As scaffolding is so widely used to facilitate all kinds of building and repair work, it is such a familiar sight that it can often go unnoticed. But sometimes a scaffolding structure can be so impressive that it warrants a place in the record books; this edition of the Mitchell's Scaffolding North West blog looks at some of those instances.
Longest Suspended Scaffolding in the World
Scaffolding structures have a modular construction that could theoretically be continued infinitely. The longest suspended scaffolding yet constructed in this modular way was built underneath the busy Pulaski Skyway in New Jersey, measuring a whopping 15,000ft/4,584m in length. The scaffolding was built when crucial repairs were required to the vehicle bridge, giving construction workers a safe, solid platform to work from.
Tallest Sunflower in the World
In the fight to get as much light from the sun as possible, the appropriately-named sunflower can reach impressive heights. The tallest sunflower ever measured was grown by Germany's Hans-Peter Schiffer and reached a dizzying height of 9.17m (which is more than 30ft tall), smashing his own record. Extremely heavy, the sunflower would have collapsed under its own weight if it were not for the purpose-built, multi-level scaffolding structure that supported it.
Tallest House of Cards in the World
Anyone who has tried to build a house of playing cards in an idle moment well knows just how difficult the task can be, rarely getting beyond a couple of levels. Bryan Berg of the USA took the feat to the limit, using over 1,000 packs of playing cards to build a tower of 7.86m (nearly 36ft) in height. Though the house of cards was itself freestanding, Berg used scaffolding to climb up to the higher levels. Once completed and its height officially verified, the tower of cards was destroyed by none other than Berg himself!
Biggest Set of Tubular Bells in the World
A beautiful instrument perhaps most famously used by talented musician Mike Oldfield on his album of the same name, the tubular bells produce a delightful range of aural tones. Simon Desorgher, a member of the UK Eye Music Trust, set the record for the world's largest set of fully playable tubular bells by cutting 120 scaffolding poles to size.
Though we haven't set any world records with our scaffolding (yet!), Mitchell's Scaffolding Blackburn is dedicated to designing and implementing bespoke scaffolding solutions of world-class quality. Find out more about the services we provide on our website.
.jpg)
