Scaffolding is not a new technique, it is something that has not been used for ages in the human civilization to erect different types of buildings. It is also been said that even the ancient pyramids of Egypt were once built by the use of timber scaffolding. It is also a known fact that wooden scaffolding had been in used for construction until 1922 in the previous century. After this the wooden tubes used in the scaffold structure were replaced by the metal tubes. As far as modern construction for scaffolding is concerned we strictly use only metal tubes in the the construction process. All the scaffold hire companies follow it as a very strict norm to have metal used as a material in scaffolding. The idea of using tubes came about in the 1950’s and now has become a necessity for scaffolding by today. Any scaffolder hire company would like to make sure that they do not compromise on the material and the quality of the work which is used in the scaffolding as a process. The reason why this is a practical solution as tubes can be used and fixed without the use of any nuts and bolts. The steel tubes are lightweight and at the same time remain very sturdy and strong. Usually two types of materials are preferred for metal tubes :
- Steel
- Aluminium
Steel is considered to be good for both strength and durability. Steel tubes are less likely to have any cracks as they are also flexible. They can also be utilized for carrying heavy loads of weight. So it makes it easier for scaffolding as the workers can carry heavy appliances from one place to another without worrying much about the weight. Aluminium serves the same purpose as steel but it can be used for lightweight scaffolding where the situation is less demanding and the structure is less likely to be unstable.
The structure of a metal scaffolding can be divided into three basic elements namely :
- Standards
- Ledgers
- Transforms
The applications of the metal scaffolding have been listed as follows :
When you are using scaffold on a hire basis then metal tubes can be used for the the following purposes. They can be used for many forms.
Supported Scaffolding
The supported scaffolding is the most common type of scaffolding that is used. It is built right from the ground and used for construction on all levels. It is the easiest and most effective method for construction yet.
Suspended Scaffolding
Suspended Scaffolding is the type of scaffolding that is done from the roof. It is used in the situations in high buildings on when it is not practical to have scaffolding from the ground.
Rolling Scaffolding
It is a similar method to the supported scaffolding, the only difference is that castor wheels are used to move the scaffold around even without a base.
