Common Types of Scaffolding and Their Use

The history of scaffolding is much older than one might imagine. In practice, its earliest use was not to construct high buildings but to provide a temporary work platform for palaeolithic artists when decorating the walls and ceilings of their cave dwellings. At that time, these structures would have consisted of wooden poles bound together with animal hide.

Around 12 000 years later, Michelangelo would have relied on a similar structure when painting the ceiling and frescoes of the Sistine Chapel. Although wooden and bamboo staging is still in use today, modern scaffolding systems consist primarily of steel components. Consequently, they are both more stable and more versatile than their precursors.

There are two main types of scaffolding. One consists of prefabricated modules that can be combined to form a tower. The other consists of individual tubes and connectors that the user must assemble in the desired configuration. In each case, the result is a stable platform with characteristics that serve to determine its most appropriate use. The modular type of scaffolding is available in South Africa as Selflock. Because it is quick and easy to assemble and suitable for either indoor or outdoor use, it is popular among smaller contractors such as painting and decorating firms.

By contrast, to assemble a platform from horizontal, vertical, and diagonal steel standards, ledgers, and braces and secure these in place with specially designed clamps requires a little more skill. Consequently, the task is often delegated to a qualified scaffolder. However, while the erection process may need a bit more experience, time, and effort, this form of scaffolding is exceptionally versatile. It is a simple matter to follow the contours of even the most complicated structures when using this type of product. It is available in South Africa under the name Kwikstage where it has become the preferred choice of many of the nation’s most prestigious construction companies.

Both products are manufactured in South Africa using only the highest quality SABS-approved materials and are fully compliant with stringent national and international safety standards. The Selflock product consists mainly of prefabricated frames of different sizes and includes additional horizontal and diagonal braces, hook-on steel boards, toe boards, and access ladders. Although Kwikstage scaffolding has considerably more components, these have been designed for easy transportation and storage.

Construction companies and builders merchants can contact Disc-O-Scaff, the manufacturer and distributor of Kwikstage and Selflock in South Africa, for more details of these world-class products.