Suspended Scaffold Calculator

Wire rope and motor capacity from platform load.

Platform length (ft)

Number of workers

Tools & materials (lbs)

Building height (ft)

Hoist rated capacity (lbs)

Tab to move between fields

Total suspended load (lbs)

930

Rope size (1=5/16", 2=3/8", 3=larger)

Load per suspension point (lbs)465

Min rope breaking strength (lbs)2,790

Hoist utilization (%)31%

Counterweight per beam (lbs)1,860

Hoist Overloaded0

Total Wire Rope270

How to Use This Calculator

Enter platform length (ft) and number of workers.
Set tools & materials weight (lbs), building height (ft), and hoist rated capacity (lbs).
Review total suspended load, load per suspension point, required rope strength, and recommended rope diameter.
Ensure load per hoist point does not exceed 50% of hoist rated capacity for the required safety factor.

How the result changes with Tools & materials (lbs)

Platform length (ft): Length of the swing-stage platform (standard: 8-40 ft).
Number of workers: Workers on the platform (OSHA assumes 250 lbs each with PPE).
Tools & materials (lbs): Combined weight of tools, equipment, and materials on the platform.
Building height (ft): Height of the building for wire rope length calculation.
Hoist rated capacity (lbs): Rated capacity of each hoist motor (typically 1,000-1,500 lbs).

Total suspended load (lbs): Combined dead load (platform + hoists) and live load (workers + materials).
Load per suspension point (lbs): Load on each hoist/wire rope (assumes 2-point suspension).
Min rope breaking strength (lbs): Minimum wire rope breaking strength per OSHA 6:1 safety factor.
Rope size (1=5/16", 2=3/8", 3=larger): Recommended wire rope diameter: 1=5/16" (4,200 lbs), 2=3/8" (7,000 lbs), 3=engineering required.
Hoist utilization (%): Percentage of hoist rated capacity being used. Should stay under 100%.
Counterweight per beam (lbs): Minimum counterweight for each outrigger beam (4:1 ratio per point load).

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Platform length (ft) = 24, Number of workers = 2, Tools & materials (lbs) = 200, Building height (ft) = 100 = 5 input(s) provided
Calculate Total suspended load
Total suspended load = platformWeight + hoistWeight + liveLoad
930 = 930
Calculate Rope size (1=5/16
Rope size (1=5/16
1 = 1
Calculate Load per suspension point
Load per suspension point = totalLoad / 2
465 = 465
Calculate Min rope breaking strength
Min rope breaking strength = loadPerPoint * 6
2790 = 2790