Specwall is a versatile product with many use cases which stands out from traditional blockwork, plasterboard and SFS partition walls. The case of service risers is an excellent look at the benefits Specwall can bring to any new build or refurbishment development.
What is a service riser? A service riser takes services vertically from floor to floor for multiple uses including electrics, hot and cold water, air conditioning pipes, ventilation ducts, rainwater pipes and more.
In construction, these risers are vital to the overall project and their completion assists the programme by allowing the progress of various trades on site. Completing them early means that you will gain significant time on your project.
However, they are often not a simple aspect to complete. The nature of them leads to a higher than normal fire risk adjoining corridors and apartments, and so they must be built with this in mind. Blockwork can meet this requirement but it is heavy, slow to construct, requires wet trades on site and can be dusty if finished incorrectly.
Likewise, plasterboard or shaftwall is a viable alternative but comes with its own downsides including the ease with which it is damaged by water or impact, and the need for pattresses and other complex penetrations to be installed.
On the other hand, Specwall panels can solve these issues for your service risers and replace the problematic aspects of other systems too. Specwall provides the following benefits:
- Single-visit construction process with easy and fast installation, repair and alteration process
- A1- and A2-rated panels available
- Minimum two-hour fire protection and high insulation performance
- Lightweight compared to block, resilient compared to plasterboard
- Water permeable and can be installed before building is water tight, offering substantial programme savings
- Does not require pattressing, lintels for openings up to 2600mm, letterbox details or service penetrations
- Less than 3% waste on site compared to 20-30% with block/plasterboard
- All off-cuts can be reused on site. Panels are demountable for future reuse
- Low dust on installation
- Finishes can be applied directly the product
“It has been good to see how quickly and efficiently Specwall has gone in at Assembly. The testing has shown it is very interesting solution to several typical situations. I shared this information with our in-house technical team so it get more widely spread through the practice.”
Craig Shaw, Senior Architectural Designer at Alfred Hall Monaghan Morris
To find our complete specifications, please get in touch with the technical team by clicking here or find us on the NBS portal by clicking here.
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