Scaffold Design Course

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vinny

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Does anyone have info on what qualifications are required by someone wanting to become a qualified scaffold designer. Is there a minimum level of qualification required to be able to sit the course.
 
Think your going to need a HNC in civil engineering and an ACAD course. Just signed up for both at the local college
 
good luck pal dont think the course will be easy but once you have passed the computer does the work for you you just take the dough
 
Good luck with the HNC Ian, its definately the right thing to do if you are looking to start out in design. Some of the stuff you cover may seem pointless for what you are ultimately wanting to do, like fluid mechanics, thermal dynamics etc but some of it will come in really useful like soil mechanics and steelwork design.

The sooner you start practicing the better, both with AutoCAD and forming calculations. I could also recommend a couple of textbooks which I found useful when I was training new design engineers in the past. PM me if you want the info.

All the best, B.
 
Super / Ian (the fly nearly made me not reply... I may bill u for a new monitor when I stab my pen through this one! ;-))

The textbook I had in mind was one called "Basic Structures for Engineers and Architects" by Philip Garrison. Its about £23 on Amazon I think. Its nothing to do with scaffolding really but it explains the basic calculations you would use with good diagrams. Its written in a way which makes it easy for people to understand who aren't used to reading that kind of thing.

Other than that, I would suggest reading TG20:08 cover to cover and taking time to digest what it is saying. I know that's a ball ache but as a designer its vital that you can call upon that basic knowledge in any situation.

The other code which is very useful is BS 5975:2008. That applies to ALL scaffolding in the UK, you could design to 5975 rather than TG20 if you wanted, it contains everything you would need as an engineer, its just never really mentioned. If you did read it I am sure you would be amazed at some of the stuff main contractors should be doing for you (as scaffolding contractors) which just never happens.

One thing I wouldn't do at the outset is worry too much about understanding the wind codes - they have just changed to Eurocode anyway. Although you will need this knowledge before you start designing, I would suggest working on the other things above first.

I hope this helps (unlike the fly)

Ben.
 
Hi Ian

Good reply by BMB.

Only thing you then need is to get a bit of guidance from another scaffold designer if you want to do the more complex designs.

Like scaffolding it is okay to learn from books and college, but you still will need to learn from more experienced peeps.

Good luck

Chris Eng
 
Hnc

Hi Vinny

I have just recently graduated from Liverpool John Moores University HNC Civil Engineering after doing a two year part time course. The course its self is very interesting and in-depth the mathematics was the one thing that worried me at first but if you can work through that everything else falls into place. But be prepared for lots of home work as you need to put a lot of study time as my employer didn’t really understand this after working 10/12 hour shifts nights/days and travelling to and from uni after being in uni for 10 hours.

But it is worth it in the end

Good luck
 
This just makes me wonder if these people can attend a two day course and then go out and inspect scaffolding, where does that leave the clients/main contractors and sometimes scaffolding contractors that employ such independent inspectors?
 
hello pal , was reading your post on some textbooks you could recommend for lads training as designers , could you give me the names of them please
 
Dave,

I think this is the information you are after copied below:

BMB said:
The textbook I had in mind was one called "Basic Structures for Engineers and Architects" by Philip Garrison. Its about £23 on Amazon I think. Its nothing to do with scaffolding really but it explains the basic calculations you would use with good diagrams. Its written in a way which makes it easy for people to understand who aren't used to reading that kind of thing.

Other than that, I would suggest reading TG20:08 cover to cover and taking time to digest what it is saying. I know that's a ball ache but as a designer its vital that you can call upon that basic knowledge in any situation.

.
Click to expand...

If thats not it, send me a PM with what you are after and I'll try and help.

Incidentally, I have since got my copy of that book back so I can give you the ISBN number, it's: 978-1-4051-2053-1

B.
 
superscaff75 said:
a certificate in engineering joe and autocad does not do everything for you bud it only does what you tell it to do bit by bit by bit by bit.
Click to expand...

bit by bit by bit by bit......then it crashes and you do it again. bit by bit by bit
 
Can anybody recommend which AutoCad program is the best to use for doing designs, as there's a few different ones out there.

Cheers
 
BMB said:
Super / Ian (the fly nearly made me not reply... I may bill u for a new monitor when I stab my pen through this one! ;-))

The textbook I had in mind was one called "Basic Structures for Engineers and Architects" by Philip Garrison. Its about £23 on Amazon I think. Its nothing to do with scaffolding really but it explains the basic calculations you would use with good diagrams. Its written in a way which makes it easy for people to understand who aren't used to reading that kind of thing.

Other than that, I would suggest reading TG20:08 cover to cover and taking time to digest what it is saying. I know that's a ball ache but as a designer its vital that you can call upon that basic knowledge in any situation.

The other code which is very useful is BS 5975:2008. That applies to ALL scaffolding in the UK, you could design to 5975 rather than TG20 if you wanted, it contains everything you would need as an engineer, its just never really mentioned. If you did read it I am sure you would be amazed at some of the stuff main contractors should be doing for you (as scaffolding contractors) which just never happens.

One thing I wouldn't do at the outset is worry too much about understanding the wind codes - they have just changed to Eurocode anyway. Although you will need this knowledge before you start designing, I would suggest working on the other things above first.

I hope this helps (unlike the fly)

Ben.
Click to expand...
hello mate how long does it take to get to a good standard at design and whats the dough like.
 
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