From the Beginning: Scaffolding Planning for the Modern Construction Environment

By its nature, scaffolding is essential for nearly every construction project – a high-rise building in a dense urban area, an expansive energy facility charged with processing natural gas, or a new bridge spanning across a river. It is the critical temporary skeleton surrounding the building to be built, providing workers with necessary access to hard-to-reach places and heights.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an estimated 2.3 million construction industry employees find themselves working on scaffolding frequently. That number represents 65% of all construction workers. Given this, building and maintaining the right amount and type of scaffolding on any project also represents a substantial financial commitment. It often drives cost overruns in terms of both labor and material.

Why, then, is scaffolding often an afterthought in the planning process?

On many construction projects, planners bid the scaffolding scope into a percentage of direct field labor costs, which include all wages directly attributed to materials and onsite labor. Those same planners often neglect to do a deep dive into how scaffolding can integrate into the overall construction plan, boost efficiency, and reduce costs. Since scaffolding erection is a temporary structure, it is commonly viewed as an indirect cost, often downplaying the complexity of the scaffolding systems and how they fit into the overall construction plan. 

Add to this the notion that construction companies of all sizes are dealing with a shortage of skilled labor and the need to maximize the safety of those workers, and the case for conducting scaffolding planning from day one has never been clearer. Proper scaffold planning helps to mitigate risk on a job site, can increase efficiency, and can help better manage labor costs.

It starts by asking the right questions: 

• What is the scope and timeline of the project? 

• What type of scaffolding is best suited for this project? 

• What are the local regulations regarding scaffolding? 

• What is the budget for scaffolding? 

• Are there any specific design requirements or constraints? 

Pour the Foundation

The most critical part of any building is its foundation, on which all else is built.

While scaffolding is a temporary consideration, it represents a foundational element of any structure being erected. Despite this, construction professionals on any job are focused on the design and development of the main structure. Best practices in the modern construction marketplace are for contractors and general managers to pay specific attention to scaffolding upon the kick-off of a project.

• Early Integration: Incorporate scaffolding planning in the initial stages of the project. The earlier these tools are introduced, the more value provided in terms of safety and efficiency. Early integration allows for pre-planning innovative designs that dramatically reduce field modifications, excess material, and hours needed for installation.
• Specialist Personnel: Engage scaffolding experts early in the project to provide detailed planning and input. Scaffolding experts can design the structure, forecast the components required, and factor in needed modifications as the project progresses.
• Budget Allocation: Allocate specific budget and resources in the overall project plan. Labor is a major piece of the puzzle. By analyzing how long each type of laborer is expected to be on the job, project managers can determine what the scaffolding craft levels should be, essentially calculating the labor personnel needed to fulfill the scaffolding requirements. Pre-design strategy also plays an important role in this phase to determine the exact material needed, removing any guesswork from the equation.
• Safety Compliance: Ensure compliance with safety regulations through detailed scaffolding planning and regular inspections. In the U.S the main regulations used in industrial applications is OSHA Regulation 1926. OSHA outlines everything from training required, load limits, tie-off points, inspection criteria, and when a scaffold must be certified by a Professional Engineer (PE).

A key way to boost efficiency is with an integrated planning program. PERI USA, in cooperation with AMECO, provides customers with the most ready-to-work scaffold system. From pre-construction planning to day-to day distribution, tracking, and ordering, AMECO’s services keep construction teams work ready, all aimed at minimizing hassles.

Turning to Technology

The complexity of construction projects has grown significantly. Technology and innovation have allowed for scaffolding planning to be done right from the start. With 3D modeling and methodology, scaffolding requirements can be accounted for early, driving efficiency and generating labor savings.

A customized digital workface planning tool designed to enable transparency of scaffolding activities on a project, PERIpath ensures cost certainty by reducing equipment requirements, improving labor efficiency, and monitoring the overall scaffolding management. In addition, supervisors can track a suite of key indicators designed to measure performance against the estimate and take corrective actions to prevent significant budget overruns.

With PERIpath, everything can be planned in advance before the work begins. Utilizing a 3D model of the project, the team can develop scaffolding work packages at the outset. For every work package, the contractor can obtain a material list, a schedule, and an estimate of how many hours it would take to install the scaffolding.

In essence, PERIpath enables contractors and project managers to approach the scaffolding as an engineered system that involves predictive modeling rather than being assembled on site. This, in turn, transforms scaffolding from an endeavor that will have anticipated cost overruns to one that can now be quantified with some certainty as a planned expenditure.

Innovative Products: Efficiency, Safety, Cost Savings

Traditional scaffolding labor can account for up to 40 percent of indirect labor costs on a construction project while requiring teams of four to six to assemble. Scaffolding is commonly built and torn down several times during the duration, contributing to an increase in labor costs. Even on multi-million-dollar man hour projects, contractors are finding themselves overrunning scaffolding budgets by up to 25%, totaling millions of dollars in labor.

Complicating this is an ongoing skilled labor shortage. This has driven construction companies to opt for more efficient scaffolding systems that require less specialized skills and fewer people to build and maintain.

With systems like PERI UP from PERI USA, scaffolding can be safely erected with teams of two to three.  PERI UP is a highly flexible system that is quickly and safely mounted with gravity locks and self-locking decks for easy installation. PERI UP can be adapted to project-specific geometries, ensuring maximum flexibility for different lengths and widths.

PERI UP is uniquely engineered to eliminate some of scaffolding’s biggest hazards: overhead tool use; and handling of heavy pieces and gaps in decking that result in trips, falls, or drops. The material is lighter, meaning less wear and tear on workers, and decreased risk of injury.

With a gravity lock, the system provides a nearly tool-free assembly and disassembly, automatically locking when placed into position. The system also features high-visibility toe boards that drop easily into place. In addition, decking pieces fit together around objects seamlessly, allowing workers to feel safe and secure.  

Don’t Underestimate: Budget Accordingly

When it comes to scaffolding planning, unforeseen challenges can creep up, revealing hidden costs related to scaffolding transportation, installation, maintenance, and dismantling that are not fully considered during budgeting.

Integrating scaffolding into the beginning phases of a project rather than relegating it as an afterthought allows for better resource allocation, improved worker safety, and significant cost savings.

By leveraging advanced technologies and innovative products, construction teams can streamline operations, reduce labor demands, and ensure compliance with safety standards.