The Different Types of Scaffolding Used in Construction

Scaffolding, also known as staging, is a temporary provisional framework used in construction sites to provide support to the buildings’ original structure. At the same time, it acts as a platform for the crew to perform construction work in heights or areas that they could not otherwise access.

Scaffolding is used for the construction and repair of different types of projects – ranging from simple residential buildings to complex industrial constructions.

There are 3 key parts for each type of scaffolding:

standards – the upright component with connector joins
ledgers – a horizontal brace
transoms – a horizontal cross-section load-bearing component that holds the working deck of a scaffold (the part you’ll be standing on!)
Depending on the construction project, there are different types of scaffolding that can be used. If you’re looking for more information about scaffolding, look no further. Below are the most common scaffolding types used on construction sites.

Single scaffolding
Also referred to as ‘brick layer’s scaffolding’, single scaffolding is one of the oldest types of scaffolding and it is mainly used for brick masonry. Single scaffolding consists of standards, ledgers, and putlogs (small holes made in the walls of structures to insert the ends of poles or beams to support scaffolding), that are set parallel to the wall at a distance of approximately 1.2 meters.

More specifically, standards are set at a distance of 2 to 2.5 meters. and ledgers connect the standards at a vertical interval of 1.2 to 1.5 meters. Meanwhile, putlogs are set at a fixed distance of 1.2 to 1.5 meters and are extracted from a gap in the wall at the end of the ledger. All technical requirements need to be followed to keep the scaffolding structure sturdy and robust.

Double scaffolding
Double scaffolding is often referred to as ‘independent scaffolding’ and is mainly used for stone masonry construction projects. Considering that stone walls can’t support putlogs, double scaffolding offers the required sturdiness and robustness by placing two scaffoldings together. Once the frames are well positioned, the putlogs can be then added to complete the scaffold. Cross braces and rakers can also be added at a later stage to make the structure firmer.

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