In construction, scaffolding is often used to help provide a makeshift structure that workers can use while building. As you can well imagine, a scaffold tower is a type of scaffolding - and it is extremely popular in the industry these days.
"What Are Scaffold Towers?"
Chances are you've seen a scaffold tower at least a couple of times, but you just may not have recognized it for what it was. It looks just like a makeshift rig that forms a structure normally located at the area that is being worked on.
Needless to say, the uniqueness of a scaffold tower lies in the fact that it is independent of the actual building itself. Most other types of scaffolding are constructed on or around the building and use it for support, but scaffold towers are independent structures in their own right.
Some scaffold towers use loft ladders to allow easy access throughout their structure, but most come with inbuilt ladders or stairs that allow workers to scale them.
In terms of height and dimensions - one scaffold tower can vary from the next. Many scaffold towers are made as per the requirements at the time, and even the prebuilt versions come in a variety of sizes to suit their possible applications.
All said and done - you could even have scaffold
towers that are a couple of stories tall for some construction
projects on large buildings.
Advantages of Scaffold Towers
If you're wondering what makes scaffold towers so special compared to other scaffolding used in construction - it is really simply the fact that it is an independent structure. Because it does not require support, scaffold towers are easy to set up and remove. Also, the safety concerns are considerably less as they aren't putting any extra pressure or weight on a building that is still only part complete.
Furthermore, a scaffold tower can be moved around at will. This is definitely a big advantage in large scale construction projects where it might be needed in multiple locations from time to time. Instead of having to construct new scaffolding for each location, the same tower can be used and simply moved as and when needed.
Price wise, the cost of a scaffold tower can vary depending on its size as well as the materials used to construct it. As you can well imagine, if a scaffold tower needs to support heavy construction equipment and materials - it needs to be of very solid build.
That being said - it still compares well against other types of scaffolding.
All said and done, scaffold towers certainly are fixtures in the construction industry - and for good reason too. Assuming you're taking part in any building project, you're going to undoubtedly want to see the various types of towers that you could use.
Also, you should decide whether or not you'll need the kind with loft ladders, or with inbuilt stairs.
Alternatively, you could head over to or shop and check out the various scaffolding towers that you can buy: