A frame structure, particularly a scaffolding, comprising a plurality of tubular upright elements each having an upright axis and an outer surface;
- a plurality of bracing elements each having two elongated end portions each of which has a longitudinal slot of a predetermined width and subdividing the respective end portion into two sections which have registering openings extending substantially normal to the elongation of the respective end portion;
- means for connecting at least some of said bracing elements to said upright elements to obtain a basic rectangular grid of said bracing elements, including a number of circumferentially complete ring flanges so supported on each of said upright elements as to circumferentially embrace the same with axial spacing from one another and each having a thickness at most equal to said width of said slot so as to be receivable therein so that said sections of the respective end portion straddle said flange, a plurality of first cut-outs extending through the respective flange and having respective radial axes located in a common plane normal to said upright axis and which intersect at the latter and are normal to each other in said plane, and a plurality of wedge members each receivable in said registering openings of the respective end portion to extend across said slot thereof and through one of said first cut-outs, the latter being of substantially barrel-shaped configurations so that a partly advanced wedge member is receivable therein even when the elongation of said respective end portion deviates from the respective radial axis, while further advancement of said wedge member results in alignment of said elongation with said respective radial axis;
- means for connecting other bracing elements to said flanges for each of said other bracing elements to extend from the respective flange in a direction different from those of said radial axes, including a plurality of second cut-outs extending through the respective flange intermediate said first cut-outs and being of such shapes that a respective one of said wedges can be received therein in the fully advanced position thereof even when the elongation of said end portion of the respective other bracing element is located in a plane deviating from the radial direction of said flange;
- and means for at least suppressing shearing stresses in the zone of juxtaposition of said flange with said upright element by transmitting loading forces acting on the respective bracing element parallel to said upright axis of the respective upright element from the respective end portion of the respective bracing element directly to the respective upright element, including respective endfaces on said sections of said end portions of at least said some bracing elements, said endfaces being of mating configurations to said outer surface of the respective upright element so that the respective wedge member in the advanced position thereof presses said endfaces into frictional contact with said outer surface with a force resulting in a frictional force between said endfaces and said outer surface which opposes and compensates for said loading forces, whereas said wedge member simultaneously subjects said flange to a counterforce opposite to said force and transmitted through said circumferentially complete flange to act on a region of said outer surface which is diametrally opposite to the region of application of said force.