{"id":3025,"date":"2022-01-31T11:40:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-31T16:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scaffoldingsolutions.com\/?p=3025"},"modified":"2022-03-17T15:26:56","modified_gmt":"2022-03-17T19:26:56","slug":"managing-scaffolding-ties-on-older-building-facades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scaffoldingsolutions.com\/articles\/managing-scaffolding-ties-on-older-building-facades\/","title":{"rendered":"Managing Scaffolding Ties on Older Building Facades"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When repairing or renovating older buildings, the suitability of the existing structure to support scaffolding must be carefully evaluated.\u00a0 This is because scaffolding systems often rely on anchoring into existing facade elements for lateral stability.\u00a0 The scaffold design may also require leg supports to rest on top of existing roofs or walls that will impart gravity loads into delicate structural elements.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improperly designed or erected scaffolding can damage an older building facade &#8211; and put the users of the scaffolding at risk.\u00a0 Additionally, historic buildings may also have ornamental details that could get lost or marred forever if the scaffolding is not erected properly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For this reason, scaffold engineering for older buildings requires extra planning, evaluation &#8211; and a strategic design approach. This article will provide resources on how to do this and share the details about a specific project.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Engineering Scaffolding Wall Ties for a Crumbling Facade<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-3026\" src=\"https:\/\/scaffoldingsolutions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/unnamed-223x300.png\" alt=\"scaffolding on the side of the Buncombe County Courthouse in North Carolina.\" width=\"299\" height=\"402\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scaffoldingsolutions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/unnamed-223x300.png 223w, https:\/\/www.scaffoldingsolutions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/unnamed.png 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 299px) 100vw, 299px\" \/>Securing a scaffold to a building\u2019s facade can be achieved in a variety of ways. The strategy will depend on factors such as:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the building\u2019s geometry<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">applied wind loads<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the scaffold configuration<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">construction materials being used<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the condition of the existing facade\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The existing facade must be capable of resisting the applied loads from the scaffolding system or risk causing damage to the building and the safety of the work team. In some cases, an older building may not be suitable for certain securing methods because of the unreliability of the materials or substrates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When engineering a solution, the team must evaluate the suitability of a facade to secure a scaffold system. To do that, the Engineer of Record typically consults with a Scaffold Specialty Engineer early on in the project.\u00a0 Together, they consider the options and develop a strategy to safely secure the scaffolding based on the facade\u2019s structural integrity. Scaffolding Solutions offers this engineering service at no cost, utilizing its own in-house team of professional engineers to provide guidance and custom solutions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Several methods of securing the scaffold may be considered:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mechanical anchors into mortar joints<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Compression ties in window jambs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Compression wedging<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cabling<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buttress scaffolds<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Counterweights<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Direct-to-slab connections<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After considering these options, the engineers will determine if the existing facade is suitable for supporting compression butt ties or if the scaffolding wall ties must be limited to a specific psi value. These details should be included in the Contract Documents, because they frequently affect both the scope and cost of the project.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some older buildings retain much of their original strength and integrity. For example, brick mortar joints on existing buildings may be perfectly suitable to resist the applied loads from scaffold ties. So, while some projects do have additional safety and engineering considerations, a consultation with a Scaffold Specialty Engineer can address and minimize these concerns. Scaffolding Solutions offers this engineering service at no cost, utilizing its own in-house team of professional engineers to provide guidance and custom solutions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s take a look at a case study of an engineering solution for scaffold ties on a crumbling facade<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Greenville SC Hospital Renovation\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/scaffoldingsolutions.com\/articles\/challenges-installing-roof-scaffolding-greenville-hospital\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hospital in Greenville, SC<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, needed renovations. The old bricks on the building\u2019s exterior had crumbled in many places, making it necessary for the Scaffolding Solutions team to specially engineer a solution. The concern was in reducing the risk of additional damage to the facade and also ensuring worker safety.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To safely attach the scaffolding to the building, the unstable brickwork required the custom development of a welded bracket. These brackets allowed anchoring the scaffolding beyond the brick, directly into the structural steel beams for a secure, stable anchor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Engineer of Record consulted with the Scaffold Specialty Engineer at Scaffolding Solutions early in the hospital project. Then they crafted the specifications and developed the limitations for the scaffold designer to follow. This early planning allowed the hospital wing to continue to remain open during most of the renovation schedule.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The design of any scaffolding work must be carefully considered in advance of the project. However, this early project planning is even more important when considering an update to an older building.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Working With the Right Scaffolding Engineers<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Updating and renovating older buildings helps preserve the structure\u2019s history and the practical uses of the building. Custom scaffolding wall ties are often key for projects to guarantee optimum levels for worker safety and the continued integrity of the building\u2019s exterior.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Working with the right scaffolding provider allows for a thorough assessment and a custom engineered strategy developed by experts. Contact the team at Scaffolding Solutions for reliable, reputable scaffolding services in your area.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"button blue-bg\" href=\"https:\/\/scaffoldingsolutions.com\/services\/\">Learn About Our Services<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When repairing or renovating older buildings, the suitability of the existing structure to support scaffolding must be carefully evaluated.\u00a0 This is because scaffolding systems often rely on anchoring into existing facade elements for lateral stability.\u00a0 The scaffold design may also require leg supports to rest on top of existing roofs or walls that will impart [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2441,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"1959,2590,1927,1116,1215,2178","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scaffoldingsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scaffoldingsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scaffoldingsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scaffoldingsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scaffoldingsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3025"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.scaffoldingsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3025\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scaffoldingsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scaffoldingsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scaffoldingsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scaffoldingsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}