When was steel scaffolding invented?

The History of Scaffolding; Reaching for the Sky

Scaffolding is a common sight on construction sites and for accessing hard-to-reach areas such as roofs or multi-storied buildings in both town and country alike. It is such a familiar presence as we go about our day-to-day lives that most of us don&#;t usually give it a second thought!

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Scaffolding has been used throughout history ever since the first structures were built, but when exactly was that, and what is the history of scaffolding? Here we explore the history of scaffolding and investigate how it became the irreplaceable, invaluable industry it is today.

The Earliest Scaffolding

Archaeologists found evidence of scaffolding next to the Palaeolithic cave paintings at Lascaux in the Dordogne region of France originating a staggering 17,000 years ago. Sockets in the walls reveal that Palaeolithic people devised a structure resembling scaffolding to reach difficult-to-access areas of the paintings and thus, scaffolding was born.

Photo credit: Roman Aqueducts

There is also evidence to suggest that the ancient Egyptians used wooden scaffolding to create buildings associated with the pyramids. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote:

&#;At first, it (the pyramid) was built with steps, like a staircase&#;.The stones intended for use in constructing the pyramids were lifted by means of a short wooden scaffold. In this way they were raised from the earth to the first step of the staircase; there they were laid on another scaffold, by means of which they were raised to the second step&#;. The finishing-off was begun at the top, and continued downward to the lowest level.&#;

As time went on, monks during Medieval times were specially trained to construct abbeys and churches using scaffolding and the &#;scaffolder monk&#; trend continued well into the 20th century.

Photo credit: Roman Aqueducts

Scaffolding in the Modern Era

It wasn&#;t until the early s that metal scaffolding tubes as we know them today were introduced. Prior to this date, lengths of bamboo lashed together with hemp rope were used widely as a method of creating and erecting a scaffold frame. Though lightweight, bamboo was sturdy enough to support the weight of workers and equipment and its weight and durability mean that no machinery is needed to assemble the scaffold and put it in place. The practice of using rope to tie wooden poles together to create a scaffolding structure is still used throughout Eastern countries and even in some parts of Spain and Italy today.

In the s a gentleman by the name of Daniel Palmer-Jones (often affectionately known as the &#;Grandfather of Scaffolding&#;) realised that the newly introduced metal poles for scaffolding had a tendency to slip when tied together with ropes. He (along with his brother David) realised that a set of standard fixings would be a better way of securing both wooden and metal poles alike and, after multiple experiments of varying successes, they eventually came up with &#;Rapid Scaffixers&#; which formed the basis of their Patent Rapid Scaffold Tie company. Their invention even lead to them being awarded a contract in to remodel Buckingham Palace using their new scaffolding system!

Credit: Colin Waters

Inventing the Universal Coupler

The design of Palmer-Jones&#; fixings developed further and six years after the first prototype, he invented the &#;Improved Universal Coupler&#; which soon became the standard pattern used by the scaffolding industry right up to the present day. It was a revolutionary stage in the history of scaffolding to use two-inch water pipes because in standardising the dimensions and parts, it lead to greater safety and stability (which are the pre-requisites of scaffolding!). Along with these, new techniques such as diagonal bracing assisted in strengthening the access structures and helping to improve stability, especially on tall buildings.These innovations in scaffolding really revolutionised our skylines because steel poles lead to stronger structures that could be built higher than ever before.

Despite many modern improvements, there are numerous old working practices still evident in the scaffolding industry and types of scaffolding used in the past are still used today. For example, the &#;block and tackle system&#; was just as familiar to Roman scaffold workers as it is in modern times.

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Construction and Scaffolding in the Modern Day

The horrors of World War II meant that huge areas of Britain were bombed and so whole towns needed reconstructing. It was a huge job to put the country back together and a real boom time for labourers and construction workers as there was more work around than there were skilled tradesmen. Many sites used unskilled labourers to learn the ropes as unskilled apprentice scaffold workers and safety was a huge issue. Just take a look at this hair-raising video clip!!

Nowadays we have strict working regulations that continue to shape how the scaffolding industry operates and ensure that safety is paramount. Here at 7 Bays Scaffolding we are proud to be CISRS Qualified, fully CAA Approved and CSCS certified to give peace of mind to you and your project. All our staff hold valid CSCS health & safety cards and each crew is lead by a highly skilled and advanced scaffolder.

This potted history of scaffolding sure is an eye-opener and shows us how the industry developed over the years. We hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we did researching it!  If you need scaffolding advice or would like a free quote please get in touch and we&#;ll be only too happy to assist you in your scaffolding needs in Cornwall and beyond&#;

Scaffolding has been used to build, restore, and repair buildings throughout history. The history of scaffolding is rich, having been used to support buildings in all different cultures around the world. Have you always been curious about where scaffolding began? In this post, we explore where scaffoldings journey began and where it&#;s at now.

Following Scaffolding Way Back

Scaffolding was used by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. The Egyptians used scaffolding to build their impressive pyramids. Scaffolds were regularly used to raise the different blocks used to create the magnificent structures quickly and easily.

Sources also show that the ancient Greeks also used scaffolding in their building work frequently. The Berlin Foundry Cup shows the use of scaffolding in building work in the ancient cities of Greece. The Berlin Foundry Cup famous red-figure kylix (what we would call a cup for drinking) dates very far back, to the early 5th century BC. The cup was designed and created by an Attic vase painter, referred to by historians as the Foundry Painter. The cup shows that scaffolding was used during this time in history.

Medieval period: how scaffolding was used

Scaffolding was also used in the Medieval period. Monks were the unlikely suspects, using scaffolding to help build, repair, and restore their precious places of religious worship.

How scaffolding was used in the Victorian times

In addition, history books also show that scaffolding was used by many workers in the Victorian times. Scaffolding was made out of a selection of ropes and wood to help with the building and repair of structures. Hemp rope, wire, and sisal were used as ropes to hold the different scaffolds in place for climbing up to heights as high as the building required. Sheer lashing and square lashing were used to tie the scaffolds in place (sheers are also known as roping).

The Victorian scaffolds themselves were made out of wood. In addition, as would be shocking to professional scaffolders today, safety gear - such as helmets and vests were nowhere in sight on a Victorian scaffold: workers regularly wore everyday clothes, such as suits to undertake their work on the scaffolds.  7 Bays Scaffolding highlights more about the change in materials during this time:

&#;It wasn&#;t until the early s that metal scaffolding tubes as we know them today were introduced. Prior to this date, lengths of bamboo lashed together with hemp rope were used widely as a method of creating and erecting a scaffold frame.&#;

Scaffolding in the modern day

Scaffolding has followed us throughout history, with scaffolding taking on stronger forms and more regulation in the modern era. From the s, the materials used in scaffolding were really stepped up a notch. Before the s, wood was regularly used as the basis of the scaffolding platforms used to repair and build on buildings. After the s, wood was traded in for tubular steel scaffolding.

Scaffolding: a history

Scaffolding has had an interesting history, from the pyramids of Egypt to the scaffolding of the modern day, scaffolding has been integral to many societies throughout history and without the world.

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