Scaffolding – Building Aid or Temporary Architectural Form?

Scaffolding is a generic term used to describe various components which, when assembled, form a scaffold. The latter is a type of temporary platform that is often used to provide support and easy access to multiple levels for workers and materials during the construction of a building. Such platforms are also commonly used when cleaning or performing repairs to buildings, other architectural structures, and bulky machinery.

Prehistoric Artists and Scaffolding

Many will be surprised to learn that the earliest known use of scaffolding was around 17 000 years ago. At the time, it was used not for construction purposes but by palaeolithic artists whose paintings still adorn the ceilings of the caves they inhabited. Strategically positioned holes in the walls of those caves are thought to be a clear indication that they were the means to support a platform of sorts from which the artists could then better reach the ceiling.

From Antiquity to the Renaissance

The spectacular structures of ancient Rome, Egypt and China, for example, would not have been possible without the extensive use of scaffolding which, at the time, would have been fabricated from wood or bamboo. In practice, even today, these materials are still used for this purpose in many parts of the world. Like the cave dwellers of the stone age, Michelangelo must also have relied on similar wooden structures when, during the late 14th century, he painted the magnificent frescoes that adorn the walls and ceiling of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.

Modern Times

It was only during the early 1900s that metal tubes began to replace the wood and bamboo universally used to create scaffolding. At the same time, the hemp ropes once used to lash the uprights together also gave way to metal couplers. Today, these and the many other components now available provide a means to create vast frameworks that encase entire buildings. The new products are sufficiently versatile to accommodate each corner, projection and recess of the most complex structures.

Expertise

Nobody would deny that designing a building requires a skilled architect or that costing a building project needs a competent quantity surveyor. However, designing the necessary scaffolding can be an equally demanding task that will often call for skills similar to those of an architect. When completed, the scaffold will often display all the hallmarks of an intricate architectural form, albeit a somewhat temporary one.

Get in Touch with Disc-O-Scaff

Such structures, however, would not be possible without the innovative thinking of manufacturers. Artform or not, construction companies cannot afford to devote too much of their valuable time to constructing these necessary work platforms. Disc-O-Scaff has made every effort to ensure that our scaffolding components conform to the highest international safety standards while being quick and easy to assemble and offering the user exceptionally versatility. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.