Joints in Standards and Ledgers
A joint is required wherever a standard, ledger or guardrail is too long to be formed from a single tube
Joints should be made with sleeve couplers. Expanding joint pins may be used in standards only but are not preferred and should not be used where tension could occur unless spliced with a short tube connected with two swivel couplers.
Joints in standards
All joints in standards need to be staggered so that adjacent standards are not connected in the same lift level. Alternating pattern of joints will achieve this. Any pair of inner and outer standards should also not be joined within same lift
Where it is necessary to join all four standards comprising a bay in the same lift, one of these joints must be spliced.
Where the scaffold extends above the building, joints should be avoided in projection area to avoid lifting
Joints in ledgers
Joints in ledgers at the same lift and in adjacent lifts should not normally occur in the same bay. However, the absence of a joint in the guardrail in any bay may be accepted as giving sufficient continuity to the scaffold to permit joints in the ledgers above and below it in the same bay
Joints in TG20 compliant independent scaffolds and putlog scaffolds may be made anywhere in the bay if sleeve couplers are used. However if an inner cantilevered platform is provided any joints at the lift incorporating the cantilevered lift should be within 300mm of the standard unless spliced.
Joints in guardrails
Joints in guardrails are normally permitted in any bay. However, in the case of sheeted scaffolding or where extreme winds, or scaffolds exceeding 30m in height any joint in the guardrail should be within 300mm of standard unless they are spliced.
