Apparatus for progressively constructing a wall of cementitious material

Apparatus for progressively constructing a plurality of substantially vertical walls of hardened cementitious material in successive, vertically incremental castings, said apparatus comprising,

• a formwork support structure means adapted to extend over said walls and form a rigid supporting assembly,
• a plurality of pairs of formwork sections, at least one pair of formwork sections associated with each wall to be built, each pair of formwork sections comprising a first formwork section and a facing second formwork section,
• first suspension means mounted for moveably suspending said first formwork section from said formwork support structure means in a substantially vertical, predetermined position,
• second suspension means mounted for moveably suspending said second formwork section from said formwork support structure means in a substantially vertical, predetermined position, said second suspension means disposed relative to said first suspension means such that one formwork section of a pair is movable into a position adjacent the other section of the pair to provide a cavity thereinbetween for receiving cementitious material, and such that said first formwork section is movable substantially laterally and horizontally away from the second formwork section at least a distance to permit access by a person between the first and second formwork sections, and such that said second formwork section is disengageable from the hardened cast cementitious material, movable jack means mounted for supporting said formwork support structure means on a completed wall section of hardened cementitious material while lifting all of said formwork sections in unison, together with said formwork support structure means, substantially vertically upward from a first casting position to a second casting position,
• retractable support means mounted for supporting said apparatus from a completed wall section of hardened cementitious material during at least the period when said apparatus is unsupported by said movable jack means,
• the movable jack means and the retractable support means disposed so that there are alternate periods wherein said formwork support structure means and formwork sections are supported by said retractable support means and not by said movable jack means and other periods wherein same are supported by said movable jack means and not by said retractable support means, provided, however, that during progressive wall construction, at least one of said movable jack means or said retractable support means supports said formwork support structure means,
• interlocking means mounted for interlocking in a first position and a second retracted position at least one of the formwork sections of a pair to a formwork section of an adjacent pair to produce a structurally rigid and stable assembly of formwork sections in said first position during the casting of cementitious material, and in said second position during the lifting of said formwork sections between said first casting position and said second casting position,
• and guide means mounted for guiding the interlocked formwork sections to maintain alignment and to stabilize same during lifting between said first casting position and said second casting position by contact with at least one completed wall section of hardened cementitious material.