What Are The Available Types Of Scaffolding For Hire?

5 December 2015
 Categories: , Blog

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Scaffolding structures have been used in various commercial applications for the longest time. In the modern construction industry, these structures are used for different applications including repair works and maintenance-related activities, to provide access to high objects and even for cleaning windows on skyscrapers.

Because scaffolding structures are relatively expensive to purchase, a large number of equipment rental agencies offer these structures on a rental basis that is often a fraction of the structure's purchase price. Here is a look at the types of scaffolding available to commercial entities on a rental basis.

Supported Scaffolding

Supported scaffolding structures are perhaps the most commonly used type of scaffolding. These structures are built upwards from the base and are preferred over other types of scaffolds for various reasons. For one, supported scaffolding offers an almost unmatched stability for those using the platform. This is thanks to the rigid nature of the support provided to the scaffold platform through the use of frames, posts, brackets and outrigger beams, among several others.

Supported scaffolding structures can be made of more than one platform depending on the average weight the structure is expected to support on a regular basis.

Suspended Scaffolds

Suspended scaffolds are also available for hire from equipment rental agencies.

As the name suggests, suspended scaffolding structures hang from the roof or from a similar tall construct. Suspended scaffolds employ the use of pulleys and/or ropes to provide overhead support for the work platform.

Suspended scaffolds are of different types. Single-point suspended scaffolds have a single rope supporting the work platform while their double-point counterparts have two ropes supporting a suspended hanger. A float scaffold is a braced, suspended platform that is rested on parallel bearers, while catenaries are scaffold structures whose platform is fastened to parallel ropes placed horizontally.

Suspended scaffolding structures are most suitable for use in situations where base construction for the scaffold may not be possible.

Rolling Scaffolds

A commercial entity can also choose to hire a rolling scaffold structure. These structures are designed with castor style wheels to facilitate mobility of the scaffold's base. Rolling scaffolds are most preferred for use in applications that require employees to work over long distances that cannot be adequately covered by a single scaffold.

In order to prevent involuntary movement of the structure, the wheels are designed with a lock feature for ultimate safety of scaffold users. 

Ultimately, the best scaffolding hire will depend on the nature and complexity of the application for which the structure is needed.