Editing Scaffolding (section)

==History==

===Stone Age===

Sockets in the walls around the [[Paleolithic]] [[cave painting]]s at [[Lascaux]], suggest that a scaffold system was used for painting the ceiling, over 17,000 years ago.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1 |url=http://www.columbia.edu/itc/anthropology/v1007/2002projects/artcreation_files/1.htm |access-date=2023-10-29 |website=www.columbia.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC News {{!}} SCI/TECH {{!}} Ice Age star map discovered |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/871930.stm |access-date=2023-10-29 |website=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

===Antiquity===
The [[Berlin Foundry Cup]] depicts scaffolding in [[ancient Greece]] (early 5th century BC).  Egyptians, [[Nubia]]ns and Chinese are also recorded as having used scaffolding-like structures to build tall buildings. Early scaffolding was made of wood and secured with rope knots.

===Modern era===
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2019}}
[[File:Buckingham palace1913.jpg|thumb|Reconstruction of [[Buckingham Palace]] in 1913, under the scaffolding of Patent Rapid]]

Scaffolding was erected by individual firms with wildly varying standards and sizes. The process was revolutionized by Daniel Palmer Jones and David Henry Jones. Modern day scaffolding standards, practices and processes can be attributed to these men and their companies: Rapid Scaffold Tie Company Ltd, Tubular Scaffolding Company and Scaffolding Great Britain Ltd (SGB).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.ie/search?tbo=p&tbm=pts&hl=en&q=ininventor:%22Daniel+Palmer-Jones%22&gws_rd=cr&ei=hHQYVefhJ4ThapKWgdgG|title=ininventor:"Daniel Palmer-Jones" - Google Search|website=www.google.ie}}</ref>

David Henry Jones and Daniel Palmer Jones patented the "Scaffixer" in either 1907 or 1910, a coupling device far more robust than rope which revolutionized scaffolding construction.<ref>{{Cite web |title='Scaffixer' block: 1907, or 1910 Jones patent {{!}} Science Museum Group Collection |url=https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co8669577/scaffixer-block-1907-or-1910-jones-patent-scaffolds |access-date=2023-10-29 |website=collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk |language=en}}</ref> In 1913, his company was commissioned for the reconstruction of [[Buckingham Palace]], during which his Scaffixer gained much publicity.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-04-04 |title=Scaffolding leader celebrates '100 years strong' |url=https://www.bicmagazine.com/api/content/35d12848-3c8c-598b-bdd5-e13a762fbaad/ |access-date=2023-10-29 |website=BIC Magazine |language=en-us}}</ref> Palmer-Jones followed this up with the improved "Universal Coupler" in 1919 - this soon became the industry standard coupling and has remained so to this day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harsco-i.co.uk/pages/8113|title=Early developments - At the forefront of the industry}}</ref>

Advancements in metallurgy throughout the early 20th century saw the introduction of tubular steel [[water pipe]]s (instead of timber poles) with standardized dimensions, allowing for the industrial [[Interchangeable parts|interchangeability of parts]] and improving the [[structural stability]] of the scaffold. The use of diagonal bracings also helped to improve stability, especially on tall buildings. The first frame system was brought to market by SGB in 1944 and was used extensively for the [[Aftermath of World War II|postwar reconstruction]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kolkatascaffolding.com/YELLOW_BROCHURE.pdf|title=History of scaffolding|publisher=S. R. Engineering Co., Kolkata|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109203553/http://kolkatascaffolding.com/YELLOW_BROCHURE.pdf|archive-date=2013-11-09}}</ref>