hyPLANK, the LVL plank that’s a steal.
Chris Whicker of East Coast Safe-T-Rail reckons hyPLANK is good enough to steal. What is it that makes hyPLANK so attractive to petty larcenists? Chris explains, “At East Coast, we use hyPLANK solely as a scaffold plank on residential building projects. The trouble is, people have been known to steal them because everybody can find another use for them.”
Since first introduced to Australian scaffolding by futurebuild more than ten years ago, hyPLANK has established a reputation for safe and reliable performance. The strong yet lightweight laminated veneer lumber scaffolding plank is now used extensively throughout the industry in place of conventional timber and where modular systems cannot accommodate the size and shape of the scaffolding requirement. It’s no wonder they call hyPLANK the versatile scaffolding plank.
Chris Whicker talks of his history with hyPLANK. “We’ve been using hyPLANK scaffold planking since we started business three years ago. Most of our work is for two storey brick veneer project homes. We provide a single pole, putlog scaffold where the wall frame forms part of the support structure. The planks are used by various trades such as bricklayers, carpenters, roofers and painters. The timber hyPLANK lends itself really well to this application because you don’t get the slip on the steel scaffold that you get with metal planks.”
hyPLANK is also used to considerable advantage where corrosion is a hazard for metal planks. hyPLANK will be largely unaffected by exposure to moderate strength acids or alkalis (pH range 2 to 10). Chris adds, “With all of the jobs we hire to, the brick work is cleaned with an acid wash and galvanised planks would be seriously corroded. With hyPLANK we avoid this problem.”
Upkeep is vitally important in a hire business. Maintenance, entailing regular inspection and proof testing is necessary to ensure that planks reaching the end of their service life are removed from service. When asked what his maintenance regime for hyPLANK involved Chris says “The only planks we have had to retire have been those that have been damaged from on-site abuse.”
hyPLANK is readily available, easy to use and stronger than conventional Oregon planks.
“In the hire business, you need your distributors to be on the ball.” says Chris. “Our distributor is Hatch. Their service is excellent with prompt deliveries. You can’t say that about many suppliers in this industry.”
hyPLANK is economically superior to either aluminium or metal planks. To help combat the theft of the hyPLANK from site Chris has his company name branded onto one edge of the planks. He also paints the ends of the planks to easily identify them to prevent their misuse on site.
hyPLANK is 230mm wide by 39mm thick and available in 1.8, 2.4, 3.0, 3.6, 4.2 and 4.8 m lengths. Other sizes and lengths are available to order. hyPLANK is structural laminated veneer lumber (LVL) manufactured from 100% renewable plantation pine in Australia and is process certified by the Plywood Association of Australasia to meet the performance requirements of AS 1577 – 1993, Scaffold Planks.
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