SMART Estimator

Anchor Ties and Rakers

  1. Overview of Anchor Ties and Rakers

    Anchor Ties and Rakers are essential components in securely attaching scaffold structures to the building façade, providing stability and support. In this documentation for SMART Estimator, you will learn how to adjust the Anchor Ties and apply Rakers to a scaffold for an elevation.

  2. Adjusting the Anchor Ties

    A scaffold is automatically tied with Anchor Ties when created in SMART Estimator. It is possible to specify the position of the Anchor Ties, thereby determining where the scaffold will be attached to the façade.

    To adjust the arrangement of Anchor Ties on the scaffold façade, select the Anchors option and choose one of the available tie patterns. The available tie patterns include six TG20 patterns, which are available for tube-and-fitting scaffolding and the system scaffolding tie patterns, which are based on its manufacturer’s guidance.

    From there, simply apply it to the scaffold to change the tie pattern of that scaffold. You can also use Ctrl before applying the configuration to isolate it to one elevation.

    Identifying which anchors are which?

    Standard anchors are represented with a circle whilst double (‘V’) anchors are represented with a triangle. When you zoom in closely at the elevation, you will be able to see these shapes.

    How many Anchors are there in my Item?

    The total quantity of anchors is also displayed in the Quantities Display Bar for use when estimating. This can be found at the bottom left hand side of SMART Estimator.

    Tube and Fitting: Cladding / Pavement Lifts

    The anchor positions for tube-and-fitting scaffolding automatically account for the rules for extra tie points where a scaffold is sheeted or has a pavement lift (where ledger bracing is excluded from ground level for access).

    Erase Anchors from the Scaffold

    Using the Erasure Tool, hover your mouse over the anchors until they are highlighted, and then remove them. This will effectively convert the scaffold into a freestanding structure.

    Inner and Outer Anchor Ties

    If certain conditions are present, such as wind exposure at the site, scaffold cladding (e.g. sheeting or debris netting), scaffold height, and facade permeability (whether a solid building shields the scaffold from the wind or whether there are significant openings), it may be necessary to connect the tie tubes to the inner and outer faces to add extra rigidity to the scaffold structure.

    Simply hover your mouse over the Anchor Tie until the Elevation Anchors toolbox dialog appears. From here you can press Tab to cycle through Inner and Outer anchor options, and then press Enter to change the anchors. If you wish to isolate the anchor change to a single elevation, you can hold down the Ctrl key prior to modifying the anchor.

  3. Adding Rakers

    The Rakers can be applied to an elevation by navigating to the Tools View on the far right of the Toolbar. From there, click on the Rakers Tool and apply it to the entire scaffold or hold Ctrl before applying it to one elevation.

    When rakers are applied to the scaffold, they replace the first line of ledger bracing with raking tubes, extending up to the second lift and being restrained at the base whilst also being spaced apart by two bays.

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