Alloy towers are one of the most important parts of our scaffolding services, but do you know how to erect them?

For this blog, Network Scaffold will share our 12 step guide to erecting stairwell alloy towers.

12 Steps to Using Stairwell Alloy Towers

• Have two people available to erect all towers for safety reasons.
• Before the tower is erected you will need to ensure site conditions are safe. Operatives need to be competent and familiarise themselves with the manual for assembly. Sufficient equipment also needs to be available to erect the tower at the height required whilst checking components are not damaged or incompatible plus checking the tower breakdown.
• Insert the adjustable legs and baseplates into the opening base ladder frames.
• Place the two ladder frames on the staircase in the position required, roughly 1.5 metres apart with the baseplates fully located on the steps of the staircase with the offset plate facing inwards towards the centre of the frame. Connect the two bottom rungs of the frames using a diagonal brace. The brace hooks should be located at the centre of the bottom rungs of the ladder frames which prevents clashing using an erection platform. Level the frames by turning the adjustable leg nuts so that the bottom rung of the frame on the upper step is at the same level as the top rung of the frame on the lower steps with the adjustable legs extended if necessary to achieve this.
• Fit a trapdoor platform with the trapdoor end located at the lower part of the stairs, to the bottom rung of the frame on the upper step and to the top rung of the ladder frame on the lower step. Make sure the platform is level. There is a small bubble level on the underside of all stair deck alloy towers to ease levelling. This platform will be used for the temporarily safe erection of the tower and will be removed later when being used further up the tower.
• From the bottom of the staircase, fit a six rung upper frame to the top of the ladder frame on the lower step. Lock the frames together with the interlock clips. Climb into the middle of the tower through the opening frame from the bottom of the staircase and climb partially through the platform and adopt the 3T (Through The Trapdoor) position with your feet on rungs below the platform. Fit four 1.5m horizontal guardrail braces to the verticals of the frames 0.5m and 1.0m above the platform to make a guard rail then fit a diagonal brace between the bottom rung of the frame on the upper step and the upper frame which is located on the lower step. The brace needs to be placed on the flush side of the platform and will run in the opposite direction to the lower diagonal brace that forms a zig-zag platform.
• The operative should now climb fully on the platform, closing the trapdoor behind them and fit another six rung frames to either end of the tower. A second trapdoor platform also needs to be fitted at the level of the top rung of the ladder frame on the upper step.
• Climb partially through the second trapdoor platform and adopt the 3T position then fit four 1.5 horizontal guardrail braces to the verticals of the frames 0.5 and 1.0, above the platform to make a guard rail and then fit a diagonal brace to continue the zig-zag bracing pattern. The brace should be placed on the flush side of the platform.
• Now the operator should climb fully onto this platform and close the trapdoor. Fit the four rung guard rail frame to the top of the frames on the upper step and the three rung guard rail frame to the top of the frames on the lower step. Lock the interlock clips that will secure the frames together.
• Descend the tower to the lowest platform and adopt the 3T position with your feet on the frame rungs below the trapdoor. Remove the four horizontal guard rail braces around this platform and then descend on to the staircase steps and remove the platform from the alloy tower so that it and the braces can be reused and repositioned higher up the tower. Fit the trapdoor platform, that was removed from the bottom of the tower to the fifth rung down from the top rung on the guard rail frames.
• Climb partially onto this platform through the trapdoor and adopt the 3T position and then fit four 1.5m horizontal guard rail braces at 0.5m and 1.0m above the platform.
• Fit the toeboard around the perimeter of the platform and now your alloy is ready to be used.

Get in Touch for More Information

If you have any questions about alloy towers, please do not hesitate to contact Network Scaffold Services today. We are the leading provider of scaffolding for domestic and commercial clients across Derby and the surrounding areas.