Construction is a growing industry. After the recession, many new projects are being completed. Construction is now one of the top ten fastest growing industries. Along with newer buildings, many older buildings are being fixed and renovated. Newer construction on older buildings often requires additional support structures. As many as 2.3 million construction sites will use scaffolds in their works. Up until the 20th century, scaffolding was made of wood. However, newer support materials are used today for sheeting, scaffolding, shoring, and the like.
There are many structural risks from common construction activities. For antique, or older buildings, often new construction activity can cause problems. If an adjacent building is removed, the older building may lose a previous support structure. Or if updates are being done to the interior of the building, there may new forces putting pressure on the frame. New movement in the area surrounding an older building, or other types of new forces can apply movement to the building that weakens the construction. These new forces are often the cause of structural problems for long standing buildings.
Problems from new forces in a building can come from a variety of sources. Movement will often be seen, which is a sign of need for stabilization. Ground water and standing water will cause structural damage. This deterioration is often a result of both interior and exterior water. Blasting in the area may also call for a need for a scaffold tower and temporary shoring. The causes and fixes for cracks depend on location and orientation. Older buildings can often be out of plumb or bulging on the sides. For historic buildings that are intended for preservation, temporary shoring, scaffolding, and wall bracing may help stabilize issues.
Remember that temporary installations like post shoring and sheeting will be subject to special inspection with special permits. Special inspections may be required. Any use of soil work and excavation will typically require the use of shoring. This may need to be monitored based on response of the controlled construction activities.
As with any construction project regardless of the size, safety is of the utmost concern. As the construction market grows, preventable hazards must be avoided.
