With the earliest known example of scaffolding dating to 17,000 years ago, innovation might feel like it has no place in the industry. However, subtle changes to a time-old design can make work faster, safer, and more effective. Here’s an update on the latest improvements:
An Ancient Art
Our ancestors cracked the basic code of accessing high or hard to reach areas long before modern civilisation was born. The traditional practice of affixing a framework to a building is a matter of mathematics, physics, and balance, and it remains the backbone of the construction industry. It’s also an antiquated one, with many scaffolding contractors using equipment that is decades old. However, older scaffolding methods are both time-consuming and costly, and are accompanied by high levels of risk.
The Van Thiel Concept
The Van Thiel concept focuses on increasing efficiency with shorter tubes that are easier to transport and erect, have fewer components, and utilise a time-saving click-together mechanism. The result is a very strong structure that has high levels of adaptability, making it particularly useful for difficult areas such as pedestrian walkways, high-wind locations, and large sites. When it comes to putting up reliable scaffolding safely and quickly, while reducing costs, few methods are as effective as Van Thiel.
Hakitec Roof Systems
In the UK, weatherproofing is always a primary concern. However, covering scaffolding can itself be both time-consuming and expensive, creating a budgetary juggling act. The innovative Hakitec roofing system avoids these problems by using a minimal number of components to provide robust protection via tough LD polythene. Additional benefits of Hakitec include collective fall prevention and a hook-based locking catch system that creates a solid casing for scaffolding. Easy to construct and install, Hakitec is a swift, versatile, and safe solution.
Plastic Boards
One of the simplest, yet most important scaffolding innovations, is the move to plastic boards. Traditional scaffolding uses wooden boards, but these come with a range of challenges. Wood is heavy to transport and cumbersome to install, making it expensive to use. Wood is also vulnerable to weather damage, and can become slippery when wet. Tough plastic can be treated to increase slip-resistance, is easy to construct, and has high levels of re-usability, resulting in a safer, cost-effective scaffolding floor.
Software
Although software and scaffolding may feel like they are poles apart, new digital innovations have been transforming the industry. Software can help with calculating structural design and increasing process efficiency, enabling scaffolding to be constructed and dismantled in the swiftest way possible. The effect is to save both time, and money, whilst keeping a keen focus on project safety.
Discuss Your Project Requirements
At Magnum, we are firm believers in innovation. We’ve seen how the combination of Van Theil, Hakitec, plastic boards, and software can have a major influence on project time, cost, and safety. For more information about how the right scaffolding set-up could enhance your project, have a chat with one of our scaffolding specialists today.