Examination of a Method for Evaluating the Strength of Standard Prefabricated Scaffolds

Abstract

To ensure worker safety, scaffold structures are regulated under the Industrial Safety and Health Law. To guarantee the strength of the scaffolds, the length of the stiffening member of the main frame must also be regulated by the standard. However, no such regulations exist and little research data is available with respect to the shear rigidity of the flooring ledger frame. It is thought that the shear rigidity of the flooring ledger frame influences the overall resistance of the scaffolds to buckling, but the importance of this phenomenon remains unclear. Based on previous research carried out by the author, this study proposes an equation for evaluating the strength of standard prefabricated scaffolds in which the buckling analysis of these standard prefabricated scaffolds is based on the shear rigidity of the main and flooring ledger frames. The suitability of the proposed evaluation equation is also examined.