Blogs

Construction has several highly scientific measuring instruments. Levels. Lasers. Transits. Surveying equipment. Measuring tapes. And apparently: Eyeballs. "Looks level enough." There it is. Four words capable of doing an impressive amount of damage when you're about to build something tall, heavy, and occupied by people. Because when it comes to scaffolding, there's something more important than whether the ground looks level. Will it stay that way after you put thousands of pounds on it? Welco …

Scaffolding Sagrada Família Most contractors hope their projects don't run behind schedule. Then there's Sagrada Família. Construction on Barcelona's famous basilica began in 1882. More than 140 years later, workers are still building it. Generations of architects, engineers, stoneworkers, sculptors, craftsmen, and construction crews have worked on the structure. Technology has changed dramatically. Construction methods have changed. Equipment has changed. The building has continue …

What’s Really Holding Your Scaffold Up? Let me ask you something most people don’t stop and think about: What’s actually holding your scaffold up? Because it’s not just sitting there, minding its business. It’s relying—completely—on proper tie-ins and anchoring to stay where it’s supposed to. And when that part gets rushed, skipped, or done halfway? You’re not dealing with “maybe a problem.” You’re dealing with a collapse th …

Let’s not dance around it. If there’s one place crews love to cut corners—and regret it later—it’s fall protection. It’s also one of the fastest ways to get a surprise visit from OSHA. And not the friendly kind. At Southwest Scaffolding, we’ve seen just about every version of “it’ll be fine” you can imagine: Guardrails missing. Harnesses on but not tied off. Guys 15 feet in the air with nothing but confidence holding them up. Or my pers …