The pour cycle is the heartbeat of a frame package. Here is how main contractors can sanity-check a subcontractor’s programme, from crane strategy to striking times and the critical floor-on-floor rhythm.
The pour cycle is the heartbeat
Everything in a frame programme hangs off the floor-on-floor pour cycle. If that rhythm is realistic and resourced, the package lands; if it is optimistic, the whole build slips behind it. Reading a frame programme well starts with stress-testing that single number.
What to check in the crane and access strategy
A pour cycle is only as good as the crane time behind it. Check how many cranes, what hook time each pour demands, and how reinforcement and formwork are landed. A cycle that assumes more lifts than the cranes can deliver is a cycle that will not happen.
Striking times and temporary works
Formwork striking and back-propping are governed by early-age concrete strength, not optimism. Ask how the contractor confirms strength before striking, and whether the temporary works design supports the assumed cycle. This is where aggressive programmes quietly fail.
Protecting the cycle at tender
The cheapest way to protect a pour cycle is to interrogate it before award. A good frame contractor will happily walk you through their assumptions; a worrying one will wave them away. Our procurement checklist sets out the questions worth asking.
Procuring a concrete frame?
Tell us about your scheme and we’ll match you with vetted RC and PT frame contractors.
Get Frame Quotes →