Under what circumstances does the scaffold need to be replaced：
If any of the following situations occur during the use of scaffolding, it needs to be replaced to ensure construction safety:
1、 Serious structural damage
The main components such as vertical poles, horizontal poles, and diagonal poles have obvious deformations (such as bending and twisting), and the degree of deformation exceeds the allowable deviation (such as the allowable deviation for vertical pole bending is generally ≤ L/1000, where L is the length of the component), and their bearing capacity cannot be restored through repair.
Component fracture, including steel pipe fracture, welding cracking, etc., can directly lead to a decrease in the overall stability of the scaffold and pose a risk of collapse.
The connecting components (such as fasteners, pins, discs, etc.) are severely damaged, such as broken fasteners, deformed pins that cannot be inserted or locked properly, and disc welding detachment, which affects the firmness of the node connection.
2、 Corrosion level exceeds the standard
Metal scaffolding is exposed to damp and corrosive media (such as acidic and alkaline environments) for a long time, resulting in severe corrosion on the surface, leading to a reduction in the cross-section and strength of the components. When the corrosion depth exceeds 10% of the steel pipe wall thickness, the bearing capacity of the component decreases significantly and needs to be replaced.
The wooden scaffold board is prone to decay, insect infestation, and other conditions, resulting in insufficient strength of the board, which cannot withstand construction loads and personnel weight, and is prone to breakage and falling accidents.
3、 Reaching the service life or fatigue damage
Scaffolding has a certain design service life, and after long-term repeated use, components will experience fatigue damage and material performance degradation. Even if there is no obvious damage to the appearance, scaffolding that has exceeded the specified service life should be evaluated and replaced as a whole if necessary.
Scaffolds that are frequently disassembled or subjected to long-term loads may experience fatigue cracks in their components under alternating stress. Although the initial cracks may be small, they will gradually expand with use, ultimately leading to component failure. In such cases, damaged components or the entire scaffold need to be replaced in a timely manner.
4、 Not meeting safety standards or regulatory updates
With the update of safety standards and regulations, some old models of scaffolding may no longer meet the new safety requirements, such as bearing capacity, stability, and other indicators that do not meet current standards. In this case, it is necessary to replace them with scaffolding that meets the latest regulations.
After safety testing, the overall performance of the scaffold (such as anti overturning stability, bearing capacity, etc.) does not meet the design requirements and cannot be improved through reinforcement or other means. It should be replaced.
5、 Other special circumstances
Scaffolding has experienced major accidents during use (such as collapse, impact, etc.), and even if the external damage is not obvious, its internal structure may have suffered hidden damage. To avoid safety hazards, it should be replaced as a whole.
When the specifications, dimensions, and load-bearing capacity of the existing scaffolding cannot meet the new construction requirements due to changes in the construction project, and the renovation cost is too high or the safety cannot be guaranteed after renovation, it is necessary to replace the scaffolding with a suitable one.
In short, when the safety and reliability of scaffolding cannot be guaranteed, it must be replaced in a timely manner and continued use is strictly prohibited to prevent safety accidents.
