The design and construction of modern high-rise buildings demand more than architectural vision – they require systems that can withstand both daily structural pressures and the rare but devastating threat of fire.
While much attention is often placed on fire protection within a building’s interior, the external envelope presents its own challenges, where gaps in protection can allow flames and smoke to spread rapidly.
This is where Siderise has established its expertise.
The company specializes in passive fire protection for building exteriors, creating systems built on a unique stone wool formulation called ‘Lamella’ that undergoes a proprietary process.
By reorienting the fibers, Siderise delivers market-leading solutions capable of withstanding movement caused by wind, seismic shifts or occupancy loads, while still providing reliable fire containment.
Leading this effort in the North American market is Brad Davis, the company’s Head of Commercial for the region.
Based in the United States as Siderise’s first direct hire in the market, Davis is responsible for shaping and implementing strategy across the continent.
FSJA Assistant Editor Isabelle Crow sat down with Brad Davis, the Head of Commercial for North America at Siderise, to discuss how the company is supporting safer building façades, tackling market challenges and ensuring long-term performance.
There is much more to developing a robust fire protection strategy than just understanding the behavior of fire.
You really need to understand building physics as well as the environmental elements that constantly affect a structure.
Even when there is not a fire event, a system must account for movement caused by wind pressures, seismic activity or live loads from occupation.
A fire protection solution has to accommodate all of these factors.
This ensures that if there is an unfortunate fire event, there are no voids in the protection system.
The burn can then remain contained within its specific location and not travel throughout the building.
The earlier that we can get involved, the better for everyone.
We like to look at tricky details an architect might create, whether that is intricate geometry, tight installation tolerances or access issues.
If we can address those early with the architect, they can move forward with confidence that they already have a fire protection strategy.
Another key point is ensuring the information is communicated down the chain, not just with the architect and designer but also with contractors.
We don’t want to work far in advance with the design team, build our solutions and then have the construction team seeing them for the first time on site.
This is why we offer on-site training.
We know that if someone is handling our material for the first, second or even third time, a demonstration is necessary.
There are intricacies to how the product is installed, so it is essential to visit projects throughout their duration to maintain connection and monitor progress.
Our support from beginning to end means communication continues all the way down the chain.
There are several challenges.
One of them is simply being a new entity in the US market—although Siderise has been manufacturing fire stopping solutions for over 40 years.
We want people to understand what we offer and how we can provide a strong fire protection solution for their building.
Another issue is geography.
The US is a massive country and covering coast to coast is a huge undertaking for any company.
Knowing this, we decided to focus on the northeast market to begin with.
That does not mean we are not opening up all of North America as a potential market, but for now our efforts are concentrated in a more strategic location.
That really goes back to my earlier point that early involvement is key.
To be transparent, there was skepticism about using a new product for such a monumental project in the heart of Manhattan.
We worked through that with the design team and addressed a lot of installation and compliance issues.
There were some tricky details on the project, such as corner conditions, anchor brackets and other specific functions.
Overall, though, the building was very repetitious.
With 73 stories and many identical floor plans, this actually helped us in supplying a consistent system.
We visited the job site regularly to monitor progress and to make sure everybody knew we were present.
We did not simply take the order, ship the material and then move on.
We will remain with this project beyond its completion date and continue to be there until people are living in the apartments.
The topic of CCPI marks is more relevant to the UK market, but it serves as a good benchmark for Siderise coming into the US.
It shows that we can comply with strict regulations.
The UK has implemented the Building Safety Act, which includes very strict requirements for fire protection and overall building safety.
We have adhered to those requirements.
Our UK background in meeting stringent regulations means that when we come to the US we can maintain compliance, because we already have a history of doing so.
We also take pride in on-site support, with the Siderise Installation App offering an industry-leading way of providing installers with a digital tool ready to be used at times that suit them.
We don’t just take an order and walk away.
We remain active on the job site, making repeat visits, running demonstrations and staying involved.
I often joke that we are there until they tell us not to come back anymore.
Our niche of the façade industry cannot be complacent.
We can never say a building is safe enough.
We need to continually work to improve products and solutions, not just as a company but as an industry.
At Siderise we are always refining our products and initiatives, while also creating new innovations that fit in with evolving construction methodologies.
We are also actively engaged in trade organizations, code committees and advisory boards to drive building codes and standards.
That involvement helps ensure we are on the leading edge of pushing evolution in our industry.
Our digital tools link back to our early involvement with a project.
If a design team can reach out to us early and flag tricky geometry or a sloped façade, then we know the installation will require a non-standard application of a fire barrier.
This can be done through using a 3D model, which offers clients peace of mind about how the installation will be prepared before it reaches the job site.
That communication continues down the chain, from designer to installer.
