

The chief difference between the two types of metal tubes is the lower weight of aluminium tubes (1.7 kg/m as opposed to 4.4 kg/m). The tubes come in a variety of lengths and a standard outside diameter of 48.3 mm. If steel, they are either 'black' or galvanised. Tubes are usually made either of steel or aluminium although there is composite scaffolding which uses filament-wound tubes of glass fibre in a nylon or polyester matrix, because of the high cost of composite tube, it is usually only used when there is a risk from overhead electric cables that cannot be isolated. With one basic 24 pound unit a scaffold of various sizes and heights could be assembled easily by a couple of labourers without the nuts or bolts previously needed. The basic lightweight tube scaffolding that became the standard and revolutionised scaffolding, becoming the baseline for decades, was invented and marketed in the mid-1950s. Today Īssembly of bamboo scaffolding cantilevered over a Hong Kong street The first frame system was brought to market by SGB in 1944 and was used extensively for the postwar reconstruction. The use of diagonal bracings also helped to improve stability, especially on tall buildings. Īdvancements in metallurgy throughout the early 20th century saw the introduction of tubular steel water pipes (instead of timber poles) with standardized dimensions, allowing for the industrial interchangeability of parts and improving the structural stability of the scaffold. Palmer-Jones followed this up with the improved "Universal Coupler" in 1919 - this soon became the industry standard coupling and has remained so to this day. In 1913, his company was commissioned for the reconstruction of Buckingham Palace, during which his Scaffixer gained much publicity.


ĭavid Palmer-Jones patented the "Scaffixer", a coupling device far more robust than rope which revolutionized scaffolding construction. Modern day scaffolding standards, practices and processes can be attributed to these men and their companies: Rapid Scaffold Tie Company Ltd, Tubular Scaffolding Company and Scaffolding Great Britain Ltd (SGB). The process was revolutionized by Daniel Palmer Jones and David Henry Jones. Scaffolding was erected by individual firms with wildly varying standards and sizes. Reconstruction of Buckingham Palace in 1913, under the scaffolding of Patent Rapid. Early scaffolding was made of wood and secured with rope knots. Egyptians, Nubians and Chinese are also recorded as having used scaffolding-like structures to build tall buildings. The Berlin Foundry Cup depicts scaffolding in ancient Greece (early 5th century BC). Sockets in the walls around the paleolithic cave paintings at Lascaux, suggest that a scaffold system was used for painting the ceiling, over 17,000 years ago. Specialized components used to aid in their use as a temporary structure often include heavy duty load bearing transoms, ladders or stairway units for the ingress and egress of the scaffold, beams ladder/unit types used to span obstacles and rubbish chutes used to remove unwanted materials from the scaffold or construction project. Brackets, used to extend the width of working platforms.Scaffold tie, used to tie in the scaffold to structures.Coupler, a fitting used to join components together.Batten or board decking component used to make the working platform.Brace diagonal and/or cross section bracing component.The transom, a horizontal cross-section load-bearing component which holds the batten, board, or decking unit.The standard, the upright component with connector joins.A base jack or plate which is a load-bearing base for the scaffold.Each type is made from several components which often include: These are tube and coupler (fitting) components, prefabricated modular system scaffold components, H-frame / façade modular system scaffolds, timber scaffolds and bamboo scaffolds (particularly in China and India). There are five main types of scaffolding used worldwide today. Scaffolding is also used in adapted forms for formwork and shoring, grandstand seating, concert stages, access/viewing towers, exhibition stands, ski ramps, half pipes and art projects. Unsafe scaffolding has the potential to result in death or serious injury. Scaffolds are widely used on site to get access to heights and areas that would be otherwise hard to get to. Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings, bridges and all other man-made structures. Scaffolding for rehabilitation in Madrid
