Tubular Steel Scaffolding Components

FRAMES

Self-lock frames come in three lengths and can be used according to the type of work to be done and the height. 

TIE BARS

Tie bars / Guard rails: Two tie bars are used at the base of the scaffold and two on top for safety. 

DIAGONAL / PLAN BRACE:

                                                                 Used for tying diagonal corner to ensure increase structural                                                                          integrity.

HOOK-ON BOARDS

Hook-on Boards clip onto the Self-lock Frames and serve as a platform to stand on. Maximum permissible loading 160kg / m2 

KNEE BRACES:

Knee braces are used to stabilize the bottom frames and keep the tower square.

HOOK ON LADDERS:

Hook on ladders are used to gain access to the top working platform of the scaffolding in order to perform work at height tasks. 

TOE BOARDS & TOE BOARD CLIPS:

Toe Board Clips are hooked on to the frames and Toe Boards are placed between the Toe Board Clips. Once fitted they prevent tools and equipment from being accidentally falling off the scaffold. 

TRAPDOOR:

Trapdoors are placed between the platforms and are used to provide access to the working platform.

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Did you know?

Interesting designs of Porcelain Scaffolding Joints 

Berlin designers Beta Tank want to make scaffolding pretty. Designer Eyal Burstein has started out by casting a series of scaffolding joints in glazed porcelain with gold and platinum nuts and bolts.

Burstein says the delicate pieces are the catalyst for a series of more practical scaffolding accessories, including bird houses and plant pots, so residents can add a little glamour to their building while it's temporarily covered in poles, planks and tarpaulins.

Sistine Chapel facts Did you know?
One of the Sistine Chapel facts is that it took Michelangelo more than four years to paint the ceiling, and he spent much of this time bent backwards painting on top of the scaffolding. Special scaffolding was used so that mass would still be possible, and the scaffolding started higher up the wall than usual because of this.

The Great Fire of London Did you know?
The most famous building destroyed by The Great Fire of London was St Paul's Cathedral. After the fire, its ruins were demolished. Work to rebuild it began in 1675 based on designs by Sir Christopher Wren. The result is the St Paul's Cathedral that now stands in London with its famous dome.

Ironically, Sir Christopher Wren had suggested that the cathedral should be demolished before the fire. He had been commissioned to redesign it following years of neglect and mistreatment. These plans were opposed, and wooden scaffolding was constructed around the cathedral to allow it to be redeveloped without demolition. As the fire reached St Paul's Cathedral, the wooden scaffolding surrounding it would have contributed to the extent of its destruction.

Taj Mahal Did you know?

Rather than waiting years for for men to dismantle and remove the Scaffolding that surrounded the Taj Mahal (that he would have to pay to do the job) Shah Jahan hatched a cunning plan. Why did he need to pay people to take down the scaffolding when the local peasants would do it for free. Realizing that he no longer needed the materials that made up the scaffolding because he was rich enough to just buy more if he needed them. Jahan issued a statement stating that any materials the local population could take from the scaffolding would be theirs to keep. Since bricks were a valuable commodity back then, this offer was like Bill Gates offering 10 dollars to every person who could wing a Big Mac at his front door.

Legend has it that the locals pulled the scaffolding down in a single night after Jahan issued the statement.

The Eden Project Did you know?
The Eden Project is a visitor attraction in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. Inside the artificial biomes are plants that are collected from all around the world. The depth of the crater on which the biomes are built is 60m, the size of 35 football pitches. The foundations for the biomes are two metres wide, 1.5m thick and 858m long. Concrete in the foundations is 2480m3 and the reinforcements weigh 284 tonnes!
Putting up the biomes required the largest birdcage scaffolding in the world - 12 levels, 25 metres across, containing 46,000 poles. In all, 230 miles of scaffolding was erected and it is in the Guinness Book of World Records

Adjustable Steel Prop Did you know?
William .A. de Vigier is credited with designing an adjustable steel prop that revolutionized scaffolding designs all over the world. This steel prop forms the basis of trench sheeting and falsework, support slab formwork, and wall formwork.

WW2 Did you know?
The Taj Mahal was covered with a huge scaffolding during WW2 to make it look like a stockpile of bamboo and misguided any Japanese bombers. It was again disguised in 1971 during 1971 during Indo-Pak War.

Bamboo Scaffolding Did you know? 
Scaffolding today is mainly made of metal pipes. But in some parts of Asia, scaffolding is made of bamboo and is even used when building very tall skyscrapers.

Institute for Working at Height

The Institute for Work at Height was formed in January 2009 being a merger of the Specialised Access Engineering Manufacturers Association (SAEMA) and the Rope Access And Fall Arrest Association (RAFAA) desirous of creating safety awareness and in turn "professionalism in the overall Work At Height Industry".

The Institute

• Provides a unified voice for suppliers and users of all types of work at height equipment and services.
• Sets and maintains Industry standards.
• Develops guidelines and frameworks for skills development within the Industry.
• Impresses on clients the professionalism, integrity and credibility of IWH members by adherence to a Code of Ethical Practice.
• Represents Industry views to Government Departments and the Private Sector.
• Provides information on all related work at height matters.
• Provides a regular forum for members to meet and discuss matters of mutual interest.

About the Institute for Work at Height

The merger of SAEMA and RAFAA in January 2009 came about as both Associations recognised they had common areas of objectives and activities including:

• Work at Height – being the common factor; the two existing Associations between them cover the full spectrum of this field of activity.

• Legislation in terms of the Occupational Health & Safety Act, including the Construction Regulations of the Act affecting the work at height industry.

• Registered  Schedule 1 Employer bodies of the Services SETA.

• Professional Body status given by the Services SETA – this being responsible for the certification and licensing of individuals.

• The development of unit standards, skills programmes, and recognition of prior learning programmes, using the same outsourced expertise.

• Interaction with the Department of Labour.

• A new body would attract many new members in the various categories of membership, resulting in far greater financial stability.

• Industry promotion for work at height, including  The Institutes mouthpiece being the journal published by Primedia  - "Specialised Access”"

• Outsourcing of administration services to the same Secretariat.

Mission Statement

The Mission of the IWH is to ensure that members provide reliable equipment and services for safe and efficient work at height.

This can be achieved by the following broad objectives:-

• providing a unified voice for the Industry.

• setting and maintaining industry standards.

• promoting the awareness of the Industry.
• developing guidelines and frameworks for skills development of industry players and the education of end-users

Aluminium Scaffolding

Aluminum scaffolding is prominently known for having a large number of advantages over the other kinds of scaffolding. Many of the advantages are concerned with the convenience of the use and the portability of the aluminum scaffolding. Moreover, the aluminum scaffolding even provides quite easy set up in several different cases. This kind of scaffolding is even less probable to experience cracks and offer great support that allows it to have greater durability. Thus, the aluminum scaffold is more durable than any other to opt for scaffolding hire.

The aluminum scaffolding components are known to employ special aluminum alloy that is nearly 75% lighter than the conventional steel frame. The installation of the aluminum scaffolding is simple and fast.

The overall aluminum scaffolding structure is known to make use of the “building blocks” combination design that does not require any types of the installation tools. The fast installation aluminum alloy scaffolding is recognized as an efficient helper for different kinds of aerial work. This kind of aluminum alloy scaffolding is capable to solve various aerial issues of many enterprises that can offer height overlap joint as per the actual requirements.

Aluminum scaffolding is even known to be stable and offer the users maximum possible stability. Another significant factor that contributes to the benefits due to the aluminum scaffolding is the cost. Aluminum is the cheapest option available in various kinds of scaffolding. Due to its several advantages, many construction sites require greater amount of the aluminum scaffolding and thus due to its low cost it is possible to save a considerable amount of money.

With all this information, any smart person can easily make a choice as to which type of scaffolding hire to opt for.

Different types of Aluminium Scaffolding:

Stairway Tower

This tower has a base dimension of 1,500m x 1.850m and can be built to a maximum height of 20,5m. Stairway towers from different manufacturers will have varying base dimensions.

The main feature of this tower is the internal staircase which provides for easy and safe access. There are platforms at 2m intervals which serve as resting platforms.

Wide Span Tower

This tower has a base dimension of 1.500m x 1.850m and can be built to a maximum height of 20,2m. Wide span towers from different manufacturers will have varying base dimensions.

The main feature of this tower is the large working platform area as well as the height and heavier load rating when compared to the narrow span tower.

Narrow Span Tower

This tower has a base dimension of 0.900m x 1.850m and can be built to a maximum height of 8,2m.

Narrow Span towers from different manufacturers will have varying base dimensions.

The main feature of this tower is the narrow width for use in passages, staircases, shops, factories, etc.

Facts about Scaffolding

From a distance, scaffolding looks like a maze of criss-crossing steel pipes that encircles a building. But peer closely and you will realize that complex and precision engineering is at work behind the lattice.

Here are some interesting facts about scaffolding:

• It is believed that scaffolding originated in ancient North Africa and China. A Greek wine cup, also known as a kylix and dating back to the fifth century, contains an image of a statue of a warrior within a scaffolding.
• Scaffolding today is mainly made of metal pipes. But in some parts of Asia, scaffolding is made of bamboo and is even used when building very tall skyscrapers.
• Until the 20th century, scaffolding was made mainly of wood. However, shortages in the supply of wood in various regions prompted manufacturers to look for other sources.
• W.A. de Vigier is credited with designing an adjustable steel prop that revolutionized scaffolding designs all over the world. This steel prop forms the basis of trench sheeting and falsework, support slab formwork, and wall formwork.
• The most famous scaffold designer in history is probably Michelangelo, the great painter, sculptor, and architect.  The scaffold that he had designed to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is a conversation piece in itself.

TYPES OF SCAFFOLDING AND THEIR USES

There is a surprising range of scaffolding types that can be used in construction and for other purposes. The general principle of a scaffolding construction, whether it is a static, rolling, or any other type of construction, remains the same – to provide a platform for workers and materials while work takes place.

Most often seen in construction projects, scaffolding structures and other constructs can be used for a variety of purposes. It is common to see scaffolding being used for repair work, to access high objects, for window cleaning tall buildings, and more. Choosing the most appropriate form of scaffold structure is an important stage in the project that you are undertaking.

Supported Scaffolding

This is the most commonly used form of scaffolding and is the type that you will see being used in construction work and on most other forms of work where elevation is required. Extra support may be required if the scaffolding will be long or required to take a lot of weight.

Supported scaffolding is built from the base upwards, and will normally be used wherever possible. It is considered the easiest, most convenient, safest, and most cost effective form of scaffolding construct. Different forms of supported scaffolding are available, and each will serve a very specific purpose and used in specific circumstances.

Suspended Scaffolding

Suspended scaffolding is typically suspended from a roof or other tall construct. It is most commonly used when it is not possible to construct a base, or where access to upper levels may be required, and the building of scaffolding from floor to the required level would be impractical.

This type of scaffolding is commonly used by window cleaners on tall buildings, but may also be seen where repairs are needed to the exterior of upper levels of similarly tall buildings. Supported scaffolding is usually preferred where possible.

Rolling Scaffolding

Rolling scaffolding is a similar type of construct to supported scaffolding, but rather than offering a stable base, it uses castor style wheels that enable the base to be moved. This is a useful form of scaffolding when you need to complete work over a longer distance than a single scaffolding construction would permit.

The wheels should be locked when workers or materials are on the scaffolding, in order to ensure the safety of those using it, and those around it.

Mobile Scaffolding

There are a number of factors to consider when deciding whether to use static or mobile scaffolding. Ease of access is one such consideration, along with the amount of movement on the scaffolding itself. Where possible, you should rely on the use of a single scaffolding structure, or a number of structures, because mobile units, while perfectly safe when well-constructed and used properly, do pose more of a hazard than mobile constructs.

Most scaffolding is considered semi-permanent. Once used, it can be taken apart and moved to another location before it is constructed again. Fixed scaffolding can be left in position for longer periods of time, making it especially useful in those situations where permanent access may be needed to elevated positions.

Aerial Lifts

Aerial lifts should be used where workers need to be able to access a number of levels in order to be able to complete a construction. For example, if building work is being completed on the outside of a multi-story property and both workers and materials will be needed to work outside two or more floors, at different times, then an aerial lift will make it easier and safer to lift even large amounts of material, and multiple workers to the levels required.