.

Under development since 1996, the TLS was launched in January 2007 at the World of Concrete exhibition in Las Vegas, US.

"The Doka Table Lifting System is the only system to allow formwork for horizontal concrete to be moved from floor to floor on a structure without the need for a crane," said Mr Schaefffer. "TLS was designed with this in mind, and takes the crane completely out of the formwork cycle schedule. Therefore, it dramatically increases concrete slab production and completely eliminates crane requirements to cycle formwork. Further, since it is attached to the building at all times, it is an extremely safe system designed for use in high winds up to 45mph. This allows production to continue during weather conditions where a crane would normally shut-down."

The CIF is an international, non-profit organization formed in 1987 to recognize and encourage innovation that improves quality and reduces cost of construction.

The NOVA Award was instituted by the CIF in 1989. The awards recognize innovations that have proven to be significant advances in construction techniques, such as improving quality and reducing costs.

NOVA Awards have been awarded to advances in all areas of the construction industry, including innovations in the construction process, in materials, design, detailing, fabrication, equipment, procurement, contract administration, management, labour relations, training, and safety that improve the construction process.

The NOVA Award has also recognized projects for their innovative concepts and methods.

The CIF has presented 63 NOVA Awards to innovations involving 11 countries: Canada, Egypt, Finland, France, UK, Holland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the US.