22 Jan What Is Progressive Scaffolding?
For most people, scaffolding is just scaffolding. It surrounds buildings of all types and sizes that are being built, repaired and demolished and, at a distance, it all looks much the same. That’s far from the truth. There are many kinds of scaffolds, each type used in certain circumstances and not others — including progressive scaffolding.
What Is Progressive Scaffolding?
If an average semi or detached house needs structural repairs, it’s likely that scaffolds will be put up at the start of the job and left till it can be removed. For some jobs, though, it’s not so simple, and progressive scaffolding is needed.
Scaffolding is progressive if it needs to be added to during the course of the work. This may involve the same scaffolds being extended around the building to work on different sections. Most often, though, progressive scaffolding is built up one level at a time, as it’s needed.
This creates challenges of its own. It’s the nature of most scaffolding that the lowest level provides the foundation that supports all higher levels. This means that the initial construction needs to be capable of supporting everything that will be added to it — though this still needs to be checked each time a new level is built.
When Is Progressive Scaffolding Used?
The most common use for progressive scaffolding is for constructing multi-storey buildings. It wouldn’t be practical, for example, to build ten levels of scaffolding straight away, before the building has got beyond the ground floor. Each level is normally added when it’s required, until the scaffolding stretches up to the full height of the finished building.
A different type of progressive scaffolding may be required when one part of a building needs to be worked on at first, but the scaffolding has to be extended in later stages. Extending it around the building has challenges similar to building it up
Can It Be Used for Commercial and Domestic Properties?
Multi-level buildings are put to a wide range of uses — blocks of flats, hotels, office-blocks, shopping complexes and many others. The purpose might be different, but the challenges of construction are similar.
Whether the building is to be put to domestic, commercial or public use, it will need progressive scaffolding to be constructed safely. And that’s also true whether it’s three or four storeys or the latest rival to the Shard.
If you think your project may require progressive scaffolding (or any other kind), you’re welcome to get in touch with us to find out what we can offer.