Liquid and gas-impermeable connections for panels of stay-in-place form-work systems

A stay-in-place form for casting structures from concrete or other curable construction materials, the form comprising:

• a plurality of elongated panels connectable to one another in edge-to-edge relationship to provide at least a portion of the form, each panel comprising longitudinally extending inward facing and outward facing surfaces that also extend transversely between pairs of opposing transverse edges;
• the plurality of panels comprising first and second panels connectable to one another in edge-adjacent relationship by a connection between a first connector component of the first panel and a second connector component of the second panel, the connection comprising a contact joint between the first and second connector components;
• the first panel comprising a first seal-retaining thumb shaped to project from the inward-facing surface of the first panel;
• the second panel comprising a second seal-retaining thumb shaped to project from the inward-facing surface of the second panel;
• and
• an inner seal having an inner portion in contact with an outward-facing surface of the first thumb, a first transverse portion in contact with a first transverse-facing surface of the first thumb and a second transverse portion in contact with a second transverse-facing surface of the first thumb;
• wherein:
• the inner portion of the inner seal contacts at least an inwardly-facing surface of the second thumb when the connection is made;
• and
• the first and second connector components are deformable to permit relative transverse movement between the first and second thumbs when the connection is made between:
• a first configuration where the second thumb is located in a first transverse location relative to the first thumb and where the first transverse portion of the inner seal is in contact with the second thumb and a second configuration where the second thumb is located in a second transverse location, different from the first transverse location, relative to the first thumb and where the second transverse portion of the inner seal is in contact with the second thumb.

A stay-in-place form for casting structures from concrete or other curable construction materials, the form comprising:

• a plurality of elongated panels connectable to one another in edge-to-edge relationship to provide at least a portion of the form, each panel comprising a longitudinally extending outer surface that also extends transversely between a pair of opposing outer-surface transverse edges;
• the plurality of panels comprising first and second panels connectable to one another in edge-adjacent relationship by a connection between a first connector component of the first panel and a second connector component of the second panel, the connection comprising a contact joint between the first and second connector components;
• the first panel comprising a longitudinally extending first seal-retaining projection shaped to project outwardly from the outer surface of the first panel at a location spaced apart from a first outer-surface transverse edge of the first panel in a first transverse direction;
• the second panel comprising a longitudinally extending second seal-retaining projection shaped to project outwardly from the outer surface of the second panel at a location spaced apart from a second outer-surface transverse edge of the second panel in a second transverse direction opposite the first transverse direction;
• the first and second seal-retaining projections and the outer surfaces of the first and second panels defining at least a portion of a seal-receiving concavity which opens outwardly from the form when the connection is made.

A method for casting structures from concrete or other curable materials using a stay-in-place form, the method comprising:

• connecting pairs of panels, each panel comprising longitudinally extending inward facing and outward facing surfaces that also extend transversely between pairs of transverse edges, to one another in edge-adjacent relationship to provide a form, connecting pairs of panels comprising, for each connection between a first panel and a second panel:
• forming a contact joint between a first connector component of the first panel and a second connector component of the second pane;
• providing a first seal-retaining thumb shaped to project from the inward-facing surface of the first panel;
• providing a second seal-retaining thumb shaped to project from the inward-facing surface of the second panel;
• and
• contacting an inner seal with the second thumb, contacting the inner seal comprising:
• contacting an inner portion of the inners seal with an inward-facing surface of the second thumb, contacting a first transverse portion of the inner seal with a first transverse-facing surface of the of the second thumb and contacting a second transverse portion of the inner seal with a second transverse-facing surface of the second thumb;
• contacting the inner portion of the inner seal with at least an outwardly-facing surface of the first thumb when the connection is made;
• and
• permitting deformation of the first and second connector components thereby to permit relative transverse movement between the first and second thumbs when the connection is made between:
• a first configuration where the second thumb is located in a first transverse location relative to the first thumb and where the first transverse portion of the inner seal is in contact with the first thumb and a second configuration where the second thumb is located in a second transverse location, different from the first transverse location, relative to the first thumb and where the second transverse portion of the inner seal is in contact with the first thumb.