Scaffold program

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outward bound

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Hi , Does anyone use a standard scaffold program or is there one out there where you can type the requirements for the scaffold and it will give you the materials and calculations.
 
Do you know how much these programs cost and which is the best ? do these programs allow for the wind loadings or just the loading s on the ledgers etc.

i appreciate any info or help in me been able to get my hands on a program
 
CADS programme does a TG20 checklist approx 5k
Strikesoft approx 8k
CASE - i believe does TG20 checks as well approx 2k
contact member Gary Day associates on here or 0117 986 9911 , case is probabley the best and thats who makes it
 
I have CADS and Case , I think CADS looks better, nice logos all very user friendly but case is a better tool for estimating as you can do more with it , you try estimating a chimney stack or temporary roof with CADS ,you can't, but you can with case. I had a big rant about this before as I feel the sales pitch for CADS doesn't mention these little points (don't suppose they would though) even the TG20 checker on CADS doesn't work properly you end up doing it by hand type in a postcode and its no where near its supposed to be on the map ??????? I have e-mailed CADS but no response to date, still they've had my £3000.00 (estimate it and tg20 checker) so why would they. Take my advice go for a months demo on each of the products before you part with your cash and make your own mind up.
 
dangeruss,

Excellent point regarding cads. I was almost talked into purchasing myself but held off for the very reasons you have stated. I am still left with the origional problem though regarding lack of drawings and calculations for basic jobs like chimneys, buttress and the like and thought generic drawings would suffice but I'm struggling trying to source them as every one's so busy at the moment. I might have to bite the bullit and invest in one or other soon but can't stand the thought of being stuck in the office trying to work out how to work the damn thing.
 
Brought the hole cads package - load of s**** , enjoyed all the calls trying to get the balance paid , looked at case looks the best bet - afterall was the first programme in our game no doubt xx

---------- Post added at 08:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:07 PM ----------

also find very slow programme as well

---------- Post added at 08:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:08 PM ----------

also find very slow programme as well
 
Scaffy,

Sounds like I made the right decision lol. I haven't heard good reports about any of them. Maybe we should leave the designs with the designers and just keep the spanner turning.

I think we are building basic jobs but h&s shut a couple on a site close to me for what I'm told is a similar thing. He wrote to all in the area saying he was coming back next month for a better inspection and I'm not 100% sure if I should have drawings or not. I have contacted a couple of designers but no one has got back to me.

I take it although you don't like these programms you are still using them?
 
Aom, I think its 2d designs that sell about 50 generic designs for about 2k , mate of mine brought it and thought it was great, if you goole them I think you can see the details on their site, when you think a design costs between £250 and £650 its well worth it and a great bit of marketing.Hope it helps
 
Dangeruss,

Thanks for the tip but I was on their site already and felt there were too many jobs that I would never use like the tank and when ever we do a loading bay it's in system. Maybe give it another look though. I got a pm from a designer on here through this thread that has rescently started on his own so hopefully will get help there.
 
That would be Ben , top bloke has done some designs for me really good and turned them around really quickly as well.
 
aom said:
dangeruss,

Excellent point regarding cads. I was almost talked into purchasing myself but held off for the very reasons you have stated. I am still left with the origional problem though regarding lack of drawings and calculations for basic jobs like chimneys, buttress and the like and thought generic drawings would suffice but I'm struggling trying to source them as every one's so busy at the moment. I might have to bite the bullit and invest in one or other soon but can't stand the thought of being stuck in the office trying to work out how to work the damn thing.
Click to expand...

No software package should be providing calculations for chimney stacks or anything else.

An qualified engineer can use a package to do calculations and provide engineering drawings - a scaffold estimator cannot.

Software packages can do things like check for TG:20 compliance. So for CASE that means once the program knows the postcode (or grid reference) it will do the rest.

It can work out wind speed, elevation, topography etc. CASE will then use the TG:20 tables and adjust tie patterns and bay centres etc to try and make the scaffold comply. It will then state this on the quote. CADS presumably do something similar.

Try them both (and Strike), and see which you prefer.

However there is a lot of nonsense talked about TG:20 - much of it coming from contractors. As a scaffold company you shouldn't be quoting to TG:20, nor should the client be asking you to. You should be quoting to the appropriate EN regs - all that TG:20 does is provide standard designs to suit. So if a scaffold falls outside the scope of TG:20 it needs an engineers drawing. If it's covered by TG:20 it is 'pre-designed' and therefore doesn't.

James
 
Strike was a good programme that done the lot from quote through to estimate , how ever you need to be computer literate to use it to its full capacity , however at the time its invoice facility could not show a 20% deduction on invoices for tax so we couldnt use it to invoice back in them days , also cost approx 8k for 2 licences.

AOM - used strike for 3 months then stopped , like cads product however is a very slow programme and very basic , the 3d drawing element is good for presentation - however my main estimator didnt like it and carried on using his previous methods like paper and fag packets ect !!!! , have appraised CASE and to be fair although we havent brought it we will do at some stage , its like every thing we have a quality management system and all that and we should have one of these systems in use , 3 of us estimate and i would say CASE would be the easiest for all 3 to use.
Likewise we use the services of Danny (THE RUTTS) when we need designs - none of these programmes are perfect ha
 
dangeruss said:
That would be Ben , top bloke has done some designs for me really good and turned them around really quickly as well.
Click to expand...
Cheers for the kind words Russ, appreciate it mate.

---------- Post added at 01:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:47 PM ----------
aom said:
Dangeruss,

Thanks for the tip but I was on their site already and felt there were too many jobs that I would never use like the tank and when ever we do a loading bay it's in system. Maybe give it another look though. I got a pm from a designer on here through this thread that has rescently started on his own so hopefully will get help there.
Click to expand...
AOM - I don't think it was me that contacted you, however, feel free to frop me a line if you need anything.
 
Been playing with cads estimate, model and tg20 checker for a couple of days now and thought it was ok. A little disappointed not to be able to add a loading bay or a ladder access tower to show the job exactly how it would look when built. Model it now includes cup lok which I thought would be brilliant but only includes a fraction of the component parts available so was left disappointed with that as well. The tg20 checker is not brilliant either, the minute you try and add anything it will tell you to seek design advice but the designers all tell me that the jobs in question don't require design. I suppose that has done it's job and I have sought advice but there is no facility to over ride this to get the report to fully comply. Does anyone know if I just haven't learnt to use it right yet or is it still quite restricted to what it can do?
 
ha ha so u have got it would have told you to save ya dough , we havent set it up properley yet , i to have played around with the model it , ours hasnt got cuplock but i believe we have an update coming
Brought it in Feb 09 just havent got round to using
 
I haven't spent any dough yet(typical jock) it was either you or dangeruss that said go for a trial and that is what I got. I think it looks the dogs and easy for a dummy to use which is just as well but I would like to be able to do a few add ons and it wont let me. I'm not sure if it's because I'm thick or if it's quite restricted.
 
needs playing with - likewise i need to get on there more often , cant go wrong with drag and drop , produces good pics me thinks , havent spend much time , brought it to collate quotations as 3 estimators in this office and bit of a nightmare finding anything
 
Scaffy,

I'm on my jack jones so finding anything isn't the problem but getting taken seriously is and I reckon this could help. You can't spend that money and not use it plus I need someone to tell me how to get the best out of it.:cool: I know dangeruss has a copy but I don't think he is to enamored with it either. If you use cup-lock you will like the update on model it but as I said earlier it doesn't support the whole catalog.
 
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