As an employer, it’s crucial to choose the right scaffolding because your workers’ lives depend on it. You don’t want your negligence to cause someone’s death or injury. The easiest way is to get in touch with a company that rents scaffolding as this is cheaper than spending money on expensive machines or materials to build the scaffolding yourself.
The right scaffolding should be stable and strong enough to endure the weight of the workmen and construction material. It’s typically made up of steel, aluminum, or timber. There are different kinds of scaffolding that one might need:
Ground-supported scaffolding
This type of construction is erected from the ground and supports the structure all the way up. It can be a simple one like the single scaffolding used for brick masonry where the ledgers, putlogs, and standards are parallel to the wall with a 1.2 m distance between them.
There’s also the double or independent scaffolding for stone masonry where two rows of scaffolding are needed because it’s extremely hard to make putlog holes in a stone wall. The “birdcage” is another common type of ground-supported scaffolding, typical of huge high-rise buildings and a very complex one as well.
Ground-supported scaffolding in the form of a suspended scaffolding comes really handy in painting, high-rise window cleaning, or any kind of repair work on elevated heights. The working platform can be raised to the required level using chains, steel pullies, etc.
Cantilevered scaffolding
The cantilevered scaffolding provides an excellent solution for the following scenarios:
- If the space close to the wall needs to be free from traffic, or
- If there’s some construction work underway on the top part of the wall
In such cases, the cantilever is the easiest way to gain access to the structure.
This type of scaffolding is also known as “needle” scaffolding because a needle supports the entire scaffold. One type of cantilever has the standards supported by a chain of needles that come out of the holes in the wall. The needles can also be supported inside the floors through the openings and this is known as independent or double-frame scaffolding.
Hanging scaffolding
Hanging scaffolding, also known as bracket scaffolding, provides support both from below and above the structure. It’s sometimes used as a substitute for cantilever scaffolding where the brackets are fastened onto a resistant platform or to a beam. This type of scaffolding can be very useful for roof work such as material installment or waterproofing.
Trestle
Whereas the other types of scaffolding are primarily used outdoors, the trestle is for indoor usage. The trestle can’t be more than 5 meters high. The platform stands on movable stepladders or tripods, and it’s perfect for painting and small repair jobs.