Shoring Props and Post Shores: How to Select the Right Support

Shoring props are individual temporary supports used in formwork and other designed support arrangements. Depending on the market and product, a telescopic support may also be called a floor prop or a post shore. These names do not, by themselves, identify different load capacities or separate functions. Select the actual product by its construction, extension range, connection details and load information.

Understand the Product Behind the Name

A typical adjustable steel prop has an inner tube sliding inside an outer tube, a locking pin for coarse adjustment, a threaded section and nut for fine adjustment, and top and bottom plates. The tube pairing, wall thickness, pin, thread and end plates form part of the model specification.

An individual prop is one component in a support arrangement. The required heads, supporting surface, spacing, restraint and bracing depend on the design. A prop's product name is not a substitute for those requirements.

Distinguish Vertical Support from Alignment and Access

These arrangements may be used on the same project, but their parts and purposes should not be treated as automatically interchangeable. In particular, an access scaffold and a formwork support layout require their own design checks.

Select by Extension Height and Load Information Together

State the required working extension and request load information for that model at that extension. Check the conditions attached to the data, including the load direction, support at the ends and any specified restraint.

Do not apply a single maximum load figure to every prop in a category. Do not combine the inner tube from one listing, the outer tube from another and a load figure from a third to describe a product that has not been identified.

Check Condition and Connections

Before use, the selected equipment needs to be checked against the formwork or temporary works drawings and the manufacturer's instructions. Relevant items include tube damage or deformation, the condition of threads and nuts, the correct locking pin, end plates, heads and base contact.

For US cast-in-place concrete work, OSHA's shoring provisions address inspections, sound supporting sills, secure head and base contact, and restrictions on eccentric loading. These are jurisdiction-specific references; requirements for the actual project should be identified separately.

What to Send with an Enquiry

Prepare the intended use, required extension, quantities, finish, delivery destination and relevant drawings. Include the required model-specific load information and the proposed head and base details. For replacement parts, identify the existing prop model and provide its part drawing or measurements.

Easy Scaffolding lists adjustable steel props and related formwork products. Send your requirements with the product details needed to review the selection.

References

• OSHA 1926.700: Definitions — definitions of formwork, shores and reshoring in the US regulatory context.
• OSHA 1926.703: Requirements for Cast-in-Place Concrete — US shoring and inspection provisions.