DownloadWhy Aluminum Scaffold Planks Are An Ideal Choice For Scaffolding System?
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The use of scaffolding started over 17,000 years ago. In antiquity, the scaffolding was made of wood and secured with rope knots. Today, the scaffolding is made from low-alloy aluminum and steel. This is to enhance flexibility that reduces resistance to stress.
Boards in the scaffold system provide a working surface for scaffold users. Wood has been a popular building material for its strength and requires frequent maintenance. This makes wooden planks less desirable. The best alternative to this is the use of steel and aluminum scaffold planks.
What are scaffolding planks?
Scaffold planks are temporary structures used to provide support and a stable work platform for scaffold users. Today, aluminum has been the material of choice for most construction projects as it comes with additional advantages over traditional wood and other alternatives. Aluminum scaffold planks are light in weight and enhance the stability of the scaffold.
Let’s check out the features of wood and aluminum scaffold planks.
| Features | Aluminum Scaffold Planks | Wood Scaffold Planks |
| The ability to withstand the breeze | ✔ | ✔ |
| Sweeping water mechanism with a full rain-screen system. | ✔ | ✔ |
| Available with concealed fasteners. | ✔ | 🗙 |
| UV finished protection | ✔ | 🗙 |
| Eco-friendly planking solution | ✔ | ✔ |
| Clip & Slide installation | ✔ | 🗙 |
| Exceeding the criteria for rain-screens in the building code | ✔ | 🗙 |
| Fire resistance | ✔ | 🗙 |
Benefits of Aluminum Scaffold Planks over Wood Scaffold Planks
1. Enhanced stability
This is an important criterion when selecting scaffolding planks. Due to the structural build-up of aluminum planks, they offer greater stability than wood planks. Regardless of the height and weight being placed on aluminum planks, they offer greater dependability. These planks are set up with strengthened joints, allowing the entire scaffold structure to bear more weight than what is usually required.
Wooden planks, on the other hand, are fibrous and may easily cave in. This decreases the load-bearing capacity of the plank and compromises the aspects of work on-site.
2. Light in weight
Aluminum is lighter in weight than wooden boards. Being light in weight, one can easily assemble, disassemble, and carry the boards from one site to another. This also makes transportation and storage easy. Aluminum planks provide easy set-up as compared to heavy wooden boards, which require a lot of manpower.
In cases where scaffold users need to dismantle the platform every now and then to complete minor scaffold chores, aluminum planks are best suited.
3. Low maintenance
Compared to other scaffolding plank alternatives, aluminum frames are usually maintenance-free. While steel requires regular repainting to keep it from rusting and eroding, wood tends to deform and deteriorate with time. Aluminum does not contain steel or iron, which prevents the boards from turning corrosive.
Aluminum planks do not disfigure or oxidize with time, which is the usual case with wood and steel scaffolding planks for sale.
4. Cost-effective
The boards need different components for fixtures. Steel and wooden boards require more components to maintain stability. This will increase the cost of building scaffolds. The best alternative is aluminum scaffolding planks, which are durable and require fewer accessories for set up.
5. Enhanced durability
Wooden boards, when exposed to climatic conditions, undergo decay and, in extreme cases, may cause premature decay. This will make the boards unstable and susceptible to rupture. This is not the case with aluminum boards. They are anti-rust, and invulnerable to wrapping and cracking. This makes aluminum planks safer and an ideal choice for structural integrity.
Final Words
Aluminum scaffolding planks are stable, secure, light in weight, durable, cost-effective, and low-maintenance scaffolding solutions. They are the safest means of support for the scaffold users, as well as having a long life that saves additional costs.
AAIT is a leading scaffold product distributor in the USA. The in-house aluminum planks for sale are versatile and require minimal additional scaffold material for support. It enhances the stability of the entire structure. The aluminum planks give the best return on investment and are an ideal choice for any construction work.
