Scaffolding is an important part of almost all construction projects and has been widely adapted across many different projects. These structures serve many different purposes including support for tools and the ability to climb the building while it is being built or repaired.
There are many different types of materials used for scaffolding as well as design and layouts for different projects. Here is a list of the different types that are commonly used in construction.
Bamboo
Wooden and bamboo scaffolding is commonly found to be used outside of North America and Europe but bamboo is commonly used in China. It’s used over traditional due to how quickly it grows. It can grow just under a meter every day and can be half the weight of a steel rod. Since bamboo grows all over China it has become their main material to use.
Even their skyscrapers are built using bamboo as scaffolding. The assembly requires highly-skilled designers and technicians to ensure that everything is installed correctly to ensure the safety of the builders and the public.
Tube and clamp
Tube and clamp is one of the earliest implementation of steel in scaffolding. It consists of the two parts in its name, a tube and a clamp. To construct the support you simply have to connect tubes together with clamps. The ease of assembly and disassembly is what makes the tube and clamp variant the most popular.
The system is very adaptive and can be used to place vertical structures and other odd shapes that other variants have trouble with.
Systems
Also known as modular scaffolding, the system works by combing horizontal and vertical components together in a systemic manner. This variant of the structure is the most commonly adopted around the world with minor adjustments made to each to system to account for certain types of conditions. The systems support is seen as the grandfather of variants with different types branching out from underneath of it. They include;
Cuplock systems
This system is primarily made from galvanized steel and is used to support heavy loads. This variant supports systems with repeated patterns and creates highly standardised systems.
Kwikstage
The majority of scaffold designers in Australia and the UK use Kwikstage for their variant of choice. It is easy to assemble and is quite adaptable for most buildings. This type of structure also features platforms with extra grip and double guard rails as an extra safety measure.
Frame and brace
This type is very common in North America and Europe for commercial purposes. Its benefits are that it’s light and can be erected in a short amount of time. The downfall for this option is that it is a lot weaker than other options and isn’t suitable for heavy loads. This type of scaffolding is mostly used in smaller projects where it can be shifted and repurposed for different applications.
Suspended or swing
While some scaffolders don’t see this type of structure as a type of scaffold because it doesn’t touch the ground, for purposes of different types of construction aids we will. This variant is a platform that is suspended by a cable pulley system that can be elevated to different heights. This type of structure is commonly used on taller buildings that require maintenance on smaller scales.
If you are looking for scaffolding for a particular type of project and are still lost after reading all of these options simply ask someone. Many different types of providers are able to offer some assistance as it is their job to know these structures and put them to good use.