Austrian formwork and scaffolding firm Doka recently unveiled its Xlife top sheet, the company’s first formwork component featuring a core made entirely from recycled plastic.

Launched at the bauma construction machinery trade fair in Munich, Germany, in April, the Xlife top sheet utilises innovative plastic composite technology to offer high durability and multiple reuses, aiming to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to Doka.

The company highlighted the product as a step towards demonstrating that environmentally friendly practices and cost-efficiency can be combined in the construction sector.

“Until now, sustainable solutions are often premium or niche products that struggle to reach the mainstream construction market,” said Robert Hauser, CEO of Doka. “With Doka Xlife top, we are breaking that pattern and proving that sustainability and economic viability can go hand in hand, making climate-friendly concrete construction feasible, accessible, and practical at scale.”

The 30-m scaffolding tower at bauma, built from Ringlock components and Doka’s UniKit heavy-duty shoring system.

The company emphasised the closed-loop recycling system for the Xlife top sheets, where used sheets are taken back by Doka at the end of their lifecycle and fully recycled into new sheet cores. Doka also noted that the Xlife top sheet has a significantly smaller product carbon footprint (PCF) compared to conventional wood-composite sheets due to the use of recycled plastic and its extended lifespan.

Beyond sustainability, Doka pointed to the sheet’s performance benefits, including a scratch-resistant, silk-matte surface that ensures consistent concrete quality and does not stain. The company added that the Xlife top surface and advanced composite technology make the sheet more resistant to damage, extending its lifespan significantly beyond conventional formwork sheets. Its robust structure allows fast and easy cleaning, even with high-pressure washers, which reduces on-site labour time. The new sheet lowers refurbishment costs due to enhanced methods including partial sheet replacement.

The Xlife top sheets are designed to integrate with Doka’s existing framed formwork systems. Fewer replacements, lower maintenance, and reduced concrete refurbishment translate into significant cost savings for construction companies, it said.

Optimising innovative plastic composite technology, Xlife top delivers exceptional durability and multiple reuse cycles to radically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the company adds.

Doka is actively working across diverse product segments to develop a growing portfolio of more climate-friendly solutions for its customers.

At bauma, across more than 5,300 sq m of exhibition space, Doka showcased more than 40 innovations from various fields of concrete construction – with scaffolding playing a central role. Towering above it all was a 30-m scaffolding landmark tower, built from Ringlock components and Doka’s UniKit heavy-duty shoring system. It was more than a visual landmark – it was a statement of engineering capability, modular integration, and Doka’s ambitions in scaffolding, the company added.