Blog about Scaffolds
[07/06/2010] Materials used in scaffolding
Even though in some Asian countries, notably China, bamboo is used for scaffolding, in the rest of the World steel or aluminum tubes or pipes are more common. The main difference between these two materials is that the latter is much lighter and more flexible; the tubes come in standard diameter, but can vary in length and they are usually galvanized in order to be resistant to rust. Apart from the steel and aluminum pipes, wooden boards are also used in scaffolding and they provide the walking surface for the construction workers. Since scaffolding has to comply with stringent safety regulations and standards, the wooden boards come in three thicknesses, which are 38mm. 50mm, and 63mm and all the boards are 225mm wide and not longer than 3.9 meters; the board’s ends are fitted with iron plates for protection. Timber is also often used for the flooring of the scaffolding, when the ground is soft.
The third scaffolding material is the couplers, which connect the tubes: they are either right angle, putlog, or swivel. Join-pints are used to join the scaffolding tubes end-to-end and the swivel couplers connect the pipes at any desired angle. Even though only the right-angle and the swivel couplers are load-bearing, all couplers have to comply with slippage and breakage capacity requirements; in most cases the couplers are galvanized as well in order to last longer and be rust-protected.
Other elements and materials often used in scaffolding are ladders, lifts, guard rails, toe boards, ropes, anchor ties, gin reels, etc.
Other articles from this category:
[07/06/2010] Scaffolding
[07/06/2010] Basic scaffolding
[07/06/2010] Foundations and ties
[25/04/2011] Some Important yet Simple Scaffold Safety Tips
[25/04/2011] The Advantage of Purchasing Scaffold Towers for Home
[25/04/2011] Some Simple Tips To Buy Scaffolds
[25/04/2011] Simple Tips to Purchase Cheap Scaffolds
[25/04/2011] Some Simple Tips To Prevent Fall from Scaffold
