Aluminum Scaffolding A Revolutionary Material For The 20th Century
The major developments at the turn of the 20th century included the design of connection couplers, transitions to other span and cantilever metal beams such as steel pipes, reusable timber beams, and adjustable steel prop supports. In 1935 W.A. de Vigier designed an adjustable steel prop mechanism which revolutionized many aspects of the scaffolding construction industry including the support of concrete slab formwork, wall formwork, trench sheeting, and basic scaffolding equipment; including scaffold ladder design made of both wood and aluminum.
Advances In Aluminum Scaffolding
Ladder scaffolding jacks were also invented then. A ladder scaffold jack is a simple device consisting of a platform resting on brackets attached to a scaffold ladder or ladders. Scaffold ladder jacks are primarily used in light applications because of their portability and cost effectiveness. Ladder jacks and ladder jack design apply to all types of supported scaffolds - wood or aluminum scaffold. Ladder scaffold jacks are never fitted with wheels.
In the early part of the 20th century, many different aluminum scaffold systems were being developed around the world. These generally consisted of arc or spot welded frames that could be slotted or clipped together to form access or support for aluminum scaffold towers. The reduction in construction time and installation complexity led to reduced labor costs and also required less skill in assembly. Further developments have made aluminum scaffolding systems even easier to use. Stronger systems have been introduced that either, incorporate horizontal restraints at more levels or by using stronger tubes and connections. Materials from which aluminum scaffold systems are manufactured have also diversified from traditional steel and timber to aluminum components - in some cases composite plastic materials - especially the planks.
Aluminum Scaffolding Safety
In the United Kingdom, BS 5975 gives recommendations for the design and use of aluminum scaffolding, ladder scaffolding, and scaffold jacks, on both home and industrial construction sites. The regulations and standards were first introduced by the British Standards Institute in March 1982 and was then revised in March 1996. The code was revised and a new version of the code was released in 2008. The new revisions brings the code up to date with methodology developed in the new CDM 2007 UK regulations and also the requirements of the new European codes, BS EN 12811-1:2003 Temporary Works Equipment - Part: Scaffolds, and BS EN 12812:2004, Falsework - Performance Requirements and General Design. The US and Canada developed and released similar regulations and standards shortly afterwards and so did OSHA and almost all State OSHAs.
Aluminum scaffolding and aluminum ladder scaffolding has almost totally engulfed the sale of ladder scaffolds and made mobile scaffold from wood. The next big step seems to be the further use of composite plastics for scaffolding and the development of composite scaffolding planks
