Structural Engineers
RiserSafe® provides immediate collective fall protection through engineer-designed voids. Our details cater for connections into steel composite, reinforced concrete, precast concrete and post-tensioned slabs.
Riser shafts do not generally feature in the structural engineers’ calculations other than dealing with the form around the riser opening. They undertake all the structural design work for the frame and floors outside the riser shafts. But, rarely do the structural calculations account for the required floors within the riser shafts, which are essential for engineers to access the services vertically rooted to feed the building. Although small they have a significant impact on the structural design. These openings create a weakness which must be calculated for.
The right maintenance flooring
Considering the right flooring for the riser shaft as part of the structural design can complement and, in some cases, support those openings in terms of construction.
Passive fire protection
When designing a steel frame building it is essential the structural steel frame is designed in such a way that there is enough tolerance for the fire protection required. The structural design has a major impact on riser openings. If fire protection is not considered from the outset, this can manifest itself into a loss of working area within the riser of up to 12% regardless of which riser flooring system is used. If the wrong one is used this can further increase the loss of working area. This, coupled with the MEP services’ installation permanent fixing, is essential to the successful construction of any building.