CEO Interview: Doka’s Robert Hauser on the tech transforming formwork

Robert Hauser, CEO of Doka (Photo: Doka)

For Robert Hauser, CEO of Austrian formwork giant Doka, a remotely controlled robot stands as a symbol of the ways the company is hoping to drive change across the industry.

Due to take a prominent position on its stand at Bauma 2025, Doka’s semi-automated DokaXbot Lift is designed to efficiently lift formwork panels up to a height of six metres. Operated via remote control, the system reduces physical strain on workers and improves safety by eliminating the need to climb onto formwork.

“Automation enhances safety, speed, and efficiency, which are the three core parameters we aim to optimise,” Hauser says.

The lift is just one element of Doka’s ambition to use automation and digitalisation to revolutionise the whole way in which formwork and falsework is used, making the whole process a bit more like manufacturing.

Top of his list is to use clever technology to address labour shortages and stagnant productivity.

“Not only do we not have enough labour, but also our productivity on site is pretty stagnant, so there aren’t any productivity improvements like you see in other industries, like let’s say, the automotive sector,” Hauser says. “And so not only do we have a shortage, but we also have a competence gap here.”

By assembling formwork units in a designated area, Hauser says that it mimics an assembly line process of a factory. Prefabricated units are lifted into place, minimising on-site assembly challenges and improving project timelines.

“The drill flows are also optimised, and errors are minimised,” Hauser says. “If you have better quality control when you do it in that specified site and once the formwork compound is assembled, then basically you take the crane, you lift to the side or to the specific position where you want to cast the concrete and then the concreting happens.”

The role of digitalisation

Formwork, the system of moulds into which concrete is cast, has already changed radically over the past two decades due to a widespread adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM).  “Transitioning from 2D to 3D models has been a game-changer, we minimise waste, reduce errors and streamline the entire process,” Hauser says. Now he is keen to speed up the process of digitalisation in the industry.

One recent advance, he says, is IoT-enabled systems which are driving real-time data collection on construction sites, providing actionable insights. Sensors embedded in formwork monitor parameters such as temperature, pressure, and alignment. Doka’s concrete monitoring system, for example, determines the exact moment when concrete is ready for stripping. This ensures better quality and safety while enabling contractors to make informed decisions and comply with regulations.

Doka Xact pressure sensor (Photo: Doka)

Reducing and reusing

Another area in which the formwork specialist is driving tech innovation is through developing new systems specifically designed to work with low carbon cement.

“When comparing the carbon footprint of concrete used in formwork, it’s evident that the concrete itself constitutes the much larger portion. To address this, we are driving innovation that helps us better process CO2-reduced concrete,” says Hauser.

Cement manufacturers are actively working on reducing the CO2 footprint of their mixtures and are already making progress with lower emissions mixtures that are now available.

“However,” says Hauser, “these mixtures often exhibit significantly different physical behaviours. For instance, some of these mixtures may not cure or harden properly at lower temperatures because the initial temperature required to initiate the chemical reaction within the concrete is either not reached or is happening very slowly.

“To tackle this issue, we have developed a prototype system featuring intelligent heated formwork. The system heats the surface of the formwork that comes into contact with the concrete. By applying a small amount of energy to the concrete through heating, we can initiate or accelerate the curing process, allowing us to effectively use these innovative concrete mixtures.”

Challenges and opportunities

And sustainability will continue to play a transformative role on the industry going forward, Hauser says, as falsework and formwork suppliers come under pressure from both customers and suppliers to cut carbon. 

“We are getting growing demands to reduce the carbon emission footprint,” he says. “It either happens through clients that ask us for solutions because they themselves want to reduce their carbon footprint, or it will be the regulators, the governments that will impose regulations on the construction companies in the projects.” 

“There will be much more collaboration needed of the stakeholders within the construction value chain. We need to all really stand together and make this work.”