Construcciones Yamaro: The next step in industrial access
Steel gave industrial access its form and, for a time, its authority, symbolising stability even as its weight and rigidity slowed those who built with it. Kattsafe recognised that endurance need not come at the expense of efficiency.
For more than 20 years, this Australian height-safety specialist has sought to make access simpler. With the introduction of its modular range 10 years ago, the company showed how systems could be lighter, faster and more adaptable by design. Its latest development, the Industrial Modular Access Stair Tower, brings those qualities to an industrial scale, demonstrating how modularity delivers both structural integrity and operational agility. Launched in November 2025 as the first product in Kattsafe’s industrial range, it marks a shift in how large facilities design, assemble and maintain access requirements.
Keeta Voss, marketing coordinator at Kattsafe, says traditional steel stair towers remain prevalent less through merit than through convention.
“Traditional steel systems are still used because it is what people are familiar with. It is seen as the default choice, but there are downsides,” says Voss. “Steel is heavy and difficult to install, particularly when you are dealing with large stair towers that require heavy-duty cranes. The lead times can also be quite long because the systems are not modular. Every part must be pre-fabricated and pre-engineered in a factory before it leaves the floor, which can extend the timeline by weeks or even months.”
The company’s new stair tower is fabricated from high-strength aluminium. It arrives on site as a flat-packed system that assembles through Kattsafe’s proprietary T-bolt and T-slot connection method, converting what was once a labour-intensive process into fast installation.
“Components can be stacked module by module, similar to Lego,” says Voss. “It is lightweight, clean and far easier to handle.”
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Efficiency is built in and visible before the first component is assembled on site. Because the structure is proprietary and engineered, design cycles shrink from weeks to days, compressing lead times while maintaining compliance and quality. For project managers negotiating schedules and crane allocations, those gains translate into cost and time savings.
Aluminium also removes one of steel’s age-old problems: rust. It resists corrosion, extending lifespan and sustaining performance in demanding environments. It remains recyclable while eliminating the maintenance burden and weight that can complicate large-scale installations.
In practice, the stair tower recognises that projects seldom unfold exactly as drawn. Even minor variations in site dimensions or tolerances can impose delays and redesigns, yet Kattsafe’s modular composition accommodates deviation with ease.
“Modularity is the key,” explains Voss. “Our designs can be configured in countless ways. If a wall ends up higher than planned or a structure is out by a few millimetres, contractors can make on-site adjustments without returning for redesign. With steel, major changes would essentially mean starting over.”
Each module contains a single flight and platform, pre-fitted with adjustable brackets that allow calibration during installation. Subsequent modules interlock to form a continuous structure, balancing stability and flexibility.
“Contractors crane each section into place and secure it,” says Voss. “If the system needs to be reconfigured, it can easily be pulled apart and adjusted, much like Lego.”
Those practical benefits have already drawn interest from the industry, with Kattsafe trialling the stair tower with select clients and showcasing it at recent events to positive response. Long-time customers who had been seeking taller access solutions can now deliver those projects without the complexity associated with steel. Installers, too, have welcomed the change, finding aluminium easier to handle than fabricated steel. The result is a system that streamlines work for contractors and installers alike.
The design reflects the scale and complexity of today’s industrial builds. Kattsafe’s assemblies have been installed in distribution centres approaching 30 metres where roof access is required, and they are equally suited to data centres and water infrastructure. The modular architecture adapts to irregular geometries, enabling stair runs to follow forms that would challenge traditional steel fabrication.
Digital integration further strengthens this efficiency. The company’s online configurator, Kattsafe Builda, enables engineers and clients to model designs, refine configurations in real time and generate instant compliant drawings and pricing.
“Traditionally, a steel fabricator would need engineers and drafters working for days or weeks to create the same design,” says Voss. “Builda handles much of that automatically, with built-in compliance constraints to ensure accuracy. It saves considerable time and streamlines the process.”
Builda captures Kattsafe’s focus on simplification, aligning designs with Australian Standards and reducing friction between concept and construction.
For Kattsafe, the launch of the Industrial Modular Access Stair Tower signifies a turning point in industrial access design.
“It shows that steel is no longer the only option and that access systems can be faster, cleaner and more adaptable,” says Voss. “If we can encourage more architects, specifiers and builders to see what modular aluminium systems can do, it will change the industry completely. Education is the biggest part of it. Once the industry has seen it in the field and understands how it works, adoption will grow quickly.”
To accelerate that adoption, Kattsafe provides engineering support, installation manuals, digital resources and forthcoming case studies detailing performance in varied conditions. The system also lends itself to future adaptation, ready to address emerging challenges across infrastructure and industry.
“Right now, our focus is on the stair tower, which is a straight vertical system. But because it is modular, we can do much more with it – for example, linking stairs with platforms or extending access horizontally. The flexibility is almost limitless,” says Voss.
“Many of our products evolve because a project pushes us to create something new that proves to be valuable for the wider market. That is how our current modular system gained so many configurations. Innovation for us always starts with listening to the customer.”
From its early access systems to the industrial-scale assemblies that now define its range, Kattsafe’s trajectory is one of continuous refinement. What began as an idea to make access safer and more flexible has matured into an ecosystem of configurable, engineered products elevating efficiency to new heights.
“It really changes the height access space and remains one of the only systems with this level of modularity and flexibility,” says Voss. “It’s going to make some waves.”
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