How much do birdcages cost?

Below is our guide on how to build a birdcage scaffold:

• Standards should always be at a maximum of 2.5 meters apart.
• The first lift can be up to 2.5 meters in height if access is required underneath the birdcage structure otherwise the height of each lift should remain at 2-meter intervals.
• In general, this kind of structure should only have one working lift (top lift) and the load it can take should not be over 0.75 kilonewtons per metre squared.
• If the birdcage is covering a large area, we will reduce the width of the outer edge bays to three, four or five boards wide to meet the needs of certain access requirements.
• All ledgers and transoms are to be fixed to the uprights (standards) using ninety-degree angle couplers. For the top lift the transom tube will be connected to the ledgers using putlog couplers (a single coupler).
• All birdcage scaffolds must be braced or tied in, and this is to make sure they are secure and stable. All standards must be sufficiently braced to ensure they can take on vertical loading and braces help to strengthen the birdcage.
• Birdcages should be built strong and tough enough to be able to withstand lateral sway and take on loads without the risk of overturing. We ensure every birdcage scaffold we erect is braced and anchored down adequately to endure high winds especially if it is being used externally.

For external birdcages

• As a rule of thumb all bracing should be installed at one brace for every other set of upright standards. The braces should be fixed to the ledgers using a double coupler and by a swivel coupler to the standard.

When erecting internal birdcages

• When there is a suitable structure next to our birdcage scaffold, we will use it to steady it, and if we are able to all four sides of the structure will be secured against it. If there are two walls either side, we will butt the scaffold up against these from both sides.

This all depends on the complexity of the birdcage scaffold and its size as many birdcages are pretty straight forward and so do not require a design, however for example if you are wanting to use the birdcage to support heavy loads or if it is going to be higher than fifty meters then it would be necessary for the birdcage to be designed specifically for these needs.

A birdcage and crash deck scaffold are basically the same thing and have the advantage of protecting the user from falling from height when placed inside a room where workers could fall from the outer perimeter into the building, but they also give the user a large safe area to work from when used to access ceilings, floor joists, the underneath of roofs, plus many other tasks.

This means that all the working lifts have scaffold boards covering them to create fully boarded working areas.

It depends on the type of structure you are using, for example if you have an independent crash deck built inside a new build property then you would not need any handrails present as it would usually cover the whole internal area. However, if you have a birdcage built in the center of a building but the perimeter is open to falls, then triple or double handrails would be installed around the working areas of the birdcage to create edge protection.

Crash deck is just another name for a birdcage, and this is what is commonly used on the internal areas of a new build, whilst workers are building the roof for example or for installing floor joists. If a bricklayer or user was to fall into the building at that height, they would have the crash deck platform to protect them. Popular uses for crash decks are:

• Construction of swimming pools.
• Internal factory renovations.
• Maintenance work in power plants.
• Lift shaft repairs and maintenance.
• Theatre and cinema refurbishments.

We are often asked to build a birdcage scaffold for our clients as it is a common structure to use for preventing falls. Birdcages are usually independent structures that are built using two or more rows of standards (upright tube) that are evenly spaced apart and are required when the area below is inaccessible or where there is a serious risk of falling from height.

An independent birdcage or crash deck scaffolding usually has the top lift fully boarded but sometimes lower lifts are boarded as well depending on the client’s needs. Independent birdcages are entirely enclosed so when looking at the scaffold, it appears like a birdcage, and this is where it gets its name from.

As you will see from our recent case studies below, this type of scaffold can vary in size and is used to access internal areas on buildings such as churches or internally on new build houses where works will take place on a single level. Here is a list of different projects that may benefit from having a birdcage scaffold erected:

• Progressive new builds to protect from falling into the building.
• Repairs and maintenance on the inside of churches.
• Painting and plastering ceilings.
• Access to sprinklers.
• Reaching ventilation areas.
• Accessing lagging pipes.
• Accessing lighting and their fixings.