Shoring is engineering, not estimation
The single most important thing about shoring is that it is designed, not estimated. A scaffold can be priced and installed against TG20 compliant design, which is essentially a pre-engineered standard. Shoring cannot. Every shoring scheme is specific to the building, the load, the sequence of the permanent works, and the constraints of the site — which means the design is always bespoke and always engineered.
That’s why our shoring work always runs against a structural engineer’s drawings and method statement, never against a verbal brief or a loose spec. The engineer owns the design; we own the install quality and the sequencing. That separation of responsibilities is how structural shoring stays safe.
Sequence is everything
The order in which shoring goes up and comes down is as important as the design itself. Shoring installed in the wrong sequence leaves parts of the structure unsupported at moments it shouldn’t be. Shoring removed in the wrong sequence transfers load back to structure that isn’t ready to take it. Every shoring job has a sequence plan — usually a series of stages, each signed off by the structural engineer before the next begins. We plan the install against that sequence plan, not against our own efficiency.
Working with temporary works coordinators
On most shoring jobs, the main contractor runs a Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC) who owns the sign-off process for the whole temporary works package. We work directly with the TWC on shoring schemes — submitting our RAMS, sitting in on the inspection rounds, and getting their signature on each stage before we proceed. On smaller jobs without a formal TWC, we’ll coordinate with the structural engineer directly.
Talk to us during design
Shoring is another discipline where early engagement pays. If we’re brought in during temporary works design, we can flag buildability issues with proposed schemes — components we can’t source, sequences that won’t work on the site, installation methods that conflict with the permanent works. Fixing those at design stage is cheap; fixing them on site is not.
If you’ve got an upcoming refurbishment, alteration or demolition project that needs shoring, get in touch at design stage.
