Scaffolding is a working platform designed to ensure the smooth progress of various construction processes. It is categorized by installation location into external and internal scaffolding; by material into wooden, bamboo, and steel pipe scaffolding; and by construction form into vertical pole, bridge, gate, suspended, hanging, cantilever, and climbing scaffolding.

Different types of construction projects require different types of scaffolding. Most bridge supports use bowl clamp scaffolding, with some using door frame 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.

Scaffolding, compared to general structures, has the following characteristics in terms of working conditions:

1. The load variability is quite significant.

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, with considerable variation in node performance.

3. Scaffold structures and components have initial defects, such as initial bending of rods, corrosion, significant dimensional errors in assembly, and uneven loading eccentricity.

4. The connection points with the wall exhibit significant variability in their constraint on the scaffolding. Research on the aforementioned issues lacks systematic accumulation and statistical data, and does not meet the conditions for independent probability analysis. Therefore, the adjustment coefficient, when multiplied by the structural resistance, is determined by calibrating against previously used coefficients. Consequently, the design method adopted in this specification is essentially a combination of semi-probabilistic and semi-empirical approaches. Compliance with the structural requirements specified in this specification is a fundamental condition for design calculations.