A Guide To Stillages & On-Site Storage

Poor material management is one of the most preventable sources of delay on a scaffold contract. Tubes damaged on the ground, fittings lost in unsecured bags, boards scattered across the yard. These are not just operational inconveniences. They create genuine hazards and add real cost.

Scaffold stillages and on-site storage solutions exist to solve this problem. Designed for the specific demands of scaffolding work, they organise materials by type, protect them from ground contact and damage, and make crane and forklift handling straightforward from first delivery to final de-rig.

A stillage is a rigid frame or rack (typically steel) designed to store, organise, and transport materials in a controlled, safe way. Unlike a flat pallet, a stillage is purpose-built to hold a specific type of load. It keeps materials upright, aligned, or contained so they can be handled efficiently and safely throughout the life of a project.

In the scaffolding industry, the term is most commonly applied to tube stillages: structured steel rack systems that hold scaffold tubes in organised layers. These are designed to be lifted by forklift or crane, transported on the back of a lorry, and stacked when empty to minimise yard footprint.

The same principle extends to smaller components. Fittings, couplers, and ancillary items are easily lost or damaged if stored loose on site. Steel bins and fitting sacks apply the same logic, organised, contained, and compatible with machine handling, to the smaller-item end of the storage challenge.

Efficient material handling on a scaffolding contract affects safety, productivity, and cost from first delivery to final collection.

Damaged materials cost money. Scaffold tubes stored directly on the ground are exposed to mud, moisture, and impact damage. Surface corrosion degrades galvanised components and can affect their structural performance over time. Boards laid in mixed piles are vulnerable to splitting and contamination. Proper storage equipment eliminates ground contact and separates materials by type, protecting their condition and extending their working life.

Disorganised storage creates hazards. Loose tubes, unsecured fittings, and scattered boards create trip hazards and obstruction risks across the yard and the site. Structured storage keeps materials contained and clearly located, reducing accident risk and making site inspections straightforward.

Crane and forklift operations require compatible equipment. On any medium to large scaffold contract, materials move by crane or forklift. Storage equipment must be designed for machine handling, with defined fork entry points and rated lift points that allow safe, controlled operations. Equipment not purpose-built for machine handling is not fit for use with plant on site.

Banding wire is not a handling system. Securing tubes with banding wire is a legacy practice that damages components, creates a manual handling risk during unbanding, and slows down the whole operation. Properly designed tube stillages eliminate the need for banding wire, making the logistics safer and faster.

Scaffold storage equipment covers a range of products designed for different materials and different handling requirements.

Tube Stillages

A tube stillage is a structured steel rack system designed to hold scaffold tubes in organised layers. Tubes are loaded horizontally into the frame, kept clear of the ground, and secured by the stillage structure, ready for crane or forklift handling. The stillage protects tubes from ground contact, keeps them sorted by length, and eliminates the need for banding wire. When empty, tube stillages stack to minimise yard and vehicle space.

U-Stackers

A U-stacker is an open U-shaped steel frame that holds scaffold tubes in stacked layers without fully enclosing them. Where a tube stillage is a complete rack system, a U-stacker provides end support to keep stacked tubes aligned and prevent rolling. Available in multiple sizes to suit different tube quantities, U-stackers are forklift compatible and well suited to organising tubes within a storage yard or sorting area.

Steel Bins

Steel bins are robust, open-topped containers designed for storing loose scaffold fittings: couplers, clips, and ancillary components. On a busy scaffolding site, loose fittings are easily lost, spread across the yard, or mixed in ways that slow down erection. Steel bins keep fittings contained and organised, making them straightforward to locate, count, and access.

Fitting Sacks

Where a steel bin is a fixed container, a fitting sack is a heavy-duty flexible bag with reinforced lifting loops for forklift and crane handling. Fitting sacks are used to store and move couplers, base plates, and smaller ancillary items. Their flexibility makes them easy to load and manoeuvre on site, and reinforced loops allow them to be lifted safely by crane or forklift with a load capacity of up to 1 tonne.

The right scaffold storage solution depends on the volume of material, the site logistics, and the handling equipment available.

Tube volume and length. Tube stillages are the appropriate solution for any contract where tubes are delivered by lorry and handled by crane or forklift. The size of the stillage should be matched to the lengths and quantities of tube on the job. U-stackers are better suited to smaller tube quantities or as supplementary support when sorting tubes within a storage area.

Fittings and ancillaries. Any scaffolding contract generates a significant quantity of loose fittings. Steel bins suit fixed or semi-permanent storage points, in a yard or compound, where contents need to be counted and accessed regularly. Fitting sacks are better suited to movement between site and yard, where crane or forklift handling is needed for efficient loading and unloading.

Machine handling compatibility. All storage equipment used on sites with crane or forklift operations must be compatible with those operations. Fork entry points on stillages, and rated lifting loops on fitting sacks, are not optional extras. They determine whether the equipment can be safely used with plant on site.

Hire or purchase. For project-specific contracts or where storage requirements vary by job, hiring stillages and storage equipment is often more practical than purchasing outright. Altrad Generation supplies the full scaffold storage range for both hire and sale.

Altrad Generation supplies the full range of scaffold storage and material handling equipment for hire and sale across the UK. Their scaffold storage range includes:

Scaffolding Stillages: structured steel rack systems for scaffold tubes, crane and forklift compatible, stackable when empty, and designed to eliminate the need for banding wire.

U-Stackers: U-shaped steel tube storage frames available in three sizes, forklift compatible and suited to yard and site storage.

Steel Bins: robust open-topped steel containers for scaffold fittings, couplers, and ancillary components.

Fitting Sacks: heavy-duty flexible storage bags with reinforced lifting loops and a 1 tonne load capacity, for fittings and smaller scaffold components.

Contact Altrad Generation to discuss your requirements and get a quote.

Effective on-site storage is not a minor logistics consideration. It shapes how quickly materials can be handled, how safely they are kept, and how much component damage and fitting loss occurs across the life of a contract. The right stillages and storage equipment make a measurable difference to both the safety and efficiency of any scaffolding operation.

Altrad Generation supplies the full range of scaffold storage equipment for hire and sale across the UK. Contact your local branch to discuss your project requirements.

Q. What is a stillage used for?
A. A stillage is a rigid steel frame designed to store and transport materials in an organised, protected, and machine-handling-compatible way. In the scaffolding industry, stillages are most commonly used to store and move scaffold tubes. A tube stillage holds tubes in structured layers, ready for crane or forklift loading onto a lorry, keeping them clear of the ground and eliminating the need for banding wire. The same principle is applied to fittings storage through steel bins and fitting sacks.

Q. What is the difference between a scaffold stillage and a U-stacker?
A. A scaffold stillage is a fully enclosed rack system that holds scaffold tubes within a framed structure, containing the full load on all sides and carrying the tubes ready for crane or lorry handling. A U-stacker is an open U-shaped frame that supports tubes at each end, holding them in stacked layers without side enclosure. Stillages are the appropriate choice where tubes need to be fully contained for crane lifting or vehicle transport. U-stackers are better suited to organising tubes within a storage area or yard where they will be sorted and accessed by operatives. Both are forklift compatible.

Q. Can scaffold stillages be moved by forklift or crane?
A. Yes. Scaffold stillages are specifically designed for machine handling. They incorporate fork entry points for forklift operations and are suitable for crane lifting. Fitting sacks include reinforced lifting loops rated to 1 tonne load capacity for crane and forklift use. All scaffold storage equipment should be used in accordance with the manufacturer's guidance and the requirements of the relevant lifting and load-securing regulations applicable on site.

Q. Can I hire scaffold storage equipment from Altrad Generation?
A. Yes. Altrad Generation supplies scaffold stillages, U-stackers, steel bins, and fitting sacks for both hire and sale across the UK. Whether you need storage equipment for a single contract or an ongoing yard arrangement, the team can advise on the right products for your requirements. Contact Altrad Generation to discuss your needs and request a quote.