Scaffold Towers
Scaffold towers can be employed for a great variety of uses. To suit all these purposes there is a very large number of different types of scaffold towers one can choose from. Also, there are generally two main different materials (aluminium and steel) a scaffold tower can be built from, but in East Asia bamboo is also used.
In terms of types, there are two main categories we can use to classify scaffolding: dependent scaffolding and independent scaffolding.
Dependent Scaffolding
Dependent scaffold structures are completely dependent on the structure they are built up against for support. They can obviously not be moved around and no component from the structure can be removed until the scaffold is being dismantled.
Independent Scaffolding
Independent scaffolds are free standing structures which often can be moved around if they are constructed upon swivelling wheels called castors. There are various subcategories of independent scaffolds such as hung scaffolds, birdcage and most importantly scaffold towers. All of these must be erected by a professional person who knows the health and safety regulation requirements relevant to the specific tower he is constructing.
Scaffold Towers
Scaffold towers (also known as tower scaffolds, scaffolding towers or even work platforms) are independent scaffolding structures designed to reach high on a building or other structure while only occupying a narrow frontage. They can be made from a variety of materials, but the most common are steel and aluminium.
Aluminium Scaffold Tower Advantages
The main difference between the two materials most commonly used for making a scaffold tower is in terms of weight, price and durability. Aluminium is a light material, therefore easy to transport and particularly well suited for domestic DIY scaffold tower construction. Aluminium scaffold structures are cheaper to purchase or hire. Their disadvantage lies, not in resistance and sturdiness as one may expect, but in durability. The material, in comparison to steel, could split, splinter, swell or warp. Also, steel structures are stiffer than aluminium ones and so provide a more stable platform.
Special Scaffold Tower Materials
Price, durability and weight cannot always be the sole choice criteria when deciding what kind of scaffold material to opt for. In certain instances, mainly in industries such as the oil industry, aviation, gas, chemical manufacturing and so forth, it becomes important to evaluate the material's conductive or non-conductive nature. Also, in some instances it is crucial for the material to not "spark". Glass fibre has been developed to suit all these purposes optimally.
Bamboo Scaffolding
Bamboo is a traditional building material used in Asia. It is very resistant, cheap and light. The main advantage over 'Western' materials is that it is an environmentally friendly alternative. A scaffold structure made of bamboo will eventually decompose and leave no waste. Such a structure is also rather easy to erect without the aid of machinery, thus reducing costs and saving mechanical energy.
Combined Materials Solutions
Research to find the ideal solution has come up with an innovative alternative which suggest combining steel or aluminium and bamboo for a versatile scaffolding solution which is maximally efficient as it would utilise the strengths of both components. Steel, the stronger and safer material, would be used on the inside of the structure, to construct its skeleton. Bamboo being the flexible material would be utilised on the outside of the structure to add specific details.
Materials
Maintaining the scaffold properly is essential in order to avoid fatal injuries. Damages and faults however minor must be dealt with immediately and the scaffold cannot be used while it is being checked and repaired.