1. Purpose of the tool.

The Circular Tank Tool is designed to facilitate the modeling and management of circular tank scaffolding layouts. Key aspects include:

• Purpose and Benefits: The tool allows users to create efficient and accurate circular tank layouts, enhancing the overall scaffolding design process.
• General Parameters: Users can define parameters such as inner tank radius, wall thickness, and tank height, which are essential for creating a precise tank structure.
• Bracing Options: The tool provides options for creating and configuring bracing, ensuring structural integrity and safety.
• Guardrails: Users can easily create and manage guardrails within the circular tank layout, enhancing safety for workers.
• Inbuilt Features: The tool includes various inbuilt features such as bay configurations, standard sizes, and options for console brackets and encapsulation.

2. User Interface overview.

The tool is located under the Scaffold Modelling tab.

To open the tool menu please double click on the tool.
The tool contains following features:

General parameters Tab users can set direct positional constraints for the placement of the scaffold from Outside or Inside, and overall Radial dimensional values to drive the size.  If necessary, the Create Tank parameter automatically allows the creation of a generic model shape to give perspective of the structure to be accessed and control the overall size. 

Bay configuration Tab contains drop downs for dimensional constraints of the Bay, you are guided for length and height by the scaffold system manufacturers values, then manually input top platform height and building offset requirements.

You can also control the Platform Lift Heights by manipulating the Up/Down arrow to move in increments of 500mm

Standards Tab allows greater control on how bay configuration is implemented. 

The main driver is the Size parameter that allows ScaffPlan to automatically choose the standard lengths or alternatively specify a specific length from the system manufacturers range that may be required for design or availability reasons 

Top and bottom end also can be specified to form more bespoke bay configurations, these include;

• Open
• Spigot (Top End only)
• Head Jack
• Baseplate

The Rotation parameter controls the direction of the Top and Bottom end configurations

If the Bottom extension type is set to Custom an additional Input parameter becomes available to specify a user input value

Sole board Tab defines the material Type and Arrangement

For Type;

• Timber 
• Steel
• None

For Arrangement:

• Single
• Triple

Ledgers/Transoms Tab are created on a Bay specification basis but can also be manipulated further in the model if required so ensuring you have a good specification platform where minimal editing is needed later on in the model, so picking between the options available in the drop-down menu can help achieve this early on in a project.

The main options are either;

• Ledger
• Transom

Guardrail Tab are created on a Bay specification basis but can also be manipulated further in the model if required so ensuring you have a good specification platform where minimal editing is needed later on in the model, so picking between the options available in the drop-down menu can help achieve this early on in a project

For the Inner and Outer parameters you have the option of;

• None
• Ledger 

For the Inner Top and Outer Top parameters you have the option of;

• None
• At 1m 
• At 1m and 2m

Bracing Tab can initially be placed on creation and you can control the direction and the faces of the bay to where is applied and the lift between levels where it is included

The direction can either be Right-to-Left or Left-to-Right, and you can choose the following positions

• Inner
• Outer

Bracing at lifts allows you to include/bracing at specific levels or lifts for the full length of the scaffold

Top Ring provides an option for creating and controlling the top ring in a bay configuration extending the inner and outer standards to a common level and closing off with ledgers to all sides

Console Bracket it is possible to add console brackets at one or both ends of a bay and to the inner and outer faces of the bay, you can quickly setup arrangement for different bay configuration for mid and end bay types and save for future use.  Additional options become available depending on where you specify Inner and Outer console bracket instances such as the addition of guardrails

Depending on the system you are using the selection available to you will vary, below is an example showing some of the U-Layher console bracket sizes.

 

Lapping bay configuration Tab allows users to effectively manage and customize the lapping bays in scaffolding designs users can insert lapping bays at inner corners for two perpendicular bays. This feature is available when the Outer Guardrail option is set to "Tube (at corners)" at a corner bay.

• Lapping plank length: the system can automatically adjust settings for lapping bays, making it easier to manage configurations without manual input or you can manually select from 1.0m, 1.5m, 2.0m, 2.5m
• Lapping plank width: this is a set value by default of either 0.3m/0.2m and select the appropriate width mased on the bay to be placed onto.  This can be overridden to force a single value of 0.2m or 0.3m if required.
• Tube Length: the system allows for adjustments to tube lengths, ensuring that the components fit correctly within the lapping bay structure again this can be automatically assigned or manually overridden with values ranging from 0.3m to 6.0m
• Creation of bottom inner tube: this provides additional structural support using the aforementioned parameters to the inner standards at deck level selected during the Lapping Bay creation
• Ledger location: this parameter determines whether the Ledgers are position on the Tank or Other side of the scaffold ring and how the scaffold is arranged and set out
• Ledger length: the Length of the Ledger has a direct correlation to the numbers of bays created and the overall number of faceted sides to complete the closed loop

 Wall Ties Tab allows for easy insertion and direct modification of wall ties within the scaffolding model. Users can quickly create and change wall tie types as needed to fit the design specifications though the Wall Trace Tool and allow for automatic placement based on their design option and specified arrangement settings 

• Tube location: users can choose where the Wall Ties are positions to the Left or Right side of the associated standard or tube
• Type: users have the option of a Single Leg which is particularly useful in situations where space is limited or when a lighter anchoring solution is sufficient or a Double Leg where additional strength is required, such as in high-rise scaffolding or when working with heavy loads.
• Horizontal: you can determine the tie pattern in the horizontal direction to include a wall tie in this direction to Every Leg or alternatively every 2^nd or 3^rd leg spacing.
• Vertical: you can determine the tie pattern in the vertical direction to include a wall tie in this direction to either every 2m or 4m in relation to lift heights.
• Tie Ends: this provides additional tie creation at the end bays standards locations using the parameters set in the Horizontal and Vertical drop-down settings

3. Tool dialogue buttons.

No.	BUTTON	FUNCTIONALITY
		To save a current tool setting it is required to type name of the setting into the box and click Save button. To load previously saved settings please click on the box to drop down a list of setting s available then choose a desired setting. Once the setting clicked from the drop-down it will be automatically loaded, and dialogue boxes updated to values saved under the setting.
		Opens ScaffPlan knowledge base articles on the tool usage.
		Prompts to create a tank scaffold by clicking centre point of the circle of the tank.
		Saves values set in the dialogue boxes without closing the dialog box. ScaffPlan uses these properties the next time you create an object of this type.
		Modifies the selected circular tank using the current properties of the dialog box such Type, Subtype, Name etc. as set in the tool.
		Gets properties from the selected a circular tank selected in the model and fills the menu with the values of the selected tank. If several circular tanks are being selected, ScaffPlan takes the values from the first one selected and updates the dialogue boxes.
		Switches all check boxes in the dialog box on and off. Used when all boxes need to be unticked then some only need to be ticked (taken into effect) once the Modify button is pressed after.
		Closes the tool menu without saving the properties or modifying objects.