A sole board is a supporting member placed beneath scaffold bases as part of an assessed ground-support arrangement.
What does this mean for your project?
In site discussions, supporting timber may be described as sole boards or packing. The name does not establish appropriate dimensions, material or distribution. Those decisions depend on the ground conditions, scaffold arrangement and the manner in which forces pass into the supporting surface.
For an enquiry, describing the conditions is more useful than preparing your own supporting materials. Identify sloping ground, sensitive finishes or unknown construction beneath paving. The executing provider determines what further information and preparation are needed before an appropriate arrangement can be selected.
A change beneath the scaffold may affect the structure above. Do not move boards to create room or improve drainage. Report the observed issue and let the responsible party assess how it should be addressed without improvising an alteration to the support.
Explore this subject through Base plate and Footprint.
One more
thing.
Can spare garden timber be used underneath?
Do not assume that a customer-selected material is suitable. Have both the material and its application determined by the responsible specialist.
Do sole boards solve any ground slope?
No. A level difference requires assessment within the complete support arrangement. The terminology is not an instruction for constructing an improvised solution.