Webinar: Introduction to ScaffPlan Design
Hosted by ScaffPlan’s Simon Boyes, Ilya Kornienko and BuildingPoint’s Josh Greenaway
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BuildingPoint and ScaffPlan’s first joint webinar introduced how ScaffPlan Design can be used to create, modify and review scaffolding in a 3D environment.
As an official supplier of ScaffPlan Design, BuildingPoint brings local product knowledge and support to customers in Australia and New Zealand. The session combined a project example, a demonstration of the design tools, an overview of ScaffPlan’s web-based products and questions from the audience.
From an internal tool to a connected scaffolding workflow
ScaffPlan began as software developed for Simon’s own Queensland scaffolding business, which he established in 2010. As other scaffolding companies saw the results and asked to use the tools, the software became a separate business. In 2024, Simon exited his scaffolding company to focus full-time on ScaffPlan.
The initial design product was built on Tekla Structures. ScaffPlan has since released versions for SketchUp and Revit, allowing users to choose a base platform while working with the same core scaffold design tools. The business has also expanded into web-based products covering the workflow from an incoming lead through estimating, proposals, design, contracts, site operations and commercial management to asset tracking and the return of materials to the yard.
The webinar focused primarily on design, with a brief introduction to those wider business-management capabilities.
A real-world example: Queen Street Mall, Brisbane
Simon opened with a completed scaffold design for façade remediation in Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall. Although the structure appeared relatively straightforward, the planning needed to account for public access, trees, valuable paving and footways, shop entrances and a glass awning that the scaffold had to span. The shopping centre also needed to remain open throughout the works.
With no existing building drawings available, the team used Trimble laser-scanning equipment to capture the site and imported the resulting point cloud into ScaffPlan. The demonstration used the Tekla Structures version; Simon explained that the other versions can also work with point cloud data. The scan provided a detailed reference for the building, footpaths, trees, planters and surrounding features, reducing the need to return to site for additional measurements.
Combining the scan with the scaffold model gave the client, council and other stakeholders a visual representation of the proposed works before installation. They could review distances from the building, access to shops and the impact on the surrounding area, then work through questions together before trucks or materials arrived on site.
Constructable, not conceptual
Simon described ScaffPlan’s approach as ‘constructable, not conceptual’: modelling individual components and connections, rather than simply showing the overall scaffold arrangement. In one detail beside a window sill, an obstruction prevented a ledger from connecting directly to a standard, so a coupler was included to make the connection.
That level of detail mattered on the Queen Street Mall project. Installation took place on night shifts, with materials delivered in staged truckloads and no laydown area for excess equipment. The material list needed to match the planned installation so the crew could complete each stage without missing components.
A detailed model also helps communicate where each component belongs. Simon explained that this reduces reliance on on-site interpretation and helps avoid materials being used in the wrong locations. The aim is to plan the work thoroughly at the outset, using materials and labour efficiently while limiting disruption.
The route to that level of detail varies by project. Automated tools can generate runs around a building, while more complex industrial environments—with pipes, ducts and other obstructions—may call for modelling bay by bay or component by component.
Designing with ScaffPlan for SketchUp
The recorded demonstration focused on ScaffPlan for SketchUp, showing how guided tools and automation support scaffold modelling, detailing, material quantities and client-facing visuals. The tools are intended for contractors and consultants working across pricing, design, planning and delivery, including smaller teams bringing design work in-house.
The workflow connects the 3D model with plans, sections, elevations and a bill of materials. A simplified interface provides the main design tools, while more experienced users can customise their workspace.
Starting with the site and building geometry
A design can begin with aerial imagery and terrain brought into SketchUp using the Add Location tool, an imported customer model or geometry created with SketchUp’s native modelling tools. The demonstration referenced formats including IFC, DWG and PDF. For straightforward scaffold layouts, modelling the building’s external walls may provide enough context to begin.
Once the reference geometry is in place, users set heights, widths and preferred options, then select points around the building to generate a detailed scaffold arrangement. Single or multiple bays can also be inserted and adjusted individually, including changes to width and height, console brackets, bracing and edge protection.
Automated tools with component-level control
The demonstration covered a range of tools for different arrangements:
Individual components: the item tool allows users to place components directly, either alongside automated tools or independently. The catalogue shown contained more than 6,000 items.
Corners and access: tools connect independent scaffold runs and add different stair configurations or ladders, with options to customise the arrangement.
Wall ties and buttress bays: ties can be placed automatically or manually. Buttress bays can also be modelled where required by the design.
Curved walls, vessels and tanks: dedicated tools generate arrangements around curved geometry or inside and outside vessels and tanks.
Birdcages, propping and shoring: selecting an area’s corners generates a birdcage arrangement for spaces such as voids and soffits. The demonstration also covered formwork, propping and shoring decks.
Lattice beams: tools model openings, spans over trenches and bridging arrangements, including the associated couplers.
Users can add their own components to a library and save repeat arrangements as ScaffBlocks, avoiding the need to remodel the same configuration. ScaffPlan supports metric and imperial units, along with frame-and-brace scaffolding systems.
Material lists, drawings and collaboration
The model provides the basis for an Excel bill of materials, including component codes, quantities and weights. Users can customise component names, markers and costs, then use the exported information to support pricing or transfer it into other business systems. The quantities reflect the components included in the model.
Designs can be shared through Trimble Connect to support communication, change tracking and version history. Models can also be exported from SketchUp in formats such as IFC and DWG for use in other software.
The demonstration showed how the model can become a drawing set with plans, elevations, sections and details. Fly-through animations and rendering workflows provide further options for presenting the design to clients or using it in tenders and marketing.
Training and support include self-paced onboarding, learning resources and an in-built AI assistant. A customer account featured in the video described moving from outsourced design to creating a first project in less than an hour, highlighting the accessible tools, professional-looking visuals and help available through the AI assistant. This was an individual customer experience, rather than a guaranteed learning timeframe.
Connecting project teams and specialist designers
Although the video focused on SketchUp, Simon explained that ScaffPlan’s core design tools work across its supported platforms. Users can select the environment that best fits their role and workflow.
He described SketchUp as a common choice for sales teams, estimators and project managers, while specialist designers, engineers and technical teams often prefer Tekla Structures. Interoperability between the SketchUp and Tekla Structures workflows allows an initial model to be developed by the project team and passed to the design team for completion.
For example, a project manager might bring a model to 60–80% completion during the early stages, establishing the intended layout and bay sizes. Once the job is won, the design team can develop that model further rather than interpreting a verbal brief or paper sketch. The handover gives the designer a clearer starting point while keeping the project team’s intended arrangement visible.
Beyond design: managing the scaffolding business
Simon also introduced ScaffPlan’s web-based products, which connect the stages of a scaffolding operation. The platform is configurable for different businesses, from small operators to multinational companies.
Sales, estimating and contracts: a CRM tracks opportunities through project stages, with estimates, proposals, contracts, catalogues, rates, templates and resources held within the workflow.
Planning and field operations: scheduling tools manage crews, installations, dismantles and modifications. Site maps show project locations, while scaffold requests, registers and QR-coded tags support tracking of inspections and maintenance. Safety documentation includes safe work method statements (SWMS), handovers, inspections, corrective actions and incident reports.
Workforce management: crew records hold licences and tickets. Through a mobile app, team members can view their job location and daily tasks, complete timesheets and submit site records. Completed inspections and handovers are filed in the relevant location, reducing duplicate data entry.
Commercial management: contracts, variations, invoices, progress claims, retentions and labour costs feed into budget-versus-actual reporting. Simon highlighted the value of seeing cost performance during a project rather than discovering a loss at its conclusion.
Asset management: materials and equipment can be tracked through the operation and back to the yard.
Bringing design data into estimating
Designs created in the supported modelling platforms can feed into the web-based products, where an interactive 3D viewer makes the arrangement accessible to the wider project team. The model brings through the bill of materials and metrics such as heights, lengths and widths.
Those quantities support different estimating methods, including square metres, cubic metres, tonnage and labour hours. Connecting the visual design with the estimating data helps teams price the arrangement they intend to deliver, rather than maintaining separate information in disconnected systems.
Audience Q&A
How responsive is the model when building, panning and zooming?
Simon explained that the Queen Street Mall example was navigated live within a real project, so the panning and zooming shown in the recording demonstrated the model’s responsiveness. He reported positive performance from both Tekla Structures and SketchUp and offered a live demonstration for attendees who wanted to assess it themselves. No numerical refresh-rate benchmark was provided during the session.
Can individual scaffold footings be adjusted to different levels?
Yes. The question used a steel staircase as an example, with each footing sitting at a different step elevation. Simon explained that users can model the staircase or ground terrain, either from survey data or geometry they create themselves. Automated tools can adjust leg heights and base-plate positions to suit the modelled terrain, and individual legs can also be adjusted manually.
Can builders create a 3D model for scaffolding subcontractors to price?
Yes. Simon said principal contractors are already using this approach: creating a model at tender stage, developing it to approximately 70–90% completion and issuing it to scaffolding contractors for pricing.
A shared model gives tenderers a common scope to price. That can make submissions easier to compare and reduce uncertainty about what each contractor has included or excluded, particularly where tender values differ substantially.
Where are models stored, and can they be shared through the cloud?
Ilya distinguished between the design models and cloud-based model sharing. SketchUp and Tekla Structures models can be stored locally or within a business’s chosen storage environment, such as OneDrive or Dropbox.
Models can also be exported as IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) files and shared through Trimble Connect. Ilya noted that Trimble Connect is included with the SketchUp and Tekla subscriptions discussed in the webinar, and that Australian-hosted servers are available. Exported IFC files can alternatively be viewed in independent IFC viewers and shared through internal systems to suit an organisation’s IT and security requirements.
Simon highlighted two practical benefits of sharing models through Trimble Connect. During tendering, clients can explore and measure the proposed scaffold, helping them understand the scope and the problems addressed by the design. On site, QR codes on drawings can link crews to the 3D model on their phones.
He said teams are increasingly using models alongside PDF drawings to understand arrangements and resolve questions about the design.
How does the software handle slab step-ins and step-outs at different levels?
Users can choose a starting elevation rather than always beginning at ground level, and different parts of an arrangement can start at different levels. For slab step-ins and step-outs, the workflow can combine automated runs with manual adjustments.
Simon explained that users can build, copy and modify individual bays or place components one by one where the geometry calls for more control. The automated tools therefore provide a starting point without limiting the design to a single uniform arrangement.
Is a demonstration or trial available?
Josh confirmed that BuildingPoint could arrange access to a demonstration or trial and would follow up directly with attendees who expressed interest.
Is the platform modular, and can users begin with design and estimating?
Yes. Simon explained that ScaffPlan’s products are modular, allowing businesses to begin with the capabilities most relevant to their immediate needs.
A common starting point is sales and estimating alongside design, covering the lead, concept model, estimate, proposal, contract and detailed design. Businesses can then add field operations for scheduling, inspections, handovers and SWMS; commercial management for invoicing, progress claims and variations; and asset management for tracking materials and equipment.
What can the AI assistant do?
Within the design workflow, the AI assistant answers questions and connects users with relevant training material. Simon explained that questions are mapped to the knowledge base so users can open the relevant point in a video rather than searching through an entire course.
Ilya clarified that the learning library contains more than 400 videos, with courses covering basic and intermediate workflows in Tekla Structures and SketchUp, as well as specific tasks such as modelling step-ins and step-outs.
In the web-based products, Simon described a broader, agentic AI workflow that can carry out tasks as well as answer questions. For example, a user can import a model and ask how long a five-person crew might take to build it and what it might cost.
He explained that the assistant can analyse the company’s own historical projects, charges and productivity data alongside the model. It can then suggest time and cost ranges with stated assumptions and ask questions to refine the result. Simon said that company-specific information is isolated from other users.
Once the user is comfortable with the assumptions, the assistant can be asked to create an estimate, prepare a proposal and draft and send an email to the customer. These were examples of the capabilities described during the webinar, with the user confirming the next action at each stage.
Continuing the conversation
The session closed with further questions still to address. BuildingPoint and ScaffPlan committed to following up with attendees and compiling responses to the submitted questions. For readers interested in exploring a particular workflow, the teams also offered more detailed, one-to-one demonstrations.
The webinar recording shows the project model and design tools in action, alongside the discussion of how design data can carry through to estimating and delivery. BuildingPoint thanked Simon, Ilya and everyone who attended for contributing to the session.
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