Has anyone tried using safeway scaffold as bracing? I know the bracing rented out by ICF distributors probably goes up faster. However if we act as a GC then the scaffold could be left in place to hang the windows and place the exterior brick face.

I was thinking a turnbuckle coming off one of the cross  brace pins  could be use to brace and plumb the wall. Any suggestions?

Leslie
I replied to your PM earlier today.

As to safeway bracing, which I assume is simple staging, the answer would be not really practical. What happens is you have point attachments which do not straighten anything, subsequently you cannot remedy bows or out-of-alignment areas. Bracing systems not only align the wall horizontally, but they create the vertical plane which is just as important to getting good results.

You can rent bracing from different sources in order to do a safe project. As to the exterior brick or stone products, I would let the installing sub handle this because any owner supplied staging would incur increased liability if anything happened. This is one of those cautionary areas that you need to think about before doing.

We use masons (safeway) scaffold to brace and align concrete forms regularly. Basically you need to attach a strongback to the forms just as the ICF (pole) scaffolding uses an aluminum channel. Then you need to attach turnbuckles at approximately 30 degree angles from the scaffold legs to the 3/4 point on the strongback. Make sure the scaffold is pinned to the concrete slab or the grade. You have alot of weight counteracting the turnbuckle. You want to make sure any adjustments move the wall instead of the scaffold.

You will then be able to adjust the wall back and forth and will have a stable platform to work off of and shore your next floor level. At the end of the day I'm not sure you will save any money or time using this method vs a pole type scaffold. Check with any company that deals in concrete form rental, they will have a number of bracing/scaffolding options. Many are now offering to deliver, erect and teardown the scaffold for a reasonable fee.

James' point about lending your scaffolding to other trades is very important.  Definetly  check with your lawyer and  your insurance company. If you are in a state that requires DIY builders to carry workers  comp then you can usually add a ryder to cover the scaffold. Otherwise you can set up your contracts such that each sub rents the unassembled scaffold from you. Finally if you are near a major citythere are many companies that erect scaffolding as a business and they will provide all necessary insurance and waivers so that all trades can work off the same scaffold.

In the end you may find that its not worth your time and effort to get into this level off detail in the building process. On the other hand if you take on the role of Project Manager, everything you do to make the building process smoother will show up somewhere in the golden triangel: money, time, finished product.