14/07/2026
A recent lightbulb replacement turned into an interesting job. The building had a floating floor, so using an EWP wasn't an option. Instead, we designed and built a lightweight cantilevered mobile scaffold tower that allowed the work to be completed safely while staying within the floor loading limits.
A common misconception is that a machine's total weight is the same as the load it puts on the floor.
Take a JLG 1930ES for example. It weighs around 1,550 kg, but that doesn't mean each wheel is carrying 387 kg or that the floor simply sees 1,550 kg spread evenly. Manufacturers specify a maximum wheel load—for the 1930ES it's approximately 699 kg. This is the maximum point load that a single wheel can apply under the most demanding operating conditions.
It's also important to understand the difference between static and dynamic loading. A stationary machine applies a static load, while driving, turning, braking, or travelling over uneven surfaces can temporarily increase the load on individual wheels.
When working on floating floors, suspended slabs, mezzanines, or other structures with load restrictions, it's the point load and the floor's capacity that matter—not just the machine's overall weight. That's why every job needs to be assessed individually to find the safest and most appropriate access solution, we are here to help with this.
