SCAFFOLD TUBES

Tubes shall be manufactured and tested in accordance with the specifications of BS 1139 Part 1.

Three main types of tubes are in common use throughout the United Kingdom.

  .  BLACK STEEL TUBES

   . GALVANISED STEEL TUBES

  .  ALUMINUM ALLOY TUBES

black steel

Both black steel and galvanized steel tubes have similar properties, except that galvanized tubes are more resistant to corrosion.                             

. Outside diameter,48.3 mm

. Nominal wall thickness,4.0mm

. Weight, approx 4.5 kg/m

Aluminium Alloy Tubes

The aluminum tube has the same diameter as steel but is slightly thicker and lighter, more flexible than steel, and not as strong. For this reason, aluminum tubes should not be used on the same surface as steel tubes. In practice, however, it is generally not recommended to use both types of tubes on the same structure. Following are the general characteristics of aluminum tubes.

. Outside diameter ,48.3mm

. Nominal wall thickness,4.47 mm

. Weight 1.67 kg/m

Repair of tubes :

Corroded scaffolding pipes should be chemically cleaned using wrought iron wire brushes the edges of the scaffolding should be scrubbed clean. after cleaning the scaffolding pipes should be well tied and kept high off the ground so that the edges do not remain sharp .bend pipes are straightened by a rolling machine but bent aluminum tubes should be thrown out .repair of scaffolding tube is a skilled work and should be done by experts.

INSPECTION :

Scaffolding pipes have a very important role in construction because construction weight on scaffolding tubes Therefore, scaffolding tubes should be used after a thorough investigation.

tubes must be checked to ensure they are  :

. Straight

. Free from cracks, splits, bad dents, and excessive corrosion

  . Cut square and clean at each end   

  Common faults:         

     Flame   cut tube     

      Angle cut tube

      Burred tube

      Split end tube

     Bent tube

                                   Storage

 Scaffolding tubes are usually framed in 6 m, however, smaller tubes are available in stock eg 1.5m  by 2m or 2.5m, and sizes are provided depending on use. As far as possible scaffolding tubes should be placed in racks according to size so that they are easy to find and use when needed. scaffolding tubes and associated tools should be kept in order scaffolding pipes should be kept in a safe place where the pipes will not be damaged.

scaffolding tubes storage