Importance of Bracing

A brace is a structural member used to stiffen a scaffold structure. Braces serve the following purposes:

• They secure the vertical members (legs) together.
• They square and align the legs so the scaffold stays plumb.
• They resist sway forces that result from loads, wind, and worker movement.

A triangle is the most stable structure. A square or rectangle without a diagonal brace will easily collapse. Imagine a cardboard box with the top and bottom flaps open. The box will flatten easily. It can't retain its shape. Similarly, a single scaffold bay built with only horizontals connecting the legs will not be rigid and could easily collapse. All scaffolds require some form of bracing.

Keep in mind the following:

• On fabricated frame scaffolds, OSHA requires that frames are braced by cross, horizontal, or diagonal braces, or a combination thereof, which secure vertical members together laterally. The cross braces must automatically square and align vertical members so the scaffold stays plumb, level, and square. They reduce the unbraced length of the leg, thereby giving the frame a higher load capacity than it would otherwise have. The number of cross braces on the typical fabricated scaffold provides a level of redundancy that is not present on other types of scaffolds.
• Tube and coupler scaffolds use continuous diagonal face bracing and transverse X-bracing for rigidity.
• System and Euro-style frame scaffolds are proprietary scaffold systems. The manufacturer will specify the required bracing.

To learn more about Scaffolding Safety visit our Construction Scaffolding Safety Online Training web page.