Projects

“Comtec came to the party early and collaborated with McAlpine’s design team and British Land on this scheme, with a solution that is adaptable and suits future tenant needs. The support and communication from Comtec has been fantastic throughout. When issues are put forward, Comtec have solutions. The collaboration and the teamwork in the workshop has been faultless throughout. The Comtec solution has met all my expectations on 2FA.”
– George Amy, Project Director, Sir Robert McAlpine

The Challenge

Open riser shafts are a constant hazard for every trade working above and around them. Normally, they require temporary edge protection and netting to prevent debris, tools, and teams from falling from a height. On a project of this scale, with more than a thousand riser openings and two parallel rising towers, the risk multiplies. And McAlpine’s priority was clear from the outset: get protection in place as early as possible.

The Comtec Solution

Comtec engaged early with McAlpine’s design team and British Land to develop a custom riser solution rather than a standard product. We collaborated from the outset to build a solution built around the realities of the 2FA construction sequence.

Comtec developed the channels that the secondary and tertiary support beams clip into, built directly into the slipform as it climbed. This meant that riser protection was designed and installed to follow the towers’ gradual rise.

The AlphaRiser units themselves are installed within an encapsulated work environment, protecting the installation team and preventing materials or tools from falling down the building. The riser decking is made of GRP and can be cut and adapted on site if needed.

Every AlphaRiser unit has its own Unique Identification No. (UIN) marked on it, which enables easy tracing of design information for collaboration on future changes where required.

Throughout installation, Comtec attended design coordination meetings, working through pinch points and unforeseen scenarios as they arose, and continuing to innovate the product in response to on-site conditions.

The Results

• Falls-from-height risk eliminated early: Protection was installed as soon as each riser opening was formed, preventing open riser shafts from becoming a hazard.
• Fire compliance assured: Where needed, riser floor units used Comtec’s innovative horizontal fire-stopping solution, which has been rigorously tested and provides in excess of 4 hours of fire resistance for both integrity and insulation (E&I).
• 16 weeks saved on programme: Early design and off-site fabrication in a quality-controlled environment allowed the AlphaRiser solution to be procured ahead of need.

Want a riser floor solution that’s designed around your build sequence, not the other way around? Contact us to book a free technical consultation.