Ledger braces are used to connect the front standards to the rear standards. These are usually placed at each lift and at every other pair of standards.
As free access through the scaffold is often a requirement for other trades working on the site, some ledger braces may have to be removed. The scaffold design engineer will advise on which ledger braces need to be removed and wether additional braces or ties are required elsewhere. Braces form the integral part of the scaffold structure and must not be removed without proper authorisation.

Cross braces and ledger braces are vital to the rigidity of the scaffold structure. They are placed diagonally across the ledgers and adjacent to alternate pairs of standards.
The differences are, cross braces are usually fixed directly to the standards, whilst ledger braces are fixed to ledgers.