Masonry Magazine April 2005 Page. 19
The Ultimate Masonry Scaffold
Crankup scaffolding. You hear it called elevating scaffolding, adjustable scaffolding, climbing scaffolding and tower scaffolding, to name just a few. Sometimes it's just called by its trade name, like Morgen or Non-Stop. Different regions of the country have different names for it, but the contractors who use it agree it is a huge improvement over the way they used to scaffold a job.
Considering its popularity with its loyal users, you would think everyone would have adjustable scaffolding by now, but it seems that mason contractors are not quick to change their operation. Some of them were forced into changing by a particular job, some came to appreciate it while they were bricklayers and bought it when they started their own companies, and some were just looking for a way to cut labor costs. In the end, they all like it and say they are not going back to their old ways.
This article looks at the experience of several mason contractors who made the switch to adjustable scaffolding. It answers the questions: What caused them to try it? How did they make the transition? Are they making more money? And has it been a good move for them?
Impossible Job Site
"We were backed in a corner. We had to do something different," recalls Mike Schmerbeck of Speranza Brickwork in New Jersey.
"We had this seven-story building in downtown Camden, N.J., where we had to tear off the old brick veneer and then go back up with new brick. The building was occupied so we couldn't pass materials through the windows. The circumstances were such that we absolutely had to bring the debris down with a crane, no chutes or anything else," Schmerbeck says. "It was the tightest site I've ever seen.
"Now, conventional frames and cranes don't mix, but tower scaffolding gave the crane clear access to the laborers' area where we were stockpiling our debris. It worked great. After we tore off an elevation, we just stocked up with new brick and started back up. That's when we got the biggest surprise of all. We thought that getting 20% more production was just hype - we did that and better.
"Because we were downtown, we only had one day, Sunday, to move 245 feet of scaffolding, seven stories high, from one side of the building to the next. At 7 a.m. we blocked off the streets, got our crane, and started swinging entire towers from one side of the building to the next. We were finished by noon. I was amazed. We made a ton on that job. It paid for the scaffolding."
Fast Relocation
Adjustable scaffolding can be moved from wall to wall quickly, without any disassembly, and is immune to the problems encountered on sloping sites. Contractors who use it report that they can move their towers in a quarter to a fifth of the time they previously spent moving frames.
Sal Monarca, a mason contractor in Connecticut, describes how his workers move scaffolding now: "We pick up a tower with the lift, drop it at the next wall, and go get another one. It couldn't be simpler. Two hours later you've got a couple of hundred feet of scaffolding ready to go again, and it could be four stories high."
High-rise Work
Elevating scaffolding is not just limited to large retail and shopping centers. It's been used in applications over 400 feet high. One brand is rated to go 552 feet high due to the high-grade steel used in its tower sections.
EZ Complete Package for 105' Length x 29.5' Height $21,999.00
EZ Heaviest Construction 5 Board Laborer Platform 7000 lb, Capacity
XL Complete Package for 105' Length x 24' Height $19,999.00
XL 6'2" Base Width 5 Board Laborer Platform Many Transport Options
MT Complete Package for 105' Length x 21' Height $18,999.00
MIGHTY Removable Mason and Laborer Tenders Easy to Maneuver Most Versatile System
NS Complete Package for 105' Length x 27' Height $19,999.00
NS 6' Base Width 5 Board Laborer Platform 2 Speed Winch
* Full Factory Warranty
* Powder Coat Painting of all models
* Increase Mason Production by 30%
CrankUp Scaffolding, LLC.
1633 Blairs Bridge Road
Atlanta, GA 30122
Ph: 770-944-7400
Fax: 770-944-7188
(800) 896-9464
Check out our website @ www.crankupscaffolding.com
CIRCLE 183 ON READER SERVICE CARD
The Voice of the Mason Contractor
April 2005
Masonry
17