When Daniel Pszczonka worked in the residential building industry as a project manager 10 years ago, permanent formwork was just taking off.
The lightweight material was gaining ground as an appealing alternative to blockwork and other construction methods, delivering projects at record speed.
However, the challenges of shipping timeframes and the bulky nature of the material proved cost prohibitive.
“I could see the benefits of the product but just couldn’t get it cheap enough, the transport cost was 20 to 30 per cent extra on top of the purchase price,” Pszczonka said.
Using his frustration as a catalyst for invention, Pszczonka worked with industrial designers to engineer a new permanent formwork solution under his company, Rise Products.
Following years of extensive design, development and prototyping, an innovative hinge system was created, enabling the cumbersome PVC formwork be effectively “flat-packed” for shipping and storage on site.