Jim Bridger Boiler Scaffold Wave - Not an Atlantic Scaffolding job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Justin T. Wittwer]

The picture was believed to have been taken at the Jim Bridger Plant in Point of Rocks, Wyoming. This is a CLASSIC example of why diagonal bracing is absolutely critical in all scaffolding applications. This is also a CLASSIC example of why there are professionals in our INDUSTRIES. We have heard rumor that this is an Atlantic Scaffolding job and this is not the case. Atlantic is not on this job site and this is not our scaffold.

Someone should let At-Pac know what people are doing with their equipment. 

Now for the jokes:

"Hey man did we forget something at the bottom?"

"You only have to put diagonals on if the scaffold is outside, thery're just for wind right?"

"Bump tubes are for suckers"

"Diags are put on by the engineers so the scaffold companies get more rent"

"Engineered drawings are for punks, i've done this a thousand times"

" I think the scaffold is either merging, or changing lanes"

"Where's the drawing?" "Oh, i left it in the trailer"

Ok, now that I got that out of my system. These are all lines I have heard from so called "erectors". Boiler scaffolds are no joke and if you are going to attempt to build one, the least (very least) you can do is trust the guy who went to college and knows how to do the math. I know I've had my share of aggressive negotiations with engineers over the years, but his degree, combined with my experience, can generally compliment each other to a simple solution that works both structurally and labor wise. I would be willing to bet one of two things contributed to this picture, either the design was not followed exactly, or the engineer forgot to carry the one somewhere in his calculations. i don't know who designed this scaffold, (and I hate to say it but here it goes) i would be questioning the erectors first and the engineer second. If you are working a boiler job, you need an engineered design. Then you need to follow that design. If you run into a problem that isn't addressed in the drawing, pick up that thing you use to check your Facebook status (when you should be working) and give him a call or send him a picture of what you had to do. If you have to make a substitution for a part he has specifically called out, let him know. Odds are he will be fine with what you have done, but how would you like to have to call him and have him come out and fix the scaffold in the picture if you changed his design?Even the smallest boilers can  be tricky if you don't know what you are doing. Yes is just a really big scaffold, but you also need to understand how those little tubes are going to react when you slap 8 semis of them together. I treat an engineered drawing like OSHA regulations., it is the bare minimum. If I can add some ties, or more diagonals and not adversely effect my production, i will. I've never had a conversation where my engineer has told me my scaffold has too many braces.  Feel free to comment below on this blog, but if you don't know what you're doing, a boiler scaffold the size of one of Bridger's units is not a good place to learn. I would recommend a nice 100MW unit for practicing. And even then I would strongly recommend that you have an engineered drawing even if the regulations don't require it. 

Cheers,

JW

[Justin T. Wittwer]

Well put Mr. Wolverton

[Simon Wolverton]

Whether the engineer missed it or not, the erector shouldnt have let this happen.

 

[Donna Stendel]

Wow.  Aren't you glad you have a safety that questions things? 

[Brandon Bell]

This is true looks like all around/ total like in the old sun belt days. I miss it systems can piss you off some days

[Justin T. Wittwer]

Mr. Bell,

It may look like QES but it's not. It is a rosette system, but I dont care what system you use, diags are a good thing. 

[Brandon Bell]

i bet the guys that dismantled it have to be as crazy as the ones who built it with no diags.  got to love QES

[Richard Robertson]

I do not know what the regulations are down there but up here in Canada all system scaffold over 15 meters has to have stamped drawings and be inspected by a competent inspector, 11meters for tube & clamp.

[Doug Easter]

Justin, as you may know, I was one of the first to use systems (Safway) scaffold in a boiler, and I learned a lot then and over the years.  The boiler is of a fixed dimension and that old thing like gravity and the earth's rotation play havoc with a boiler scaffold.  There is no going back and putting on diagonals.  You complete each lift as you go.  I teach a Scaffold class for the Southern Company and I have talked them into requiring PE drawings on every scaffold, regardless of height, AND I teach them how to read those drawings and inspect accordingly.  The base on recovery boilers is one thing, but the V-bottom on power boilers requires a founding system built for that purpose; jury rigging or Alabama engineering will not work.

[Martin farias]

WTF!!!!!!

[jim]

Nice to see some activity here again. I just mentioned your post at my facebook page...

  https://www.facebook.com/scaffoldworker 

 Hope it brings you some new members