Blogs

Scaffolding Notre-Dame On April 15, 2019, people around the world watched as flames engulfed Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. The roof burned. The famous spire collapsed. Centuries-old timber framing was destroyed. Stone vaults were damaged. And firefighters fought desperately to save one of the world's most recognizable historic buildings. But there was another complication already surrounding the cathedral. Scaffolding. Before the fire began, Notre-Dame was already undergoing restoration. Hundre …

Scaffolding Ancient Castles Castles were designed with one very specific goal in mind. Make them difficult to access. Build the walls high. Put them on steep hills. Add towers. Add cliffs. Maybe surround the whole thing with a moat just to make absolutely sure nobody can easily get near it. It was an excellent defensive strategy. Several hundred years later, it's slightly inconvenient for the people trying to scaffold them. Welcome back to Scaffolding Around the World. This time, we're tackling …

Scaffolding Giant Statues Most scaffolding projects begin with a building. Buildings are usually somewhat cooperative. They have walls. Corners. Floors. Rooflines. Relatively predictable shapes. Then someone asks you to scaffold a 200-foot person. Suddenly things get interesting. Around the world, enormous statues rise above cities, mountains, temples, and monuments. Some are made from stone. Others from concrete, copper, bronze, or steel. Many require regular inspection, cleaning, restoration, …

Scaffolding the Colosseum Some restoration projects involve buildings that are 50 years old. Some involve buildings that are 200 years old. And then there's the Colosseum. Construction on Rome's famous amphitheater began nearly 2,000 years ago. Since then, it has survived earthquakes, fires, weather, pollution, stone removal, changing uses, and more generations of visitors than its original builders could possibly have imagined. And it's still standing. Not untouched. Not complete. But standing. …

Scaffolding the Statue of Liberty Few structures are as instantly recognizable as the Statue of Liberty. Standing in New York Harbor with her torch raised above the water, Lady Liberty has welcomed generations of immigrants, visitors, and ships approaching New York City. From a distance, she looks solid. Up close, the structure is much more complicated. The Statue of Liberty is not a massive solid sculpture. Her famous green exterior is made from relatively thin sheets of copper supported by an …