Bamboo scaffolding in Hong Kong - GIF

[Frank S]

Scaffolding has always been and always will be the construction site safety engineers worst nightmare. For low height structure 6 stories of less there usually is not much that they need to concern themselves with as long as the vertical members are not damaged before erections are started. The materials of choice may be at times nothing more than 2x4 lumber screwed together, Bamboo is much better suited for the task. Aluminum poles are often used, 6 ft high sections of fabricated frames are the main choice by many. 20 ft or 6 meter pipes clamped together scaffolding are rarely used for these low height structures. When a structure reaches the 15 story mark is where sometimes the whole scaffolding assembly becomes questionable for many of the selected vertical members Lumber scaffolding's are almost never used by this time sectional scaffolding require not only horizontal ties to the building structure but require additional securement at each additional story added which transfers and shares the vertical loading to the building.
By the time a building reaches the 40 or 50+ mark virtually all additional vertical loading needs to be carried by the building structure.BY then a single attachment failure can result in collapse of the scaffolding. Bamboo poles are as strong as steel in many cases when fresh but will deteriorate at an exponential rate of decay the older it becomes.The use of previously used bamboo in tall structures is frowned upon by most safety engineers for any building which is going to require it to be un use on a site for any length of time.
I used to cringed every-time I had to visit a site with scaffolding that I thought would needed to be relegated to the scrap heap. Many times I would tell the head civil engineer on site that I refused to allow my personnel to begin installing our equipment or machines in the building if they wold be required to work anywhere near or even pass through or under the installed scaffolding without a crush proof tunnel to the entrance being installed.