Get Scaffold Testing on your Equipment
Show your commitment to safety and quality with STVA Scaffold Testing. We load test scaffolding, shoring, system scaffolds, clamps, and other products at our facility. Our team can perform load tests on everything from individual components to full multi-tier towers. More than just testing, our goal is to give you peace of mind, knowing your equipment is reliable and the people using it return home safely at the end of the day.
About our Scaffold testing facility
- Our 1,085 sq/ft facility is equipped with 2 load testing machines.
- At 13ft x 13ft x 35ft, stands our primary testing machine with 300K Ram and 25K Ram load capabilities used for all frame scaffold, shoring frames, system and post shores.
- Our smaller 3ft x 4ft x 6ft machine has a testing height of 4’6″ and is used for testing products like clamps and other scaffold accessories.
- The primary testing machine is a reaction frame which applies load against itself, eliminating the need for a strong floor facility.
- 500 sq/ft of our facility is a dedicated fixture fabrication area, giving us the ability to construct testing for customers that are in need of destructive testing for custom scaffold products.
- We are able to supply Texas PE Stamped certified testing reports for engineered projects.
- We can also supply “non-certified” reports for customers that need to know the load capacities for non-engineered projects.
- Testing is done to the ANSI/SAIA A11. Standard.
Products We Test
STVA tests a variety of different scaffolding products of all kinds of materials. From individual parts to multi-level towers.
Individual Frames, Walk-thru, Mason, or Multi-tier towers, with and without screw jacks
Individual Frames, Post Shores, Aluminum and Steel Support Beams, or Towers
Ring Lock and Cup Lock standards and spigots, board brackets, ledgers, girders, bay braces, rails, clamps and toe boards
Clamps, Casters, Screw Jacks, and more
Testing Solutions for Your Equipment
Each sample is carefully and securely placed under the appropriate load cell. Once in place, force is gradually applied at an increasing rate over time (in compliance with appropriate testing standards) with testing data sent to a computer multiple times a second up until the point of failure is reached. Multiple samples of each product are tested in an identical manner to get an average of ultimate load failure.
All of the data we capture when testing your products gets put into a comprehensive report detailing the results of each test. You will know with certainty what the load bearing limits of your products are so you can make informed engineering decisions or know that you’re providing your customers the most accurate information possible.
A Professional Engineer can be made available to review testing reports and verify them with their official stamp. These stamped reports can be used in the approval of scaffolding designs, shoring layouts, structural modifications, or any temporary/permanent construction where public or worker safety is impacted. Our PE is a Texas, USA Certified engineer.
Every test can be recorded and photographed at the customer’s request to give a complete picture of the testing process and to show when and how the product fails.
LOAD TESTING FAQ
Manufacturing, aerospace, petrochemical processing, medical equipment manufacturing, construction, and more. Any industry that needs assurance of maximum load capacity for its equipment is a potential STVA client.
We may need to build custom fixtures to support your product, as products vary in size and shape and testing standards differ.
Depending on the load rate specified by the applicable standard, setup can range from straightforward to more extensive. Providing photos or drawings showing how your product will be used helps us design fixtures that work
correctly the first time.
When testing standard scaffold, concrete forming, or shoring components, you can expect reduced setup time since these are products we routinely test.
Enough material for at least three tests. For scaffold and shoring, this means three 3-tier assemblies. For post shores, provide 9 post shores for basic setups, plus three of each accessory (clamps, screw jacks, side brackets, guardrail panels).
A customs house broker can be referred if you need shipping assistance.
It depends on the product, but most compression tests require 3–5 hours per test.
Our largest machine can test up to 275,000 pounds of compression force. We also have smaller machines for products with lower load requirements. Our 25,000-pound machines can perform both tension and compression testing.
To provide an accurate quote, we need details about your products. Start by completing the inquiry form below or speaking with our team by phone. After reviewing your inquiry, we’ll send an Order Form to define the test requirements and cost.
What do you need to test?
Give us your contact details and a brief description of what you want to test and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.