Scaffolding – when scaffolding is worthwhile and when the work platform is the better choice

Scaffolding accompanies every larger construction project – from façade renovation and new builds to industrial installation. Yet the stationary façade scaffold has long ceased to be the only option for safe work at height. In the last two decades, mobile elevating work platforms, telescopic and scissor lifts have developed into a genuine alternative: faster ready for use, more economical for short assignments and safer for pinpoint work above obstacles.

This guide explains the systematics of modern scaffolding, shows which assignments still belong to classic scaffolding – and where a work platform is technically and economically superior. Luibl Rental & Sales is a specialist in height-access technology and delivers throughout Europe from a network of over 200 locations work platforms that replace or sensibly complement scaffolding in many assignments.

Scaffolding refers to the professional erection of temporary working and protective structures that give people safe access to workplaces at height. A scaffold is a stationary, modularly constructed structure made of standing frames, deck boards, guardrails, diagonals and anchorages. It is planned on a project basis, erected, accepted by a competent person and dismantled after completion.

According to the common standard systematics, scaffolding comprises three functional main categories:

• Working scaffolds serve as a platform for construction, installation and maintenance activities
• Protective scaffolds protect people and structures from falling or falling parts
• Shoring scaffolds absorb loads from formwork or load-bearing structures during the construction phase

To be distinguished from classic scaffolding is the use of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs). MEWPs are motor-driven, mobile machines that lift people and material to the workplace and hold them there. Legally they do not count as scaffolding but as work equipment within the meaning of the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (BetrSichV). This has far-reaching consequences for planning, personnel qualification and operating costs – we return to this in section 7.

Façade scaffold (frame scaffold)

The façade scaffold is the standard system in German-speaking construction. It consists of prefabricated standing frames that are anchored to the façade and connected with deck boards. Typical manufacturers are Layher, Plettac, Hünnebeck, Rux and Altrex. Areas of use: plastering and painting work, thermal insulation (ETICS), roofing, façade renovation. Erection and dismantling require trained scaffolding personnel.

Modular scaffold (system scaffold)

Modular scaffolds such as Layher Allround or Plettac Perfect consist of vertical standards with connection nodes at regular intervals. Ledgers and diagonals are connected at any angle. This makes it possible to depict complex geometries – church towers, stairwells, industrial plants, bridges.

Mobile scaffold / rolling tower (mobile access tower)

Mobile scaffolds in accordance with DIN EN 1004-1 are single-bay, mobile aluminium structures with castors. They are used indoors up to a maximum platform height of 12 m and outdoors up to a maximum of 8 m. Erection is carried out by knowledgeable, instructed persons – no scaffolder's certificate required. Use: interior finishing, small ceiling repairs, painting work.

Roof-edge protection scaffold

A roof-edge protection scaffold is a protective scaffold for fall protection during work on pitched roofs. The top deck level is a maximum of 1.50 m below the eaves; the catch level catches falling persons. Prescribed from a fall height of 3.00 m at the eaves edge.

Space and shoring scaffold

Space scaffolds are erected over an area in the interior – typical for ceiling renovations in halls, churches or railway stations. Shoring scaffolds in accordance with DIN EN 12812 absorb temporary loads, for example concrete formwork in bridge construction.

Suspended scaffold and cantilever scaffold

Suspended scaffolds are lowered from above, for example under bridges. Cantilever scaffolds project out from the structure on one side when a ground-based build-up is not possible – for example over bodies of water or traffic routes.

Chassis without scaffold function: MEWPs as an alternative

Parallel to these classic scaffold types, the mobile elevating work platform has established itself as a fully-fledged alternative for all work where the workplace is pinpoint or changing. Four main construction types cover almost all assignments:

• Scissor lifts – vertical lift, platforms up to 34 m working height, load capacities up to 1,000 kg
• Telescopic and articulating boom lifts – lateral reach and work over obstacles, up to 58 m working height
• Crawler platforms (tracked lifts) – off-road capable with a climbing ability of over 50%
• Truck-mounted work platforms / aerial lifts – fast relocation, no set-up time at the place of use

For many projects for which scaffolding was previously ordered reflexively, a work platform is today the more economical, faster and often also safer solution.

The following table compares the most important key figures. The reference values are typical for medium-class façade scaffolds and MEWPs.

Key statement: the shorter the assignment, the greater the lateral reach and the more demanding the terrain, the more clearly the calculation shifts in favour of the work platform.

Clear scaffolding assignments

Scaffolding is indispensable when work is carried out over a large area on a façade for a longer time. Specifically:

• Façade renovation over several weeks or months
• Applying a thermal insulation composite system (ETICS)
• Roofing and lead work at the eaves
• Plastering and stucco work with high material storage on the working level

Here the scaffold provides a continuous working platform on which material can be set down, cut and processed. A work platform would be economically inferior for these assignments, because the dwell time makes the hourly prices explode.

Clear work-platform assignments

For the following work, the MEWP is technically and economically superior to scaffolding:

• Pinpoint maintenance work – individual lights, cameras, air-conditioning units, gutters
• Industrial installations – hall lighting, fire-protection systems, ventilation technology, sprinkler systems
• Tree care and green-space work – reaching over crowns is barely possible with scaffolding
• Façade cleaning – glass surfaces, solar systems, advertising boards
• Work over obstacles – over roofs, plants, bodies of water, traffic routes
• Installations in logistics centres – work over racking that is inaccessible for scaffolding
• Short assignments under 2 weeks – where scaffold erection and dismantling take longer than the actual work

The Manitou 160 ATJ (articulating boom lift with 16 m working height) or Magni RTH 6.39 (Roto telehandler with basket up to 39 m) cover work that would be either disproportionately expensive or simply not feasible with scaffolding.

Hybrid assignments

Many projects benefit from a combination. Example automotive plant: for ongoing production-plant maintenance, the hall is not scaffolded – instead, high-bay scissor lifts with 22 m, 28 m and 33 m height are used. On the façade, however, scaffolding remains the basis, flanked by a truck-mounted work platform for hard-to-reach sections.

The choice between scaffolding and a work platform follows a robust decision logic. Six questions answer over 90% of all cases in practice:

1. How long does the assignment last? Under 2 weeks: work platform. Over 4 weeks with large-area work: scaffolding. In between: do the maths.

2. How many metres of lateral reach are needed? Reach equal to zero and work directly on the façade: scaffolding. Any other constellation: check a work platform.

3. How many people work at height simultaneously? More than two people with material: scaffolding. One to two people with tools: a work platform is sufficient.

4. What material has to be stored on the working level? Nothing to light tools: work platform. Pallets, insulation panels, mortar: scaffolding.

5. What is the ground like? Paved and level: all options. Rough or steep: crawler platform (climbing ability over 50%).

6. Are there obstacles to bridge? Yes (roofs, extensions, plants): articulating boom lift. No: scaffolding or scissor lift.

A simple rule of thumb for the building trade: anyone thinking for the first time about switching from scaffolding to a work platform typically starts with short maintenance assignments. The hourly costs of a work platform are admittedly above the daily scaffold contribution – but the set-up time is eliminated, and the assignment begins within an hour of delivery.

Scaffolding and work-platform use are governed in Germany and Austria by different but overlapping sets of rules.

Germany

The Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (BetrSichV), DGUV Vorschrift 38 (vehicles, incl. mobile elevating work platforms) and DGUV Regel 101-005 for MEWPs are decisive. For scaffolds, DIN EN 12810 and 12811 (façade scaffolds) and TRBS 2121 Part 1 (hazards when using scaffolds) also apply.

Persons who erect scaffolds require corresponding specialist qualifications. After completion, the erection must be inspected by a competent person and released in writing. For MEWPs, DGUV Grundsatz 308-008 applies – annual instruction, a documented operator certificate (often to IPAF standard) and UVV inspection of the machine are mandatory.

Austria

In Austria, the Work Equipment Ordinance (AM-VO) and the requirements of the AUVA (General Accident Insurance Institution) apply. For MEWPs, an annual inspection by a knowledgeable person is prescribed. Operator training is carried out in accordance with AUVA leaflet M 385.

Inspection obligations at a glance

• Scaffold: acceptance after erection, daily visual check, re-inspection in the event of a significant change
• Mobile scaffold: erection by an instructed person, release by a competent person
• MEWP: annual UVV inspection, expert inspection in accordance with BetrSichV, instruction on the specific machine

Anyone renting work platforms receives machines from Luibl with a valid UVV inspection protocol. Long-term rentals generally include the annual inspection at no surcharge.

The classic renting-vs.-buying decision looks somewhat different in scaffolding than for work platforms.

Renting or buying scaffolding

For private individuals and trade businesses with occasional scaffolding needs, renting via a scaffolder is the norm – including erection, dismantling and structural release. Buying a mobile scaffold is worthwhile for recurring in-house needs, for example for painting companies.

Renting or buying a work platform

Here the calculation shifts significantly. Work platforms quickly cost €40,000 new (scissor lift) to over €350,000 (Roto telehandler). Experience shows that amortisation sets in from 150–200 deployment days per year. For most businesses, renting is the economically superior option – especially with long-term conditions from 3 months' rental duration.

The hybrid strategy

Many businesses do best with a clear separation: buying a single, frequently used scissor lift for core work, and renting in specialist equipment (articulating boom lifts, Roto telehandlers, high-bay scissor lifts) on a project basis. Luibl Rental acts here as a partner for specialist equipment for both end customers and other rental companies.

When no own scaffold and no own platform is needed

For individual projects with a clearly defined duration, the pure rental solution is a good fit. Luibl delivers throughout Europe from over 200 locations with its own low-loader fleet – from Germany via Austria, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Italy and Hungary to further countries. UVV inspection, instruction and, if required, a service-technician request are included in the package.

Scaffolding is no longer a monolithic topic. Anyone planning work at height today should consider two parallel worlds: classic scaffolding for large-area, longer façade work and the mobile elevating work platform for pinpoint, mobile, fast assignments. The delimitation is technically clear, economically often surprising: in many cases the work platform clearly beats scaffolding – even in projects where scaffolding was reached for reflexively.

Luibl Rental & Sales delivers work platforms of all classes throughout Europe from over 200 locations – from compact electric scissor lifts for indoor use and crawler platforms for rough terrain to Roto telehandlers with 39 m basket height. A central contact person looks after platforms, telehandlers and forklifts alike – and ensures delivery, UVV inspection, instruction and, if required, a service-technician request.

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