With cities and towns booming, the need for scaffolding is rising as construction companies need projects to be finished quickly and efficiently. As scaffolding forms the basis of any construction project, it is important to choose the right type for your specific building requirements. After all, without it, builders and workers would not be provided with a safe platform to carry out their duties. To be able to manoeuvre around buildings of any shape and size, both quickly and easily, improves the efficiency of any construction job. As a contractor, you need to make the right choice when it comes to scaffolding for sale.

In ancient Egypt, the pyramids and tombs were built using a type of formwork which created the shapes of the stones. Unlike modern builds, the blocks that were made for these wonders were not done on-site and had to be shipped over canals and delivered to a plateau where they were potentially lifted up on sleighs by means of an inclined embankment. Imagine if the building process was still like that? With the advent of technology, our “blocks” are made on site through the professional assistance of formwork contractors.

Formwork is considered as the framework in construction and without it, a build will not be complete or to specifications. Basically, it serves as a mould for concrete structural components and is considered as a temporary support structure.

The concept of creating a stable platform for use when working at height is not new. On the contrary, evidence suggests that humans first adopted this practice during the stone age, albeit to create cave paintings rather than working on tall buildings. The idea persisted and was eventually adopted by primitive builders, who built their platforms from bamboo poles bound together with dried animal hide. Today, there are numerous brands of scaffolding for sale to construction companies, small builders, painters, and decorators worldwide. However, just two of these have grown to dominate the market in South Africa.

The invention of concrete was destined to transform the building industry forever. For the first time, builders had a material that could be moulded to form new shapes and create bold and exciting structures that have endured for centuries. The fluted columns, domes, and arches of ancient Rome are ample testimony to the versatility and durability of this composite of cement and aggregate. However, the elaborate concrete structures of yesteryear and today owe their shapes not only to imaginative architects but also to various types of formwork, sometimes known as falsework or shuttering.