Parts of a Ring Lock Scaffold

The Ring Lock scaffolding system[6]​ allows connections to be made in different directions, to carry out different types of assemblies, in straight or curved structures.

Multidirectional or Ring Lock scaffolding is made up of the following parts:.

• - Base plate: From which the ground is leveled to raise the structure.

• - Neck: joins with the base plate to build the scaffold.

• - Vertical: They are the support of the scaffolding. They have a rose window every 50 cm where the horizontals and diagonals meet.

• - Horizontal and diagonal: These give the shape and support to the scaffolding structure.

• - Stairs and platforms: These are the interior structures through which the scaffolding workers move between levels.

Scaffolding assembly process

Although the assembly process[7]​ of a scaffolding presents multiple particular characteristics that in many cases are determined by both the country's regulations and the specifications indicated by the manufacturer based on the type of scaffolding, as a general rule we must consider the following steps in its assembly:.

1. • Preparation of the bases. On a flat surface of the ground (when the ground is beaten, the use of wooden boards is recommended) the base levelers will be placed that will support the stability and weight of the scaffolding.

2. • The placement of the initializer. It is the element that joins the base levelers, a "bar" that joins them and is normally located at a distance of about 70 cm.

3. • Placement of the scaffolding element. It corresponds to the vertical structure in "bars" that fit into the base levelers.

4. • Placement of the bars and diagonal. They are the horizontal and diagonal "bars" (also called bodyguards) that join the vertical structure and stabilize the scaffolding in general.

5. • Placing access and metal platforms as well as leveling the assembly. They are normally metallic horizontal elements that, apart from stabilizing the structure and plumb line of the scaffolding, form the access surface, the operator's work and material support. It must be a non-slip surface.

6. • Placement of the body guard. It is the structural element that will protect the operator as a railing in their work area and to prevent falls, which will also have diagonal bars for greater reinforcement.

1. • We restart the assembly process from point three to six previously outlined. We would place scaffolding elements on top of each other, first in their vertical part and then the horizontal bars and bodyguards with the safety diagonals and the corresponding railings for the safety of the operators.

2. • Placing skirting boards. The skirting boards are fitted on the work platforms in accordance with the requirements of the regulations.

3. • Placement of access stairs. Access to the work levels is via an internal staircase fitted into the scaffolding structure itself.

4. • Placement of the scaffolding terminals. The last level of the scaffolding is enclosed with the scaffolding terminals according to regulations and houses the safety elements required according to the relevant Law. Which must contain the bodyguard elements outlined in point 6.

As a note, it should be taken into account that disassembling scaffolding is reversing the process outlined above.

Classification of working scaffolding

In Spain there are standards UNE EN 12810 and UNE EN 12811 that are responsible for defining and classifying standardized tubular scaffolding. These standards include minimum quality characteristics for materials, standardized testing and characterization processes for each key element, as well as appropriate geometries to fulfill their function. In order to verify compliance with these standards, there are certificates issued by entities such as AENOR where the results of audits and tests are collected. One of the conclusions of the standards, and therefore of the certificates, is the suitability of the scaffolding for a type of use, which is defined by a maximum use load and which is related to the work that can be carried out on it. The types of scaffolding and their service load are:.

• - Class 1: 0.75 kN/m².

• - Class 2: 1.50 kN/m².

• - Class 3: 2.00 kN/m².

• - Class 4: 3.00 kN/m².

• - Class 5: 4.50 kN/m².

• - Class 6: 6.00 kN/m².

In addition to the service load, which is usually the parameter considered primarily, other parameters are set such as the type of access, width, type of acceptable coverage, etc., which define the usability of the equipment in each situation.

In the old UNE 76-502-90 standard, now repealed, there was a table that allowed this load to be related to types of common construction work, and data based on that table is used today and is summarized below:

• - Light scaffolding: They are suitable for cleaning, painting, carpentry, façade cladding, roofing, sanitation work and in the industry in general for carrying out various works at height. The usual classes of scaffolding in these situations are: 1, 2 and 3. Keep in mind that class 1 is of limited application and that light masonry usually requires class 3 at least.

• - Heavy scaffolding: These are protective scaffolding, although they are also used in jobs that handle concrete or on walls, rehabilitation of facades, various industrial constructions and in any other case that requires a scaffold with a wide tray with a high load capacity. The usual classes of scaffolding in these situations are: 4, 5 and 6. Keep in mind that class 4 is the usual one in masonry and the higher ones are applicable depending on the storage of material (for its installation or removal). A typical example is the removal of stone in rehabilitation as a type of class 6 scaffolding. The UNE EN 1004 standard considers a service load of up to 2.00 kN/m², which limits its application to light work except for a specific study for special cases that may deviate from the standard.

• - Mobile scaffolding: They are light scaffolding, generally made of aluminum, which have wheels on the base "Base (geometry)") that enable their movement. Their main advantages are their ease of transport to the place of use, their speed of assembly and their mobility. They are used as an alternative to larger installations in the form of fixed scaffolding, being able to cover the same work surface but with a much lower assembly and disassembly cost. On the contrary, fixed scaffolding has multiple work platforms that allow several operators to work simultaneously. They comply with strict safety construction regulations and are equipped with elements such as skirting boards, to ensure the integrity of both the "operators" who work on them (railings, hatches, etc.) and the people who circulate in the vicinity of them (baseboards, signage, etc.). The wheels have brakes and leveling mechanisms to overcome small unevenness. Properly secured and ballasted, they allow working at heights of up to 8 m outdoors or 12 m indoors, except for a specific study outside the scope of the standard by a competent technician. The UNE EN 1495 standard requires the manufacturer to set a nominal working load as well as a maximum load for the extensions, this maximum load being again related to the type of work to be carried out. In addition, the limitations of the machine's travel or connectivity with others set by the manufacturer will be met.

• - Rack Scaffold: As an example, they would allow work on the façade with different configurations, allowing them to cover up to 3000 m² of façade and load up to 1500 kg. Another of its advantages is the speed of assembly, being able to cover an area of ​​30 × 20 m in a single day with two assemblers. There are different combinations: in a single mast up to 10 m horizontal façade and in two masts up to 30 m horizontal façade, in both cases a height of 100 m is reached. It has a disadvantage compared to tubular scaffolding and that is that it can only be worked on one level.

Parts of a Ring Lock Scaffold

The Ring Lock scaffolding system[6]​ allows connections to be made in different directions, to carry out different types of assemblies, in straight or curved structures.

Multidirectional or Ring Lock scaffolding is made up of the following parts:.

• - Base plate: From which the ground is leveled to raise the structure.

• - Neck: joins with the base plate to build the scaffold.

• - Vertical: They are the support of the scaffolding. They have a rose window every 50 cm where the horizontals and diagonals meet.

• - Horizontal and diagonal: These give the shape and support to the scaffolding structure.

• - Stairs and platforms: These are the interior structures through which the scaffolding workers move between levels.

Scaffolding assembly process

Although the assembly process[7]​ of a scaffolding presents multiple particular characteristics that in many cases are determined by both the country's regulations and the specifications indicated by the manufacturer based on the type of scaffolding, as a general rule we must consider the following steps in its assembly:.

1. • Preparation of the bases. On a flat surface of the ground (when the ground is beaten, the use of wooden boards is recommended) the base levelers will be placed that will support the stability and weight of the scaffolding.

2. • The placement of the initializer. It is the element that joins the base levelers, a "bar" that joins them and is normally located at a distance of about 70 cm.

3. • Placement of the scaffolding element. It corresponds to the vertical structure in "bars" that fit into the base levelers.

4. • Placement of the bars and diagonal. They are the horizontal and diagonal "bars" (also called bodyguards) that join the vertical structure and stabilize the scaffolding in general.

5. • Placing access and metal platforms as well as leveling the assembly. They are normally metallic horizontal elements that, apart from stabilizing the structure and plumb line of the scaffolding, form the access surface, the operator's work and material support. It must be a non-slip surface.

6. • Placement of the body guard. It is the structural element that will protect the operator as a railing in their work area and to prevent falls, which will also have diagonal bars for greater reinforcement.

1. • We restart the assembly process from point three to six previously outlined. We would place scaffolding elements on top of each other, first in their vertical part and then the horizontal bars and bodyguards with the safety diagonals and the corresponding railings for the safety of the operators.

2. • Placing skirting boards. The skirting boards are fitted on the work platforms in accordance with the requirements of the regulations.

3. • Placement of access stairs. Access to the work levels is via an internal staircase fitted into the scaffolding structure itself.

4. • Placement of the scaffolding terminals. The last level of the scaffolding is enclosed with the scaffolding terminals according to regulations and houses the safety elements required according to the relevant Law. Which must contain the bodyguard elements outlined in point 6.

As a note, it should be taken into account that disassembling scaffolding is reversing the process outlined above.

Classification of working scaffolding

In Spain there are standards UNE EN 12810 and UNE EN 12811 that are responsible for defining and classifying standardized tubular scaffolding. These standards include minimum quality characteristics for materials, standardized testing and characterization processes for each key element, as well as appropriate geometries to fulfill their function. In order to verify compliance with these standards, there are certificates issued by entities such as AENOR where the results of audits and tests are collected. One of the conclusions of the standards, and therefore of the certificates, is the suitability of the scaffolding for a type of use, which is defined by a maximum use load and which is related to the work that can be carried out on it. The types of scaffolding and their service load are:.

• - Class 1: 0.75 kN/m².

• - Class 2: 1.50 kN/m².

• - Class 3: 2.00 kN/m².

• - Class 4: 3.00 kN/m².

• - Class 5: 4.50 kN/m².

• - Class 6: 6.00 kN/m².

In addition to the service load, which is usually the parameter considered primarily, other parameters are set such as the type of access, width, type of acceptable coverage, etc., which define the usability of the equipment in each situation.

In the old UNE 76-502-90 standard, now repealed, there was a table that allowed this load to be related to types of common construction work, and data based on that table is used today and is summarized below:

• - Light scaffolding: They are suitable for cleaning, painting, carpentry, façade cladding, roofing, sanitation work and in the industry in general for carrying out various works at height. The usual classes of scaffolding in these situations are: 1, 2 and 3. Keep in mind that class 1 is of limited application and that light masonry usually requires class 3 at least.

• - Heavy scaffolding: These are protective scaffolding, although they are also used in jobs that handle concrete or on walls, rehabilitation of facades, various industrial constructions and in any other case that requires a scaffold with a wide tray with a high load capacity. The usual classes of scaffolding in these situations are: 4, 5 and 6. Keep in mind that class 4 is the usual one in masonry and the higher ones are applicable depending on the storage of material (for its installation or removal). A typical example is the removal of stone in rehabilitation as a type of class 6 scaffolding. The UNE EN 1004 standard considers a service load of up to 2.00 kN/m², which limits its application to light work except for a specific study for special cases that may deviate from the standard.

• - Mobile scaffolding: They are light scaffolding, generally made of aluminum, which have wheels on the base "Base (geometry)") that enable their movement. Their main advantages are their ease of transport to the place of use, their speed of assembly and their mobility. They are used as an alternative to larger installations in the form of fixed scaffolding, being able to cover the same work surface but with a much lower assembly and disassembly cost. On the contrary, fixed scaffolding has multiple work platforms that allow several operators to work simultaneously. They comply with strict safety construction regulations and are equipped with elements such as skirting boards, to ensure the integrity of both the "operators" who work on them (railings, hatches, etc.) and the people who circulate in the vicinity of them (baseboards, signage, etc.). The wheels have brakes and leveling mechanisms to overcome small unevenness. Properly secured and ballasted, they allow working at heights of up to 8 m outdoors or 12 m indoors, except for a specific study outside the scope of the standard by a competent technician. The UNE EN 1495 standard requires the manufacturer to set a nominal working load as well as a maximum load for the extensions, this maximum load being again related to the type of work to be carried out. In addition, the limitations of the machine's travel or connectivity with others set by the manufacturer will be met.

• - Rack Scaffold: As an example, they would allow work on the façade with different configurations, allowing them to cover up to 3000 m² of façade and load up to 1500 kg. Another of its advantages is the speed of assembly, being able to cover an area of ​​30 × 20 m in a single day with two assemblers. There are different combinations: in a single mast up to 10 m horizontal façade and in two masts up to 30 m horizontal façade, in both cases a height of 100 m is reached. It has a disadvantage compared to tubular scaffolding and that is that it can only be worked on one level.