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GRP Permanent Formwork | Mek-Dek

Mek-Dek’s Advantages for Your Project

We provide the industry’s most innovative, efficient, and greenest GRP products, tailored to meet the unique needs of your project. Here’s how we ensure that your project gains The Edge:

Superior Performance

  • Uniform Mek-Dek panels are produced using advanced manufacturing techniques, so are quicker and easier to fit.
  • Panels are crafted with complete GRP (no fillers), reducing weight and embodied carbon.
  • Mek-Dek caters for large spans without the need for intermediate supports, reducing project costs.
  • Mek-Dek creates a safe working platform which improves on-site safety and is lighter and easier to handle than traditional alternatives.
  • Mek-Dek’s design life outperforms competitors by up to 3 times.
  • Using Mek-Dek, all work can be conducted from above the structure, eliminating the need for access beneath.

Enhanced Sustainability

  • Mek-Dek GRP formwork contains up to 35% less embodied carbon per panel.
  • Our bespoke manufacturing approach minimises waste.
  • Mekina Industries’ Eco Reports and EPDs help you in calculating your environmental impact.
  • Mek-Dek can help reduce transportation emissions through its lightweight design and improved stackability.
  • Our GRP products are fully recyclable at end of use.

Technical Assurance & Proven Expertise

  • Our team have delivered over 4,000 successful projects worldwide and offer extensive technical support at every stage.
  • We provide unrivalled testing and validation through our in-house structural engineering team
  • Our ISO 9001, Constructionline Gold and other core accreditations provide essential project assurance

Global Reach, Maximum Impact

Mekina’s experienced team combines over 50 years of specialised experience in GRP products.

We deliver our products and services worldwide, combining global expertise with a deep understanding of how our clients bridge projects can benefit and enrich local communities.

Through the Mekina Edge, we are committed to making a meaningful difference wherever we operate.

Mek-Dek GRP Permanent Formwork Panel Range

Our Glass Reinforced Polymer (GRP) panels are designed as sacrificial formwork for bridge decks, supporting concrete pours and remaining in place. Manufactured with precision, our panels ensure strength and lightweight construction, tailored for a seamless fit and efficient installation.

Mek-Dek sacrificial formwork panels are compliant with Highways CD 359 standards. Panels can be produced with integrated lifting holes for safe cranage and handling.

Choose Mek-Dek for formwork solutions that combine cutting-edge engineering, sustainable practices, and unmatched technical support. Our GRP panels bring innovation, safety, and cost-effectiveness to your infrastructure projects, ensuring a durable, reliable solution tailored to your needs.

Mek-Dek panels are suitable for a range of infrastructure projects including:

  • Bridges
  • Culverts
  • Ports and Jetties
  • Ramps
  • Water Treatment Works
  • Shaft Floors and Roofs

Mek-Dek Standard GRP Permanent Formwork Panels

Ideal for supporting bridge decks during concrete pours as sacrificial formwork.

  • The rib centres and panel height of Mek-Dek panels are designed to suit the reinforcement arrangement of the bridge deck.
  • Panels are bespokely manufactured to suit the required loading criteria and material specification.
  • Panels can be skewed or tapered to suit bridge design if required.
  • Designed to be installed on braced girders without the need for positive fixing or risk of grout loss.
  • Maintains a tidy appearance through the built-in soffit.
  • Manufacturing technique means enhanced impact resistance which minimises maintenance requirements​.
  • Rapid manufacturing process for quick project turnarounds.
  • Suitable for steel and concrete beams, capable of spans up to 4.5m
Standard Panel of Mek Dek for GRP Permanent Formwork
Mekina Industries Cantilever Panel System In Situ

Mek-Dek Cantilever GRP Permanent Formwork Panels

These cantilevered GRP leave-in-place formwork panels provide an upstand for deck edges, enhancing safety and eliminating the need to work underside.

  • Has all the safety and performance features of our standard Mek-Dek panels plus;
  • Increased safety improvements as there is no need to work underside using scaffolding or strip out timber shuttering.
  • Can include edge protection with the addition of our integrated handrail attachment system.
  • Bridges requiring cantilever of up to 1.5m to achieve required width.

Mek-Dek Haunched GRP Permanent Formwork

Haunched formwork panels can be deployed to reduce the overall thickness of the deck and are ideal for use in scenarios where services are required underneath the soffit.

  • Has all the safety and performance features of our standard Mek-Dek panels plus;
  • Improved load-bearing capacity.
  • Increases cost efficiency as the use of Haunched panels means savings can be made over the rest of the bridge e.g. reducing the depth of the concrete pour in selected areas.
  • Provides a smooth visual transition and can improve architectural design.
  • Bridges that require services underneath, such as pipework or ducting.
Mekina Industries Haunched Panels In-Situ
Mek-Dek Lite Composite Panel

Mek-Dek Lite Panels

These leave-in-place formwork panels are optimised for use when the distances between pre-cast beams or steel beams is shorter (i.e. where span requirements are up to 1.4m.)

  • A safe leave-in-place alternative to plywood or other solutions which may need breaking out.
  • Lightweight and easier to manoeuvre into place – with weights from 15-28kg/m2 (depending on panel thickness).
  • Maintains a tidy appearance through the built-in soffit.
  • Rapid manufacturing process for quick project turnarounds.
  • Ideal for shorter spans in steel or concrete beam configurations.

Projects

Find out how our market-leading GRP Permanent Formwork products are reshaping the industry.

Frequently Asked Questions about our GRP Permanent Formwork, Mek-Dek

We supply all our projects with suitable butyl sealants. These are in tape form to allow the installer to roll the sealant onto the structure prior to installation of panels. Once installed our Butyl tape is applied to joints of adjacent panels to provide a good seal and prevent any grout loss.

We custom-design all our panels to perfectly suit each individual project’s unique requirements. Our primary product line consists of Mek-Dek ribbed panels, available with rib options of 100mm, 125mm, and 150mm rib centres. Additionally, we offer a specialised GRP Composite product designed for shorter spans, featuring a consistent thickness of either 20mm or 38mm.

There’s no cost to you for the panel design. By providing it free of charge, we aim to not only save you money but to also streamline your project and help you achieve your goals more efficiently. We believe in delivering exceptional value, and this is just one of the many ways Mekina strives to exceed your expectations.

If you’ve got a specific project in mind, we encourage you to share your ideas and requirements with us as soon as possible to ensure that we can bring your vision to life effectively. To get started, there are two ways you can convey your project details. Firstly, Hand Sketch or Drawing, This will help us to understand your project’s design and layout. Whether it’s a rough sketch or a more detailed drawing, it provides us with a visual representation which our team can work on with you to refine into a feasible project plan. Secondly, send Simple Dimensions: If you prefer not to provide a sketch or drawing, you can provide us with essential measurements and specifications that are crucial to your project. These include clear span distance, deck depth and rib centres.

Yes we do. We’re experienced in delivering quality products and excellent service to customers around the globe. We work with trusted courier partners who specialise in international shipping to ensure that your orders reach you safely and efficiently, no matter where you are in the world.

All our panels are designed in accordance with CD 359 which sets out design requirements for permanent soffit formwork for bridges and is published by Highways England.

Yes indeed. We design and manufacture panels to cantilever as you require, providing an upstand for the deck edge. We can incorporate edge protection within the upstand of the panel to provide safety assistance on s

Our panels vary from 5kgs to 200kgs depending on span and loads the panels will be imposed to. This robust product range ensures we can meet the unique demands of any project, regardless of its size or complexity.

Yes. Although Mek-Dek formwork panels are manufactured in RAL 7023 Concrete Grey as standard, we offer a wide range of customisation options for panels, including the ability to choose panels in a different colour. This means you can have panels that perfectly match your specific design preferences and requirements. Our manufacturing process is highly flexible and we can accommodate nearly any RAL colour you specify, just let us know as early as possible during our design discussions.

When supporting beams are at a staggered height, the use of cranked panels is a practical and effective solution to address the associated challenges. Mek-Dek panels installed in this configuration not only provide a level surface but also ensure proper sealing to beams, making them a valuable asset in construction projects with irregular beam arrangements.

The method for lifting GRP Mek-Dek panels can vary, depending on the size and weight of the panel and the specific logistics of your construction site. If you’ve opted for our shorter span panels, these are relatively lightweight and can be easily lifted manually. However, when dealing with larger panels, there are multiple lifting techniques available, so we recommend reaching out to us directly here at Mekina Industries to discuss your specific application.

The minimum bearing required is 30mm. However, for added safety and to prevent any possibility of panel displacement, we strongly recommend using the shear stud on steel beams or the rebate wall on concrete beams to ensure a secure fit. For instance, consider a scenario where a Mek-Dek panel becomes dislodged and moves towards the shear stud, which is positioned 70mm from the face of the stud to the edge of the beam. To determine the recommended bearing length at each end of the panel, simply add the 70mm distance to the minimum requirement of 30mm and then divide by 2. This calculation yields a recommended bearing length of 50mm for each end of the panel, ensuring a stable and secure placement.

Absolutely. Our panels and sealants can cater for almost all supporting structures. With decades of experience in the GRP permanent formwork industry, we’ve successfully tackled a diverse range of project scenarios. Our expertise allows us to provide comprehensive support throughout every stage of your design phase, ensuring your chosen solution inspires confidence.

This is a frequently asked question, and as you’d expect, our lead time is contingent on factors such as the quantity of panels, their size, and complexity.

Yes absolutely. The panels are designed to suit live loads of 1.5kN/m2. This load-bearing capacity makes them suitable for personnel to walk on during various phases of construction and maintenance work. The durability of the GRP material ensures that the panels can withstand the rigours of construction environments.

Mek-Dek Glass Reinforced Polymer Permanent Formwork panels are designed to support bridge decks during concrete pours and remain in place thereafter. This technique is otherwise known as stay-in-place formwork or sacrificial formwork.