Start with a defined work area
Identify the levels, zones and concrete elements included in the package. List the drawings and revisions used for pricing, the proposed formwork system and any information still awaiting confirmation. Separate erection, dismantling, cleaning, shifting and return handling instead of treating them as one unnamed activity.
The matrix records who provides an input, who carries out the work and who coordinates its release. It does not replace the drawings, specification, agreed subcontract or temporary-works procedures. Leave unresolved items visibly open and settle them before award; an empty cell is not an agreed exclusion.
Complete this matrix with each tenderer
Copy these rows into your RFQ. Add columns for the named providing party, executing party, coordinating or reviewing party, required date and price reference. The prompts below are items to agree, not a default allocation to the main contractor or subcontractor.
| Item | Responsibility to agree | Record to attach or reference |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering information | Who prepares, checks and issues the applicable formwork design and revisions; who resolves queries. | Drawing register, design responsibility schedule and agreed review route. |
| Formwork supply | Who supplies or hires the specified system, accessories and replacements; who tracks quantities. | Equipment list, supply boundary, delivery dates and return conditions. |
| Labour and supervision | Who provides the trade crew and supervision for each included operation. | Scope by zone and activity, resource proposal and working arrangements. |
| Delivery and unloading | Who books deliveries, receives items, unloads them and records shortages or damage. | Delivery route, booking contact, receiving record and storage location. |
| Lifting and movement | Who coordinates lifting resources and site movements through the project lifting process. | Logistics interface, booking procedure and responsible site contacts. |
| Access and work areas | Who provides and releases the agreed access arrangements and ready work fronts. | Access plan, work-area release record and interface with other trades. |
| Consumables and tools | Who supplies the specified consumables, small tools and their replacements. | Itemised inclusion or exclusion list with quantity or allowance basis. |
| Inspection and release | Who raises inspection requests, provides records and communicates the authorised release. | Project inspection procedure and named responsible roles. |
| Dismantling and return | Who coordinates the authorised dismantling sequence, cleaning, stacking and return handling. | Applicable engineering instructions, release record and return checklist. |
| Waste and damage | Who segregates and removes waste, records damage and agrees any proposed charges. | Waste interface, condition records and agreed commercial treatment. |
Keep engineering responsibility explicit
Providing a crew or hiring equipment does not, by itself, define who is responsible for the project-specific temporary-works information. Ask for named roles and a documented route for design questions, revised details and site releases.
HSE’s temporary-works guidance describes planning, coordination and checking as distinct responsibilities. PERI separately describes engineering support and material logistics among its services. Use that distinction when preparing the enquiry; confirm the actual appointments and scope for your project.
This matrix does not specify loads, prop spacing, lifting methods or when formwork may be removed. Those decisions belong to the appointed competent team and applicable project and manufacturer instructions. Do not use a commercial target date as technical permission to proceed.
Example: “crane by others” needs a second sentence
Suppose the enquiry says that the main contractor provides the crane and the subcontractor provides the shuttering labour. That still leaves the booking contact, availability, receiving area and responsibilities for handling the load unresolved. Neither party can price or plan that interface clearly from those two labels alone.
An illustrative clarification might read: “Lifting resources are coordinated by the main contractor under the project lifting procedure. The subcontractor submits its movement requirements through the agreed booking contact. Availability, handling responsibilities and the response to a missed booking are confirmed in the logistics schedule before mobilisation.” Adapt this example to the actual project; it is not an agreed allocation or lifting instruction.
Compare the boundaries before comparing the total
Return the same matrix with every quotation and ask tenderers to mark each line included, excluded or awaiting clarification. Record the relevant price item or allowance. If one offer includes shifting and cleaning while another excludes them, resolve that difference before treating the totals as comparable.
Record who deals with late information, unavailable access, revised quantities and changes to the agreed sequence. Agree the notification and review process in advance without assuming that every delay automatically creates an entitlement or charge.
- Every work area has a clear scope and current pricing references.
- Each matrix row has named parties rather than “by others”.
- Engineering and release responsibilities are separately recorded.
- Supply, unloading, shifting and returns have explicit boundaries.
- Open clarifications have an owner and a decision date.
- The final agreed matrix is referenced in the accepted scope.
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