All About Scaffolding
Scaffolding: In simple term it means a temporary elevated working platform and its supporting for workmen, materials or both.
What is scaffolding?
A work you want to do but unable to perform due to height or not proper stable place to work so for completing that work you need a temporary working platform, this platform can be varying in material (wooden, bamboo, or any of metal), size, structure, etc
Benefits of Scaffolding.
- Access: It provides safe access to the working location.
- secured: it provides railing around the working platform which makes it secured
- Stable: it provides stable working platform where they can work even in unstable places
- Ease to assemble: it’s very easy to assemble as all parts are readymade
- long lasting: it is very durable for long period of time and low Maintenance
Uses of Scaffolding
1. it is use in cleaning and painting purpose such as Window glass in High rise building
2. it is use in construction industries in various places such as in lift shaft, work at height etc
3. it is use in industrial for inspection or Maintenance such Maintenance of tanker or pipeline or changing light
4. it use in other area also such as bridge construction, malls, streetlight and etc
All Parts of scaffolding
- 1. Sole Board
- 2. Base Plate
- 3. Standards/Post
- 4. Ledgers/Runners
- 5. Transoms
- 6. Planks
- 7. Couplers
- 8. Braces
- 9. Ladder
- 10. Scaffold Tag
- 11. Top rail
- 12. Mid Rail
- 13.Toe board
- 14. Outrigger
- 15. Wheels
- Sole Board: It is solid wooden board or thick lumbar or timber board and it used because of ground is loose or waterlogged area or uneven surface or non-solid surface(soil,grass or gravel) where scaffold can install and place it on top of and if required to use scaffold for permanent or long term or ground is loose or uneven than we have to put additional measure like concrete pads.
Indian Standard (IS) Specifications: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) provides guidelines under IS 3696 (Part 1): 1987 for scaffolding safety.
- Thickness: Min 35 mm for timber boards.
- Width: min 200 mm and larger board can be used depending on ground conditions.
- Length: Usually 1-2 mtrs or long enough to provide a stable base
International Standards Specifications: Guidelines from standards like OSHA (29 CFR 1926.451), BS 5973, and EN 12811 include:
Material: sole board made of durable, non-slip and weather resistant materials such as hardwood, treated softwood, or engineered materials. Incase if required to use scaffold for short term or softer ground, steel or metal plates can be used due to its high load bearing capacity.
- Thickness: Min 38 mm for wooden sole boards.
- width: 225-250 mm , depend upon base plate of scaffold.
- Length: sole board size should be more than base plate by all sides at least 75 mm.
- Load bearing Capacity: sole board must support the weight of scaffold, workers and material at least 4 times the intended load.
2. Base Plate: It is provide a stable foundation for the scaffold structure by distributing loads evenly
Indian Standard: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) addresses scaffolding components in documents like IS 3696 (Part 1): 1987.
International Standard: OSHA (29 CFR 1926.451), EN 74, EN 12811, and BS 1139.
| International standards | Indian standards | |
| Size | 150 mm x 1500 mm or 200 mm x 200 mm | 150 mm X 150 mm or larger |
| Thickness | 6-8 mm | 6 mm |
| Spigot Design | Central, sometimes ribbed | Central |
| Load Capacity | 4 times the intended load | Based on ground condition |
| Material | Galvanized steel or cast iron | High strength steel |
| Center Hole Diameter | 38-60 mm | 38-50 mm |
