The new Riverside Ice & Leisure Centre is a £40m complex located in Chelmsford, Essex adjacent to the River Chelmer which runs through the heart of the city.

Although the centre has been keeping the people of Chelmsford fit and healthy for the past 50 years, it was due a major revamp to ensure it keeps delivering the services it is known for. When it came to supplying the total riser zone solution for the new building, main contractor, Kier, specified Ambar Kelly’s RiserSafe^® to prevent the spread of smoke and flame and the risk of falls from height during and post-construction.

The integration of RiserSafe^®, a prefabricated solution which hits the mark on innovation, will mean every floor opening at each level of the building is sealed, enabling project teams and the building’s occupants to be completely safe, particularly in the event of fire.

RiserSafe^® provides horizontal fire protection, which prevents the spread of smoke and flame in the event of fire. It has been tested for 90 minutes at the British Research Establishment (BRE) with a temperature of 1000^oC underneath without failure to its integrity. When used in conjunction with a fire-stopping compound, RiserSafe^® has been tested to demonstrate fire stopping protection of over 120 minutes, passing integrity and insulation requirements.

As well as ensuring safety remains paramount, the RiserSafe^® units were fully coordinated to the project’s entire M&E services, saving on both cost and time.

Now open to the public, the Riverside Ice and Leisure Centre boasts a new sports hall, bicycle rank, ice rink and a 25m 10-lane pool with an adjustable floor – one of only three in the country with such dimensions. A staple of the city of Chelmsford, Ambar Kelly is proud to have been involved on a project which will serve its community for the next 60
years.