Crew suspends scaffold system from steel I-beam. This gives them access to the entire length of the bridge without repeated dismantling and rebuilding. Contact us to learn how a steel I-beam suspended scaffold system can save you time and money.

Steel I-Beam Applications
A safe, versatile, cost-efficient scaffold solution

When H. George Leonard was painting U.S. bridges on Interstate 94 in the 1950s he thought it made more sense to suspend the scaffold from the steel I-beams than to build it from the ground up. So he invented a system using roller and stationary clamps and hanger frames that ride along the I-beam flanges. That innovation led to his founding Swing-Lo Suspended Scaffold Company. And that spirit of innovation has continued to develop new and efficient scaffolding designs ever since.

Why do crews like this scaffold system? For the same reasons Leonard’s painting crews liked it more than 50 years ago. These systems give workers access to every inch of the bridge without interfering with traffic below.

Crews can suspend the scaffold over water, gorges and railways. Install a permanent system from the
I-beam flange for regular inspections or easily disassemble and move the scaffold from site to site. Roller beam clamps let crews move the deck along the length of the bridge and if there are cross beams or other structural interferences along the flange, our By-Pass System typically gets crews around them without disassembling or leaving the work platform.

If the job demands a bigger crew, then they can suspend a bigger platform or hang an extra-wide "dance floor” deck for overhead inspections and maintenance in auditoriums, fieldhouses, hangars and warehouses.

A simple concept backed by safety-conscious engineering.

Here is how the system works:

• Start at the top.
  Place beam clamps over the lower flanges of the I-beam. Our technology team will help you select the clamp design best for your use.
• Add hanger assembly.
  You can suspend a working deck of almost any size at the elevation your crew needs to be at with safety connectors, stems, trusses and hangers.
• Add needle beams and decking.
• Add safety rails and toeboards. In minutes your crew is ready to start work — safely.

Reach overhead areas in auditoriums, hangars and warehouses

With a Swing-Lo “dance floor” suspended scaffold your crew can perform overhead construction, maintenance or inspection in buildings. Lets trades people reach areas inaccessible by ground-up scaffold and gives them a safe, wide-open and clear-view work area. Ladder clamps support standard ladder rungs and adjust for various beams to provide your workers with safe and secure access to the deck.

Bypass cross beams without disassembling or leaving the platform.

Not all steel I-beam flanges offer a smooth track to move your suspended scaffold along the length of the structure. Let us know if your bridge project requires your crew to go around diaphragms, stiffeners or lateral braces. Often we can solve this problem with our By-Pass or Mini-By-Pass System.

With these systems your crew attaches ratchet binders and stems (complete with roller beam clamps) to the I-beam flange. This allows the crew to lower the scaffold system beyond the cross beam, reposition it, reclamp and lock it to the I-beam flange without ever leaving the work deck. This minimizes your crew’s downtime without compromising its safety.

Start solving your access problems today.

Use this online project form to tell us about the access challenges you’re facing on steel I-beam structures. We’ll get back to you quickly (typically within 24 hours) to discuss an economical suspended scaffold solution.