SMART Compliance

SMART Compliance Summary

SMART Compliance is a collection of compliance checks and design tools for scaffolding professionals, scaffold designers and temporary works engineers.

Modules of SMART Compliance:







The program organises the input data and output results so that the user is led to consider all the relevant parameters in a logical and complete manner. Calculations that are complicated and prone to error when carried out by hand are completed accurately in moments, allowing alternative parameters and arrangements to be considered with ease and confidence.

After finishing a calculation or compliance check, a brief message at the top of the window indicates completion and the results status. A summary of results is displayed by default in the Calculation Report pages. Where available, more detailed results may be viewed by selecting the Calculations or Detailed options for the Calculation Reports.

TG20 compliance check modules

The TG20 compliance check modules are designed to be used by any competent person with an understanding of TG20:21.

TG20 compliance checks are available for tied independent scaffolding, tied tower scaffolding, internal birdcages and loading bay towers.

In each case, SMART Compliance produces a compliance report that states the site location, scaffold configuration and dimensions, whether the scaffold is TG20:21 compliant and, where applicable, the compliance criteria that must be observed.

If the scaffold is not compliant, the software suggests options that may achieve compliance and avoid bespoke design where possible.

Tied independent scaffolding compliance check module

The Tied independent scaffolding compliance check module checks tube and fitting independent scaffolding for compliance with TG20:21.

All permitted TG20:21 compliant tied or rakered independent scaffolding can be checked.

Scaffolding supported includes:

  • Scaffolding up to 50 m in length and 50 m in height.
  • Scaffolding founded on the ground or on a permanent structure.
  • Lifts arranged in bands of up to 1.5 m, 2.0 m or 3.0 m.
  • Load classes 1 to 4 on a platform up to 5 + 3 boards wide.
  • Brick guards, debris netting and sheeting.
  • Tying to an impermeable solid façade or a façade with openings, with the option to specify the tie capacity of the permanent structure where known.
  • TG20 compliant prefabricated structural transom units, including a check to determine whether ledger bracing can be omitted.
  • TG20 compliant galvanised Type 4 or high-tensile steel tubes.
  • Double standards, including an automatic check to determine whether they are required and, if so, the height to which they must extend.
  • A pavement lift using one of the permitted TG20:21 stabilisation arrangements.
  • A light-duty cantilever fan fitted to a specified lift.
  • A TG20 compliant bridge of two or three bays in length.
  • An inner cantilever platform or a platform supported by inside-board (hop-up) brackets.
  • Inner edge protection options.

TG20 compliant bridges may be supported by steel ladder beams, steel unit beams or equivalent aluminium lattice beams. A range of manufacturer beams can be checked for compliance, and double supporting standards or stacked beam assemblies may be used where required.

Tied tower scaffolding compliance check module

The Tied tower scaffolding compliance check is essentially the same as the tied independent scaffolding compliance check, but is limited to one or two bays along the length of the elevation.

All checks performed for a tied tower scaffold are the same as those performed for a tied independent scaffold, subject to the limitations below.

Current limitations:

  • The scaffold is limited to one or two bays along the length of the elevation.
  • A bridge cannot be added because of the limited length of the tied tower scaffold.
  • Inner cantilever platforms are not presently permitted in the TG20 compliance check for a tied tower.
  • Rakers are not presently permitted in the TG20 compliance check for a tied tower.

All other compliance checks and criteria are the same as those used for a tied independent scaffold.

Internal birdcage scaffolding compliance check module

The Internal birdcage scaffolding module calculates tube and fitting birdcage scaffolding, in internal locations not exposed to the wind, in accordance with BS EN 12811 and TG20:21.

The software checks whether the scaffold is TG20:21 compliant, calculates the maximum leg loads for foundation design and, if the scaffold is tied, the maximum tie duty and required tie pattern.

The birdcage may be tied, securely butted or freestanding, with the option to be tied or butted in one direction and freestanding in the other. Options are provided for boarded lifts, unboarded lifts with ladder landings and perimeter boarding, and the birdcage may be constructed from TG20 compliant high-tensile or Type 4 galvanised steel tubes.

The calculations and checks performed by the software are:

  • Calculates the maximum leg loads for foundation design.
  • Calculates the maximum tie duty and required tie pattern, for tied birdcages.
  • Checks whether the scaffold is TG20:21 compliant.

The internal birdcage module avoids complex calculations and may be used by any competent person with an understanding of TG20:21. However, it is recommended that the output from the software is checked by a competent person.

Loading bay scaffolding compliance check module

The Loading bay scaffolding module calculates tube and fitting loading bay scaffolding in accordance with BS EN 12811 and TG20:21.

The software checks whether the loading bay tower is TG20:21 compliant and calculates the maximum leg load for foundation design and the maximum tie duty.

All permitted TG20:21 compliant loading bay tower configurations of maximum 10 kN/m² can be calculated, including:

  • Loading bay platforms supported by beams.
  • Loading bay platforms that are not supported by beams, where the loading bay tower is constructed with four bays of maximum 0.9 m along its length.
  • Loading bay towers of two bays (6 + 2 boards) or three bays (3 + 4 + 3 boards) in width.
  • Loading bay towers tied to scaffolding with storey-height lifts.
  • Loading bay towers constructed from TG20 compliant galvanised Type 4 or high-tensile steel tubes.

The calculations and checks performed by the software are:

  • Calculates the maximum leg loads for foundation design.
  • Calculates the maximum tie duty and required tie pattern.
  • Determines the required tie interval for the tower and whether the top lift must be tied.
  • Calculates whether double standards are required and, if so, to what height. This only applies to loading bays with beams.
  • Checks whether the loading bay tower is TG20:21 compliant.
Scaffolding calculation modules

The scaffolding calculation modules are intended for the calculation of tube and fitting scaffolding in accordance with BS EN 12811 and related codes of practice, for sites located in the UK or Ireland.

The calculation reports produced by SMART Compliance show the results in a transparent manner, including structural analysis models and calculation equations.

The full calculations allow supported scaffolding outside the scope of TG20 compliance to be calculated and can provide more efficient results than TG20 compliance checks, which are conservative in exchange for simplicity.

Calculation modules are available for:

  • TG20:21 wind factor.
  • Tied independent scaffolding.
  • Tied tower scaffolding.
TG20:21 wind factor module

The TG20:21 wind factor module is an enhanced version of the wind map from the TG20:21 eGuide that generates a calculation report including justification and explanations for the wind calculation. The software produces the refined wind factor calculation based on the CADS VelVenti software and is also compliant with BS 5975:2019.

Calculations and checks performed by the software:

  • Calculates the TG20:21 wind factor.
  • Calculates the equivalent peak velocity pressure.
  • An option is provided to calculate the wind exposure for long-standing scaffolding structures.
  • The wind exposure can be calculated for scaffolding founded on a permanent structure.

The software is intended for use by:

  • Scaffold designers who need to produce a wind calculation for their bespoke scaffold designs.
  • Temporary works engineers who require detailed TG20:21 wind factor calculations.
  • Designers and engineers who need a wind calculation to accompany independent scaffold calculation reports and justify the wind factor.

Current limitations:

  • The calculation is limited to scaffolds up to 50 m in height.
Tied independent scaffolding calculation module

The Tied independent scaffolding module is intended for the calculation of tube and fitting independent scaffolds, in accordance with BS EN 12811 and TG20:21, tied to a structure located in the UK or Ireland. The calculation reports show the results in a transparent manner complemented by additional drawings that can be used with or without accompanying TG20:21 compliance sheets. Compared to the TG20:21 eGuide, which gives conservative results in exchange for simplicity, SMART Compliance extends the calculation from the eGuide and provides more efficient results.

The software also allows the user to calculate some scaffolds outside the scope of TG20:21. For this version of the software, this is principally scaffolding with non-TG20 compliant bridges, which can be checked against the technical specifications for beams supplied by the principal manufacturers and suppliers in the UK.

The calculations and checks performed by the software are:

  • Automatic wind calculation.
  • Calculates the maximum support reactions for foundation design.
  • Calculates the leg loads, i.e. the maximum axial forces in the standards.
  • Calculates the tie duty.
  • Checks the adequacy of a bridge.
  • Checks whether the scaffold is TG20:21 compliant.

The software is intended for use by:

  • Scaffolding designers, who may be independent consultants or directly employed by a scaffolding or building contractor.
  • Temporary works engineers, checking the work of their scaffolding sub-contractors or producing their own calculations, for example to determine the site wind exposure or calculate scaffolding foundations.

In principle, the software is designed to be used by any competent person with an understanding of TG20:21, as it avoids complex engineering inputs. However, any calculations produced should be checked by a suitably qualified engineer.

 

The following features are not supported by the current version of the software:

  • TG20 compliant hop-up brackets and inner or outer cantilever working platforms.
  • Pavement lifts.
  • Double standards other than for bridge supports.
  • Non-ledger braced scaffolds with TG20 compliant prefabricated structural transoms are not directly supported.
  • Structural design check calculations for individual members of a scaffold other than bridge beams.
Tied tower scaffolding calculation module

The Tied tower scaffolding module is essentially the same as the Tied independent scaffolding calculation module, limited to one or two bays along the length of the elevation. All the checks performed for a tied tower scaffold are as for a tied independent scaffold, except that a bridge cannot be added due to the limited length of the tied tower scaffold.

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