Replacing mass with geometry
Low-carbon structural floor systems designed for material efficiency, circularity, and digital construction
The impact of our industry
The building and construction industry has a significant impact on our environment and is a major contributor to today's climate crisis.
~40%
Greenhouse gas emissions
Resource extraction
Waste production
Energy consumption
The impact of buildings
The structure, and especially the floors, are the most resource- and carbon-intensive parts of a building
When it comes to finding sustainable construction solutions, floor slabs are a key challenge. Arched and vaulted geometries offer truly disruptive savings by enabling the use of low-carbon materials in much lower volume than before.
Prof. Dr. Philippe Block, ETH Zurich
Chairman and Co-Founder VAULTED
The Rippmann Floor System
Inspired by the Gothic cathedrals of the past, our flagship product, the Rippmann Floor System (RFS), is a prefabricated, unreinforced concrete floor system built on more than 15 years of research at ETH Zurich.
Conventional concrete floor slabs achieve structural strength through the use of large amounts of material. It is a "brute force" solution. The RFS follows a different principle. It replaces mass with optimised geometry.
Similar to an ancient stone vault, its arched form carries forces through compression, a state that concrete naturally handles well. This eliminates the need for embedded steel reinforcement and allows the system to achieve equal or better performance with a fraction of the material.
Adjustable performance,
practical by design
The Rippmann Floor System is designed to adapt to a wide range of structural requirements and project specifications. This flexibility depends on more than the geometry itself: each floor must be translated into a buildable, compliant, and installable structural system.
Vaulted’s unique capability lies in making this translation practical. Through our proprietary digital platform, complex arched geometry becomes possible to design, produce, transport, and integrate into real construction projects.
Sustainable structure
By using geometry to carry loads more efficiently, the RFS requires significantly less material than conventional concrete floor systems. This can reduce embodied carbon emissions by up to 75%.
Additionally, by keeping materials separate and facilitating reuse and recycling, it is an entirely circular solution. When a building reaches the end of its life, RFS elements can be disassembled and reused in new projects rather than being demolished and discarded. A floor installed today can become a new RFS floor in a different building in the future.
1/3
Concrete
1/10
Steel
25%
Emissions
100%
Circular
Smarter economics
Build faster with less on-site complexity
Prefabricated RFS elements shift complex work from the construction site into a controlled factory environment. This simplifies on-site coordination, improves production quality, creates safer sites, and helps contractors and developers reduce execution risk and keep projects on schedule.
Create a more distinctive building
The RFS turns the floor system into an architectural feature. Its unique geometry helps architects design more expressive spaces, while giving developers a visible point of differentiation.
Expand what is structurally possible
The lightweight RFS reduces demands on columns, walls, and foundations, giving engineers and architects more flexibility across the structural system. This unlocks broader project options, especially in buildings with structural constraints, renovations, and restorations.
Reduce material use and cost exposure
The RFS requires substantially less material than conventional slab floors, lowering material costs and reducing exposure to price volatility. Its significantly lower weight can also reduce material needs in columns, walls, and foundations, creating savings across the wider building structure.
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