Shoring and Reshoring Fundamentals: Mary Bordner Tanck, PE

A SunCam online continuing education course
Shoring and Reshoring Fundamentals

by
Mary Bordner Tanck, PE

SHORING AND RESHORING FUNDAMENTALS
Because it has such a significant impact on schedule and material movements, it is important
for everyone involved in the construction of concrete buildings to understand basic concepts of
shoring and reshoring, and the purpose and importance of each. This course will provide the
reader with the fundamental concepts of shoring, reshoring, backshoring, and construction
methods that can affect the design of the same. It will include basic definitions, the differences
between shoring, reshoring, and backshoring; and an overview of some important
considerations for anyone involved in construction.
DEFINITIONS
Backshores: “Shores left in place or shores placed snugly under a concrete slab or structural
member after the original formwork and shores have been removed from a small area, without
allowing the entire slab or member to deflect or support its self-weight and construction loads.”
(ACI 347R-14, page 3).
Formwork: “Total system of support for freshly placed concrete, including the mold or
sheathing that contacts the concrete as well as supporting members, hardware, and necessary
bracing.” (ACI 347R-14, page 3). See Appendix A for examples of formwork and shoring
systems.
Engineered Lumber: A wood product that has been fabricated to certain structural
specifications. Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) is an example of engineered lumber.
Lacing: Lacing is used to decrease the unbraced length of a shore to increase the capacity.
Lacing is typically used in timber framing, but can be used in other types of shoring or reshoring
systems.
Mud-Sills: Lumber used to support a shore that would otherwise sit on soil. Mud-sills distribute
the shore load across an area big enough not to exceed the allowable soil bearing pressure.
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Pour Strip: A section of concrete slab left open to control shrinkage and elastic shortening. It
can also be used to provide access to post-tensioning cables. After a prescribed time, the pour
strip is closed by pouring the remaining slab.
Shore: “Vertical or inclined support member or braced frame designed to carry the weight of
the formwork, concrete, and construction loads.” (ACI 347R-14, page 3). Shores can be single
post shores, sectional shoring towers, truss tables, or another proprietary system. See
Appendix A for examples of different types of shores.
Reshores: “Shores placed snugly under a stripped concrete slab or other structural member
after the original forms and shores have been removed from a full bay, requiring the new slab
or structural member to deflect and support its own weight and existing construction loads to
be applied before installation of the reshores.” (ACI 347R-14, page 3).
Runners or Joists: Horizontal formwork members placed directly below form facing material.
Runners are supported by stringers (also called main beams). Runners can be timber, steel, or
aluminum.
Stringers or Main Beams: Horizontal formwork members that support runners (also called
joists). Stringers are supported by shores. Stringers can be timber, steel, or aluminum.
Stripping: Slang term used for removal of shores, reshores, or backshores. Also called shore
removal.
X-Bracing: Members added to shores in an “X” pattern to resist lateral loads imposed by
construction operations. X-Bracing can be timber, steel, or aluminum.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
It would be difficult to start a discussion on shoring and reshoring fundamentals without giving
clarification to the differences between shoring and reshoring.
Many times, contract document general notes will use the terms shoring and reshoring
interchangeably. This can lead to confusion when setting a construction schedule.

Shoring supports the concreting operations which include not only the placing and finishing of
the concrete but the reinforcing installation and trades that install sleeves, block outs, electrical
components, and other items prior to concrete placement. Shoring is removed once the
concrete floor has gained adequate strength and, where applicable, the appropriate post-
tensioning has been applied.
Reshoring is installed under floors that have been stripped of shoring. Reshoring is utilized to
distribute construction loads among several levels or to grade in order that the cast floors will
not become overloaded and overstressed.
LOAD PATHS
It is important to distinguish between shoring and reshoring as it directly effects the sequence
of construction. In a multi-level concrete building, the floor being constructed should not be
poured until all shoring and reshoring is in place and has been inspected by a qualified person.
At the time of the pour, the loads are distributed through the in-place floors to reshores below.
If the recently cast floor will not self-support and the reshores are stripped, then the
construction loads will be transferred directly to cast floors that may not have the capacity to
support the added weight. Therefore, it is important to cast, cure, and tension (where
applicable) the floor being constructed, then strip the shoring out before removing reshoring.
The shoring and reshoring designer should be cognizant of the post-tensioning specifications
and criteria for shoring and reshoring removal. There are many options for a post-tensioned
floor; for example, the floor may be designed such that it will not support itself and the design
live loads until full post-tensioning has been applied. There are other times when a floor is
designed to undergo staged stressing, where only partial tensioning is applied, and the floor will
support its self-weight plus a reduced design load. Reshoring designs should account for the
actual capacity of the floor during construction operations.
Load paths are important, not only between floors, but also at the upper-most constructed
floor. Shoring should be removed in a sequence that accounts for the load path of the building
without adding excessive load to the remaining shores. For example, the shoring designer may
specify that shores supporting girders should be stripped before those supporting beams, which

should be stripped before shores supporting slabs. In this case, if a slab is stripped before its
supporting beam, the load from the slab will transfer to the beam, which has not deflected and
been allowed to carry its weight and tributary area. The shores under the beam will pick up
that extra load and will experience localized overloading. This can damage the shores as well as
overstress the floors below. Different buildings and structure types will have different stripping
sequences, so it is important for the shoring designer to communicate to the contractor an
appropriate stripping sequence for the specific project.

Figure 1. Sample riser diagram indicating shored and reshored floors. Note that, in a full
reshore design, the reshore spacing and layout would be indicated in both plan and sectional
views for best clarity.

Figure 2: Parking deck under construction with 1 level of shores and 2 levels of reshores
extending to slab on grade. Note the horizontal lacing on the bottom level of reshores used to
increase the capacity of the reshores.
TYPES OF SHORES AND RESHORES
Shores and reshores can be made of: wood, steel, or aluminum. The simplified method will be
discussed later in this course and can be used with any of these materials. Sometimes it is
necessary to use different shore or reshore materials on a floor. For example, if there is a clear
height of 26’ in one bay and a clear height of 10’ in another bay; timber single post shores may
be a good option for the 10’ bay, but sectional steel shoring or steel post shores may be needed
at the high areas instead of single post timber shores for the extra capacity they would provide
at taller heights. Different reshore materials generally should not be used within a bay,
however, because they can compress different amounts and the stiffer materials may take
more of the load.

Figure 3. Timber runners, timber stringers, timber shores. Shoring is nearly completed and
getting close to being decked with sheathing. B-B Plyform is commonly used as a sheathing
material in this type of construction.

Figure 4. Timber formwork and shores using adjustable shore clamps.

Figure 5. Proprietary shoring system. Proprietary systems commonly use steel or aluminum
members and may also use timber for the horizontal members.
RESHORING BY THE SIMPLIFIED METHOD
Reshores are commonly designed by the simplified method as set forth in ACI 347.2R-17. There
are 5 basic assumptions in the simplified method:
1. Construction loads are assumed to be distributed uniformly across the floor. There are
some shoring systems that can support large areas of pour loads and impose only a few
large point loads on a reshored floor. The reshore designer should be aware of point
loads on thin slabs and should analyze the slab for that condition.
2. Slab on grade is considered to be rigid. Because of the rigidity of the slab on grade, pour
loads distributed to reshores extending to slab on grade will transfer load directly to the
slab on grade (or mud sills) and soil on which it bears. Because the reshores transfer
load directly to grade, it is assumed the reshored floors do not accept any construction
load.

3. Reshores are assumed to be infinitely stiff. If the reshores are infinitely stiff, loading
several interconnected levels will allow them to deflect equally. Likewise, if the
reshores are infinitely stiff, the reshores extending to grade will collect the construction
loads and not allow the floor to assist in supporting the load. (See assumption 2.)
4. Elevated slabs connected by reshores will deflect equally. This assumes that each
interconnected floor will carry an equal amount of the construction loads. This is not
necessarily true in a situation where one floor may have a higher design capacity or is a
stiffer floor than the typical levels (such as a plaza or amenities level). When a high
capacity floor is present, the designer should be aware that the floor will carry more
than an equal share of the load.
5. Deflection is elastic. As construction loads are applied and released, deflection in the
floor behaves elastically. In elastic deflection, a member will deflect under load but
recovers once the load is removed.
CONSTRUCTION LOADS
Construction loads are those loads imposed on a structure, shoring, and reshoring system by
construction operations. These loads include, but are not limited to: wet concrete, rebar,
plumbing, mechanical, electrical, embeds, finishing equipment, forms, and placing personnel.
Construction live loads are reducible in certain situations (see ASCE 37).
DESIGN LOADS
Design loads are those for which the final structure is designed. These loads include, but are
not limited to: live loads, partition loads, sprinkler systems, furniture, mechanical equipment,
superimposed dead loads, etc.
In reshoring design, the design loads of a structure are used to determine the amount of
construction load each floor will carry.
The reshoring designer should check to see if the engineer of record has taken live load
reductions on the slabs, joists, beams, and girders. The designer should be aware of which
code was used as different codes have different reduction criteria. The designer should also be
cognizant that there are 2 different ways of calculating live load reductions and should find out

which method was used as the two different methods can result in 2 drastically different live
load capacities.
HOW RESHORING AFFECTS THE CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE
Many multi-story concrete buildings can be built with 2 levels of reshoring. But there are other
times when 2 levels of reshoring are not adequate. In those cases, the contractor needs to
know in advance that the construction schedule will be affected by additional levels of reshores
that may impede or completely cut off access to lower floors by other trades.
One simple way of making a preliminary determination of the number of levels of reshores
required is to divide the construction load by the design live load of the in-place floors. Note
that, even in a preliminary design, the design capacity should consider design load reductions.
This simplified calculation can give the contractor a very good estimate of how many floors of
reshores are required for scheduling purposes, but should not be considered a final design. An
experienced reshore designer will consider all construction loads, load paths, redundancy, type
and material of reshores used, locations of shores and reshores, as well as the construction
sequence.

Figure 6. An example of a high rise that required more than 2 levels of reshores due to a non-
typical thick slab at the roof.
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Example: A parking garage is designed for 40 PSF live load plus 5 PSF superimposed dead load.
It has been determined that the live loads in the parking garage are not reducible, so the total
floor capacity is 45 PSF.
The floors consist of 8” two-way flat plates, the total construction load will be 160 PSF.

Slab: 150x8/12 = 100 PSF.

Construction Dead Load: 10 PSF. (Construction dead load includes the weight of formwork.)
Construction Live Load: 50 PSF.*
*Reductions in construction live loads are allowed per ASCE 37 Design Loads on Structures
During Construction, but that discussion is beyond the scope of this course.
Make a preliminary determination for the number of levels of reshores required.
Solution: construction load/floor capacity = 160 PSF / 45 = 3.6. Therefore, 4 interconnected

slabs are required to distribute the load. This converts to 1 level of shores and 3 levels of
reshores.
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If shores and reshores are in place, it is not acceptable to take them out even for “just a little
while” without prior approval from the reshore designer in order for other trades to get to the
area. If loaded reshores are removed, the load has to go somewhere. Because loads are
generally transferred to the stiffest member, the load will transfer to the concrete floor and the
floor may become overstressed, which can lead to cracking or even total failure. If adjacent
reshores try to pick up the load, they may be overloaded and possibly ruined. Catastrophic
failure of the structure is also possible. If notified, the reshore designer can account for
alternate load paths and, in some cases, may be able to move reshores.

Figure 7. A sample riser diagram illustrating 3 interconnected slabs; 1 level of shoring and 2
levels of reshoring.

POST-TENSIONING EFFECTS ON RESHORES
Reshoring design is intimately related to load paths. In order to be an effective reshore

designer, one must have a complete understanding of how loads are transferred throughout a
structure. One major, but often over-looked, item affecting load paths is post-tensioning
operations. While the exact method of calculating the actual post-tensioning forces are beyond
the scope of this course, the general concept is important and will be discussed here.
A fully complete structure will usually transfer loads from the slabs to the beams to the girders
to the columns then to the footings. A post-tensioned building will not transfer those loads
until full post-tensioning has been applied; it is, therefore, imperative that the shoring and
reshoring designer account for load transfers.
After a floor is poured, but before post-tensioning is applied, all wet concrete load is
transferred to the shoring system as designed. The first step in tensioning a floor is usually to
tension the slab. When the slab is tensioned, an upward force acts upon the midspan and
transfers the load to the beam. At that stage of the stressing, the load is released from the slab
shores and transferred to the shores supporting the beam. Because the beam has not been
tensioned, it does not have its full capacity and, thus, is dependent upon the shores to carry the
lesser of the tributary slab dead load or the post-tensioning forces.

Figure 8. Schematic illustrating post-tensioning forces and resulting load paths.
Next, the beams are post-tensioned. At this stage, there is an upward force in the midspan of
the beam which forces load to the girder. The shores under the beam are no longer loaded as
the load is transferring to the girder as designed. At this point in the operation, significant point
loads can be imposed on the intersection of the beam and girder. Because the girder has not
yet been stressed, it cannot carry the tributary weight of the slab and beam. Therefore, shoring
and reshoring must be adequate at the intersection location to carry the lesser of the tributary
dead load or the post-tensioning forces (where no column is present). Depending on the type
of construction and the tributary area, the resulting point load at this location can exceed
100,000 pounds and should not be neglected.
A simplified method of calculating the post-tensioning forces may be used if the designer
prefers not to do a full post-tensioning analysis. In the simplified calculations, the dead load
from the full tributary area can be calculated and applied in the same fashion as described in
the previous paragraph.

Figure 9. Post-tensioning cables in the slab. Column forms and rebar cages for columns in the
background.
BACKSHORES
Backshores are utilized when a floor cannot carry its own self-weight. Sometimes this is due to
construction problems such as concrete not coming up to strength or post-tensioning cables
not being stressed properly. Sometimes backshores are required by design, such as in the case
of pour strips (also called closure strips). There are also times when a contractor will choose
not to strip a floor and will let the shoring be used as backshoring due to scheduling and other
considerations.
Backshores are installed in such a way that floors are not allowed to carry their own weight
and, thus, the construction loads accumulate at each subsequent level. Backshores should be
lined up as much as possible and/or the concrete slab analyzed to insure the offset loads can
safely be distributed to the backshores below. See Figures 10 and 11.

Backshoring can have a significant impact on the construction schedule. There are steps that
can be taken to eliminate the need for backshores or reduce the number of backshores
required; however, that is beyond the scope of this course.

Figure 10. An example of backshoring when the floors cannot support their own weight and
loads accumulate.

EFFECTS OF RESHORING ON ALL TRADES
As you can see, the reshoring of a concrete building can have an impact on all trades that follow
the placement of the concrete structure. It is important for the contractor to plan in advance
for distributing construction loads and coordinating the schedule – particularly when there is a
very heavy floor, such as a plaza, amenity, or transfer level.
Figure 11. Timber backshores required due to pour strip.

EXPLANATION OF PUBLICATIONS AND COMMITTEES
Please note that this is by no means an exhaustive list of publications and committees
pertaining to formwork, shoring, and reshoring; it is only intended to expand on some of the
resources used for authoring this course.
American Concrete Institute (ACI) 347 Formwork for Concrete Committee: The 347 committee
writes reports, guides, and manuals for formwork, shoring, and reshoring. The publications are
intended for use by anyone in the industry including: engineers, designers, contractors, and
inspectors.
SP-4. Formwork for Concrete: an ACI Manual. SP-4 is published by ACI and is currently on its 8th
edition. It is one of the most comprehensive manuals on the market for descriptions of a
variety of shoring, reshoring, and forming systems as well as design considerations.
SEI/ ASCE 37. Design Loads on Structures During Construction. This standard is published by
the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in conjunction with the Structural Engineering
Institute (SEI). It describes safety requirements, load combinations, and required construction
loads in order to maintain structural integrity while a structure is under construction.

APPENDIX A
Figure 12. Example of sectional steel shoring towers used for reshoring a tall floor. Timber
framing is used for the shored floor. (Photo courtesy of Aluma Systems.)

Figure 13. Example of sectional steel shoring towers with aluminum main beams and joists.
(Photo courtesy of Aluma Systems.)

Figure 14: Timber shoring and plyform facing material.

(Photo courtesy of Skyline Forming North Texas, Inc.)

Figure 15: Night placing operations of cast in place concrete building.

(Photo courtesy of Skyline Forming North Texas, Inc.)

Figure 16: Steel truss tables, with aluminum joists (runners). This table was used as shoring, the
floor is now self-supporting, and the truss table has been removed to allow for the floor to be
reshored.
(Photo courtesy of Bordner Engineering Services, LLC.)
SOURCES AND FURTHER READING
ACI 347R-14. Guide to Formwork for Concrete. American Concrete Institute. July 2014.
ACI 347.2R-17. Guide for Shoring/Reshoring of Concrete Multistory Buildings. American

Concrete Institute. January 2017

SP-4 (14). Formwork for Concrete: an ACI Manual. 8th Edition. American Concrete Institute.
August 2014.
SEI/ASCE 37-02. Design Loads on Structures During Construction. American Society of Civil
Engineers.
Bordner-Tanck, Mary. “Pour Strips and Constructability.” Structure Magazine April 2014: pages
46-47.
Bordner, R.H. “Practical Design of Reshoring.” Concrete International October 2002: pages 57-
63.

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A SunCam online continuing education course

Shoring and Reshoring Fundamentals

Mary Bordner Tanck, PE

SHORING AND RESHORING FUNDAMENTALS

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WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

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TYPES OF SHORES AND RESHORES

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Figure 4. Timber formwork and shores using adjustable shore clamps.

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RESHORING BY THE SIMPLIFIED METHOD

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HOW RESHORING AFFECTS THE CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE

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Slab: 150x8/12 = 100 PSF.

Make a preliminary determination for the number of levels of reshores required.

Solution: construction load/floor capacity = 160 PSF / 45 = 3.6. Therefore, 4 interconnected

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POST-TENSIONING EFFECTS ON RESHORES

Reshoring design is intimately related to load paths. In order to be an effective reshore

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Figure 8. Schematic illustrating post-tensioning forces and resulting load paths.

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EFFECTS OF RESHORING ON ALL TRADES

Figure 11. Timber backshores required due to pour strip.

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EXPLANATION OF PUBLICATIONS AND COMMITTEES

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Figure 14: Timber shoring and plyform facing material.

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Figure 15: Night placing operations of cast in place concrete building.

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SOURCES AND FURTHER READING

ACI 347.2R-17. Guide for Shoring/Reshoring of Concrete Multistory Buildings. American

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