Scaffold types

Types of scaffolding

Scaffolds differ in how the parts connect and what they are built for. Here are the main types, how each is put together, where it is used, and how many systems of each type the ScaFix catalogue models.

By Ole Emil Frikstad Urstad · How the numbers are computed · Last updated 23 October 2026

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Layher Allround around a 12.5 m block.

What are the main types of scaffolding?

The main types are frame (facade) scaffolds, modular systems with rosettes (ringlock), wedges or cups (cuplock), tube and coupler scaffolds and shoring. Mobile towers, stair towers and hanging scaffolds are built from these. ScaFix models 89 system variants of these types (76 systems in the picker), each with its own bay lengths, depths and parts list.

Scaffold types at a glance

«In ScaFix»: the number of catalogue variants of that type and one example system's parts on ScaFix's example house (11.4 m × 5.3 m), computed by the app's engine.

Scaffold types at a glance
Type	How it is built	Used for	In ScaFix
Frame (facade) scaffold	Prefabricated frames joined by decks, braces and guardrails; fixed bay lengths.	Straight facades on houses and blocks; quick to erect.	44 variants · e.g. Layher Blitz: 271 parts
Modular scaffold with rosettes (ringlock)	Standards with welded rosettes; ledgers and braces clip on in eight directions.	Corners, curves, varying heights, industry and stair towers.	31 variants · e.g. Layher Allround: 481 parts
Modular scaffold with wedges	Standards with cups or brackets; ledgers held by wedges.	Facades and modular work where the system is common (e.g. HAKI in the Nordics).	5 variants · e.g. HAKI Universal: 610 parts
Cuplock	Standards with cup joints that lock up to four ledgers at one node.	Facades, birdcages and loading bays, common in the UK and Asia.	4 variants · e.g. Cuplock: 603 parts
Tube and coupler	Loose 48.3 mm tubes joined with couplers; any length and angle.	Irregular shapes and repairs; slow to erect.	2
Shoring / falsework	Heavy-duty towers and standards that carry formwork loads.	Supporting slabs and beams while concrete cures.	3

Layher Blitz scaffolding around a house of 11.4 × 5.3 m with a gabled roof (eaves 4.5 m, ridge 6 m), drawn by the ScaFix 3D model — Layher Blitz around the example house, as ScaFix draws it in 3D.

Close-up of the corner where the long wall and the gable wall meet, with Layher Allround standards, decks, guardrails and toe boards in the ScaFix 3D model — The corner: the bays of the two walls meet, with deck, guardrail and toe board on each lift.

Other types built from these

Mobile (rolling) towers: a small tower on castors, for short jobs indoors and outdoors.
Stair towers: a scaffold bay with stairs instead of ladders, for safe access on larger jobs; ScaFix can plan stair access.
Hanging (suspended) scaffolds: hung from the structure above; in ScaFix Pro for Layher Allround and HAKI Universal.
Round and silo scaffolds: modular scaffolds around curved walls; in ScaFix Pro.

Questions and answers

Which type of scaffolding is used on houses?

Mostly frame (facade) scaffolds, because they are quick to erect along straight walls. Modular systems are used where corners, curves or changing heights need more freedom.

What is the difference between frame and modular scaffolding?

A frame scaffold is built from prefabricated frames with fixed sizes. A modular scaffold is built from standards and ledgers that connect at nodes (rosettes, wedges or cups), so it adapts to more shapes.

Which scaffold types can ScaFix plan?

Frame, ringlock, wedge, cuplock, tube and coupler and shoring systems from its catalogue, with stair access; round, silo and hanging scaffolds in Pro.