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Norhayati, Petroliam Nasional Berhad, 06 March 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

British Standard

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06 March 2003

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BRITISH STANDARD

Metal scaffolding

Licensed Copy: Puan Ms. Norhayati, Petroliam Nasional Berhad, 06 March 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

Part 1: Tubes
Section 1.2 Specification for aluminium
tube

BS 1139-1.2:
1990

BS 1139-1.2:1990

Committees responsible for this

British Standard

Licensed Copy: Puan Ms. Norhayati, Petroliam Nasional Berhad, 06 March 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

The preparation of this British Standard was entrusted by the Civil

Engineering and Building Structures Standards Policy Committee (CSB/-) to
Technical Committee CSB/57, upon which the following bodies were
represented:

This British Standard, having

been prepared under the
direction of the Civil
Engineering and Building
Structures Standards Policy
Committee, was published
under the authority of the
Board of BSI and comes
into effect on
31 October 1990

Association of Consulting Engineers

Association of Consulting Scientists
British Constructional Steelwork Association Ltd.
British Steel Industry
Building Employers Confederation
Concrete Society
Construction Health and Safety Group
Construction Industry Training Board
Department of the Environment (Property Services Agency)
Electricity Supply Industry in England and Wales
Engineering Equipment and Materials Users Association
English Net Manufacturers Association
Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors
Health and Safety Executive
Institute of Building Control
Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Structural Engineers
National Association of Formwork Contractors
National Association of Scaffolding Contractors
National Federation of Master Steeplejacks and Lightning Conductor
Engineers
Prefabricated Aluminium Scaffolding Manufacturers Association
Suspended Access Equipment Manufacturers Association

BSI 02-1999
First published as BS 1139
November 1943
Second edition November 1951
Third edition June 1964
Fourth edition as BS 1139-1
April 1982
Fifth edition as BS 1139-1.2
October 1990
The following BSI references
relate to the work on this
standard:
Committee reference CSB/57
Draft for comment 87/15200 DC
ISBN 0 580 18471 4

Amendments issued since publication

Amd. No.

Date of issue

Comments

BS 1139-1.2:1990

Licensed Copy: Puan Ms. Norhayati, Petroliam Nasional Berhad, 06 March 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

Contents
Page
Committees responsible
Inside front cover
Foreword
ii
1
Scope
1
2
Method of manufacture
1
3
Materials
1
4
Dimensions and tolerances
1
5
Workmanship
1
6
Finish
1
7
Identification
1
Appendix A Drift expanding test for extruded aluminium scaffold tubes
2
Figure 1 Arrangement of drift expanding test
2
Table 1 Dimensions and tolerances for aluminium tubes
1
Publications referred to
Inside back cover

BSI 02-1999

BS 1139-1.2:1990

Licensed Copy: Puan Ms. Norhayati, Petroliam Nasional Berhad, 06 March 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

Foreword
This Section of BS 1139 has been prepared under the direction of the Civil
Engineering and Building Structures Standards Policy Committee. Together
with Section 1.1, it supersedes BS 1139-1:1982, which is withdrawn.
This Section of BS 1139 is one of a series specifying requirements for the design,
construction and testing of equipment for use in scaffolding and other temporary
structures. It specifies requirements for aluminium tubing of the type
traditionally used in tube and fitting scaffolding.
The need for this new edition arose because of the advent of European proposals
covering steel scaffold tube, whereas any such action for aluminium tubes is
further away. Steel tubing is now covered in BS 1139-1.1. This Section retains the
style and technical content of the 1982 edition, and is substantially the same as
the 1964 version.
The separate Parts and Sections are as follows.
Part 1: Tubes;
Section 1.1: Specification for steel tubes;
Section 1.2: Specification for aluminium tube;
Part 2: Couplers;
Section 2.1: Specification for steel couplers, loose spigots and base plates for
use in working scaffolds and falsework made of steel tubes
(Identical with EN 74);
Section 2.21): Specification for aluminium couplers, fittings and accessories
for use in tubular scaffolding;
Part 3: Specification for prefabricated access and working towers;
Part 4: Specification for prefabricated steel splitheads and trestles;
Part 52): Specification for materials, dimensions, design loads and safety
requirements for service and working scaffolds made of prefabricated elements.
(Identical with HD 1000)
A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a
contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application.
Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity
from legal obligations.

Summary of pages
This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i and ii,
pages 1 and 2, an inside back cover and a back cover.
This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had
amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendment table on
the inside front cover.
1) In

preparation: it will cover fittings not included in Section 2.1. Additional couplers have not
yet been harmonized.
2)

ii

In preparation.

BSI 02-1999

BS 1139-1.2:1990

1 Scope

4 Dimensions and tolerances

This Section of BS 1139 specifies requirements for

the material, dimensions and method of
manufacture of extruded aluminium tubes for use in
scaffolding. It specifies one grade of material and
one range of dimensions. Appendix A describes a
drift expanding test for extruded aluminium
scaffold tubes.

The dimensions and tolerances for aluminium tubes

shall be as given in Table 1.
Table 1 Dimensions and tolerances for
aluminium tubes

Licensed Copy: Puan Ms. Norhayati, Petroliam Nasional Berhad, 06 March 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

NOTE The titles of the publications referred to in this standard

are listed on the inside back cover.

2 Method of manufacture
Aluminium scaffold tubes shall be produced by
extrusion, e.g. by means of a process using a
mandrel, a bridge die or a porthole. When tested in
accordance with Appendix A, a tube in its finished
state shall show no sign of an unsound weld.
NOTE A tube with faulty welding will tend to exhibit a straight
line, rather than jagged, fracture at the position of the weld.
This test procedure should be considered as being a part of a
quality control programme and the frequency of testing should be
such as to ensure adequate quality control.

3 Materials
3.1 General
The tube shall be manufactured from aluminium
complying with the requirements of 3.2 and 3.3.
3.2 Chemical composition
Tubes shall be extruded aluminium tubes
complying with the requirements for alloy 6082-TF
(formerly HE30-TF) as specified in BS 1474.
NOTE As these tubes are heat-treated, heat should not be
applied to them by welding, flame cutting, etc., unless this is
carried out under the controlled conditions recommended in
CP 118.

3.3 Mechanical properties

The mechanical properties of the tubes shall be as
follows:

3)

tensile strength (Rm)

295 N/mm2 min.

yield strength (Re)

(0.2 % proof stress)

255 N/mm2 min.

elongation (A) on a gauge

length, Lo, of 50 mm

7 % min.

Dimensions and mass

Tolerance

Outside diameter 48.30 mm

0.5 mm

Thickness 4.47 mm

0.56 mm

Nominal mass per unit

length 1.667 kg/m
(48.30 mm 4.47 mm)

Single tube max.

reduction 7.5 %
Quantities of 150 m
and over 5 %

Length if specified exact

6.0 mm

NOTE The following nominal values for the properties of

aluminium scaffolding tubes of the dimensions in Table 1 are
given for information purposes only. Details of maximum
permissible stresses are given in BS 5973.
Symbol

Value
6.15 cm2

Cross-sectional area

Second moment of area

Elastic modulus

6.18 cm3

Radius of gyration

1.56 cm

14.9 cm4

5 Workmanship
A tube shall not deviate from a straight line by more
than 1/600 of its length, measured at the centre of
the length.
Tubes shall be clean and free from detrimental
defects. The ends shall be cut cleanly and square
with the axis of the tube.

6 Finish
Tubes shall be mill finished, i.e. without any surface
treatment.
NOTE For all normal purposes no painting or other surface
treatment is required. Tubes likely to remain in contact with wet
acid or alkaline materials, e.g. damp cement or lime renderings,
need protection. Advice on suitable coatings can be obtained from
the Aluminium Federation3).

7 Identification
The method of identification used shall not impair
the performance of the tube.

Aluminium Federation Ltd., Broadway House, Calthorpe Road, Five Ways, Birmingham, B15 1TN.

BSI 02-1999

BS 1139-1.2:1990

Appendix A Drift expanding test for

extruded aluminium scaffold tubes

Licensed Copy: Puan Ms. Norhayati, Petroliam Nasional Berhad, 06 March 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

A.1 Principle
The end of a tube or test piece is expanded using a
conical mandrel until it tears or splits.
The test is carried out at ambient temperature
unless otherwise specified.
A.2 Apparatus
A.2.1 Polished steel conical mandrel, of adequate
hardness and having a conical included angle
of 30, 45 or 60.

A.3 Test piece

The test piece shall consist of a piece of tube having
a length equal to at least twice the external
diameter of the tube. Both ends of the test piece
shall be plane and perpendicular to the axis of the
tube. The test piece shall be cleaned to remove any
loose chips or dirt from the inside surface.
NOTE The end to be tested is normally rounded by filing.
However, a test piece with edges that have not been rounded is
acceptable provided that the test result is satisfactory.

A.4 Procedure
Lubricate the mandrel so that it does not rotate in
relation to the tube during the test. Force the conical
mandrel under pressure into the open end of the test
piece, so that the axis of the cone coincides with the
axis of the test piece. Continue applying pressure
until the tube tears or splits.

Figure 1 Arrangement of drift

expanding test

BSI 02-1999

BS 1139-1.2:1990

Publications referred to

Licensed Copy: Puan Ms. Norhayati, Petroliam Nasional Berhad, 06 March 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

BS 1474, Specification for wrought aluminium and aluminium alloys for general engineering
purposes: bars, extruded round tubes and sections.
BS 5973, Code of practice for access and working scaffolds and special scaffold structures in steel.
CP 118, The structural use of aluminium.

BSI 02-1999

Licensed Copy: Puan Ms. Norhayati, Petroliam Nasional Berhad, 06 March 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

BSI
389 Chiswick High Road
London
W4 4AL

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