Scaffolding is a work platform constructed to ensure the smooth progress of various construction processes. It is categorized by installation location into exterior scaffolding and interior scaffolding; by material, into wooden, bamboo, and steel pipe scaffolding; and by construction type, into upright, bridge, door, suspended, hanging, cantilever, and climbing scaffolding.

Different types of construction projects require different types of scaffolding. Most bridge support structures use bowl clamp scaffolding, with some using gate scaffolding. For the main structure construction, most use clamp scaffolding for ground-level scaffolding; the longitudinal spacing of the scaffolding uprights is generally 1.2~1.8m; the transverse spacing is generally 0.9~1.5m.

Comparatively, the working conditions of scaffolding have the following characteristics compared to general structures:

1. The load variability is relatively large.

2. The connection nodes of the fasteners are semi-rigid, and the rigidity of the nodes is related to the quality of the fasteners and the installation quality, with significant variation in node performance.

3. Scaffold structures and components have initial defects, such as initial bending of rods, rust, significant assembly size errors, and eccentric loading, all of which are considerable.

4. The connection points with the wall exhibit significant variation in constraint to the scaffolding. There is a lack of systematic accumulation and statistical data for the study of the above issues, which does not meet the conditions for independent probability analysis. Therefore, the adjustment coefficient, multiplied by the structural resistance and less than 1, is determined by calibrating with the coefficients used in the past. Consequently, the design method adopted in this specification is essentially a combination of semi-probabilistic and semi-experiential approaches. Compliance with the structural requirements specified in this specification is the basic condition for design calculations.