RiserSafe® - Building Riser - Concrete Frame

RiserSafe® is a bespoke modular flooring system for riser shafts in multi-storey buildings. The units seamlessly integrate into the construction process and are easily installed on site by the construction supply chain.

Riser shafts start as a series of openings in each floor, stacked one above the other on every storey. Once enclosed by walls, these openings connect to form a continuous shaft. RiserSafe® is a simple concept: it consists of a steel box with a floor plate on top that permanently forms and covers the opening. This design prevents falls from height and inhibits the spread of smoke and fire during construction and throughout the lifespan of the building. RiserSafe® also serves as a casting or fixing point for passive fire protection, such as dry-lined or blockwork walls, which, together with fire protection compounds, provide vertical and horizontal fire compartmentation.

Each RiserSafe® unit is 3D modelled to align with the design intent of its specific location within the project and is manufactured to accommodate the vertical routing of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) services that feed the building. The design of the unit is standard, with only the length, width and depth varying to meet the design intent of the service riser openings within the floor slab of each project.

The RiserSafe® unit is manufactured using a Zintec-coated 'C' section steel frame, along with 6–8 mm durbar floor plates that have been shot blasted and red oxide primed (26–30 μm thick). The joist hangers are also made of Zintec-coated steel. The back section of the joist hangers has teeth which locate into the inside wall of the 'C' section.

Since MEP services require maintenance in any building, technicians must be able to work safely within the riser shaft zone. RiserSafe® has a safe working load (SWL) of 2.5 kN/m2 (250 kg/m2), which is more than adequate to ensure safety for individuals working in these vital arteries of a building.

Corrosion protection:

The RiserSafe® has been designed for internal use, but during its installation may be exposed to weather. Therefore, the perimeter frame is manufactured from 3 mm steel with a Zintec coating, which, in brief, is an electro-galvanized coating of pure zinc layer on both sides.

Features and benefits:

• Permanent formwork for concrete.
• Removes the need for handrails.
• Stops the spread of smoke and flame between floors.
• Load bearing up to 2.5 kN/m² (SWL 250 kg/m²) as standard.
• Storage area for construction materials.
• Formwork for horizontal fire protection materials.
• Fixing points for separating walls.
• Fixing points for fire walls.
• Part of the fixing points for heavy M&E services (up to 10 t but Ambar Kelly must be contacted with loadings and setting out details).
• Casting and weathering properties for the top of service riser shafts.
• Drives M&E design to early completion.