Alert

Brace footing installations on concrete

This Alert highlights the precautions that need to be taken when installing brace
footings on concrete slabs at an early age.

September 2010
This Alert provides practical advice for builders, formworkers,
panel erectors and erection design engineers (designers). It will
also be useful for health and safety representatives.
The information and advice relates to the design of brace footings
(including anchors and concrete) where concrete panel braces
are to be fixed to floor slabs or independent pad footings of
150mm or greater thickness.
If the concrete footing thickness is less than 150mm thick, other
safety factors must be considered by an engineer.
There is also a checklist on the reverse which should be used
before each concrete pour. It will assist with your health and safety
management of the site (consider incorporating it into your safe
work method statement or site OHS plan).

Background
For the last 10 years, to improve construction productivity, builders
have started erecting precast concrete wall panels on floor slabs
within 24 hours of pouring the slab.
Concrete strength at any time is greatly influenced by the age
and method of curing. For example, after 24 hours air-cured
concrete, without admixtures, may only achieve about 10 per cent
of its specified characteristic strength.
The anchors used for fixing brace footings consist of a cast-in
ferrule into which the brace is later bolted. When anchors are
installed in concrete slabs that have not achieved the required
strength, they may fail by pulling out under moderate loads. This
may lead to catastrophic failure of the wall panel, resulting in death
or serious crush injuries to workers.

Control measures
To ensure anchors achieve the required pull-out capacity, the
concrete must attain a minimum strength as determined by the
designer (based on manufacturer and supplier specifications).
The required concrete strength to be achieved at erection must
be specified. Unless designated otherwise, the concrete strength
of the brace footing should be at least 20MPa at the time of
fixing of the bracing.
Note: Projects specifically designed and documented by the
designer may use a lower strength of concrete for erection of
braces.

ALE0130/01/09.10

Where a specific design is undertaken for a brace footing to be

fixed into concrete at low strength, the designer in conjunction
with the builder, formwork company and panel erector, need to
consider the following variables that may reduce safety of the
designed brace footing:
how the required minimum concrete strength can be achieved
prior to the erection of the panels
concrete curing method to be used onsite
ferrule placement tolerances
dislodgement/misalignment of ferrules during concrete
placement.
In addition, the designer needs to give consideration to:
ensuring panel braces, fixings and footings are designed to
have a minimum capacity of 10kN
ensuring any modifications to ferrules, including the welding of
base plates, is done in accordance with an engineers design
and relevant Australian Standards
designing the ferrule inserts to have a minimum embedment
depth of 150mm.
Note: Ferrules should also be designed and manufactured to
ensure their designed failure mode is via cone failure of the
concrete, not via direct pullout. This will usually require some form
of enlarged base of the ferrule.
The builder, formwork company and panel erector should:
implement and maintain a documented sign-off system by a
competent person on all slab and anchor details before each
pour (see checklist)
verify the minimum concrete strength required before panel
erection has been achieved under site conditions.

Further information
WorkSafe Industry Standard Precast and tilt-up concrete
for buildings
Australian Standard AS3850-2003: Tilt-up concrete

Contact details
Call on: 1800 136 089 Email: info@worksafe.vic.gov.au
For more information on occupational health and safety,
go to WorkSafes website: worksafe.vic.gov.au

Alert Brace footing installations on concrete

Cast-in ferrule checklist

This checklist applies to concrete designed for less than 20MPa compressive strength at the time of precast installation.
Project: __________________________________________ Principal/head contractor: ___________________________
Subcontractors responsible: ____________________________________________________________________________
Designing engineer: ________________________________ Designated pour area inspected: ______________________
Yes
1.

Is there a project-specific engineered design in place?

2.

Is cast-in ferrule assembly embedment depth in concrete minimum 150mm?

3.

Is all welding to cast-in ferrules to engineers specifications?

4.

Are cast-in ferrules in correct position for propping arrangement?

5(a)

Is cast-in ferrule reinforcement steel configuration to design?

5(b)

Has reinforcement been checked? For example, N12 through-bar, mesh,

baseplate etc or combinations (as per drawings)?

HOLD
POINT

Above details checked and verified by competent person:

6.

Has concrete testing been conducted?

Sign:

Date:

No

N/A

Testing laboratory verified minimum concrete strength (as per design) has been
achieved:
HOLD
POINT

Actual MPa achieved: _______________________________________________

Has this checklist been made available to all relevant parties (eg HSR, panel
erector and formworker)?

HOLD
POINT

Principal/Head contractor verified all above details:

Subcontractor sign:

Sign:

Date: /

Date: /

Note: This checklist recommends hold points when a competent person should verify the actions before proceeding to the
next point on the checklist.
All items on this checklist should be completed and verified as compliant before precast placement to designated pour area.
Subcontractor responsible /authorised representative
Name (print): ________________________________________________________________________________________
Signature: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: This Alert contains information following WorkSafes inquires into the incident at the date of this report. The information contained in this
report does not necessarily reflect the final outcome of WorkSafes action with respect to this incident. WorkSafe does not warrant the information in
this report is complete or up-to-date and does not accept any liability to any person for the information in this report or as to its use.