This part of BS 5975 gives recommendations and guidance on the design, specification, construction, use and dismantling of falsework. It gives guidance on permissible stress and limit state design of all falsework. The recommendations also apply to the design of class A falsework defined in BS EN 12812:2008, which is specifically excluded from BS EN 12812:2008.

This part of BS 5975 covers the design of falsework and associated formwork and can be applied to the design of other temporary works. In addition, it covers materials, including material factors; loads; safety and load factors; analysis and design of falsework, including both proprietary equipment and traditional scaffolding solutions; and wind loading (with reference to temporary and permanent stability), and gives references to other British Standards for the design of structural steelwork, reinforced concrete and excavation support. Although originally written for permissible stress design, the design concepts and the loads stated are also applicable to limit state design and can be taken as the characteristic values. The loads, including wind loads, are the unfactored loads and conform to both BS EN 1991‑1‑4:2005+A1 and BS EN 12812:2008.

The structural design element includes additional information and recommendations for the design of falsework using existing structural standards.

This part of BS 5975 does not give specific recommendations for the support of excavations (see BS 6031), nor does it cover flying shores or facade retention systems (see CIRIA C579 N1]). Guidance on the design and use of access scaffolding and special scaffold structures other than falsework is given in BS EN 12811‑1:2003 and the NASC guide TG20:21 [N2], [3].