Scaffold Fittings

Scaffold fittings are the foundational connectors that lock tubular scaffolding together into rigid, load-bearing access and support structures. SEL supplies a comprehensive range of drop forged and pressed steel couplers, girder clamps, sleeve joints and base plates for sale or hire nationwide.

Typical Applications

• Tube and fitting access scaffolds
• Right-angle standard and ledger connections
• Diagonal sway and façade bracing
• Beam clamps for structural steelwork
• Splicing tube runs end-to-end
• Raking shores and prop bracing
• Spreading standard loads on uneven ground
• Securing scaffold boards against wind uplift

Types of Scaffold Fittings

Every fitting in the SEL scaffold range connects standard 48.3mm outside diameter steel or aluminium tube. Selecting the correct coupler or clamp is critical to structural stability, load capacity and site safety:

Double Couplers (Right-Angle Couplers)

The primary load-bearing connector in tube-and-fitting scaffolding. Double couplers lock two tubes together at an exact 90-degree right angle, connecting vertical standards to horizontal ledgers and transoms. Available in heavy-duty drop forged steel delivering a certified 9.1 kN slip load for critical load-bearing nodes and economical pressed steel delivering a 7.0 kN slip load for secondary access frames.

Swivel Couplers

Two couplers joined on a central pivot that rotate through a full 360 degrees. Swivel couplers attach tubes at any angle, making them essential for diagonal façade, ledger and plan bracing that stabilises the framework against wind and sway forces, delivering a certified 5.0 kN slip load capacity.

Putlog Couplers (Single Couplers)

A non-load-bearing single fitting specifically designed to secure putlogs and intermediate transoms to ledgers for supporting scaffold boards. Putlog couplers cradle board-bearer tubes; because they have limited slip resistance, they must never be used for structural standard-to-ledger junctions or primary node connections.

Sleeve Couplers & Joint Pins

Inline connectors used to join two scaffold tubes end-to-end when extending vertical standards or continuous ledger runs. External pressed sleeve couplers clamp around the outside tube walls to resist both tensile pull-apart forces and compression, keeping long runs securely aligned. Internal expanding joint pins fit inside the tube ends and are used in vertical standards where loads act purely in direct compression.

Girder Clamps (Gravlocks)

Heavy-duty forged clamps engineered to anchor scaffolding directly to structural steelwork. Girder couplers clamp over the flanges of universal beams (UBs), columns (UCs) and RSJs. They must always be installed in opposing pairs on opposite sides of the steel flange to form a balanced, slip-resistant anchor for ties, cantilevers and suspended scaffolds.

Base Plates & Screw Jacks

Ground-support hardware that spreads vertical standard loads safely across the working surface. Pressed and drop forged steel base plates sit under vertical tubes to distribute leg loads and prevent ground damage or sinking. For sloping or uneven site ground, heavy-duty 6-tonne adjustable screw jacks provide threaded height adjustment for precise levelling.

Board Retaining Clamps & Toeboard Clips

Decking hardware designed to create safe, compliant working platforms. Board retaining clamps (and low-profile Limpet clamps) lock 38mm scaffold boards down to transom tubes to prevent wind uplift and trip hazards. Toeboard clips secure perimeter kickboards to upright tubes to stop tools and materials from falling from height.

Drop Forged Versus Pressed Steel Fittings

Selecting between drop forged and pressed steel fittings depends on structural load requirements and site conditions:

• Drop forged couplers are pressed from solid high-grade steel under intense heat and pressure. This dense, seamless grain structure delivers superior tensile strength and high slip resistance, certified under BS EN 74 to resist up to 9.1 kN of slip load. They are the industry standard for primary load-bearing junctions, heavy temporary works propping and cyclic dynamic loads.
• Pressed steel couplers are cold-stamped from heavy-gauge sheet steel and hot-dip galvanised for corrosion protection. Certified to BS EN 74 Class A with a 7.0 kN slip rating, pressed fittings provide a lighter, cost-effective solution ideal for secondary bracing, domestic access scaffolds and general site staging.

Scaffold Fittings: Common Questions

Buy or Hire Scaffold Fittings from SEL

SEL supplies complete ranges of scaffold couplers, clamps, base plates and ancillaries for purchase or hire. With extensive sales and hire stocks held across our regional depot network in Bristol, Cardiff and London, we deliver rapidly to sites across England and Wales. Contact our team to confirm fitting requirements, discuss bulk purchase or hire quantities and request a fast, competitive quote for your next build.