High-rise unit
Also called: crane-lift unit, hoistable unit, elevator unit, rooftop unit
A high-rise unit is a portable toilet built or fitted to be lifted by crane or hoist onto upper floors of a building under construction, with lifting points, a smaller footprint to fit an elevator or hoist car, and a tank that is serviced in place with a long hose or by lowering the unit.
High-rise units let crews on the 20th floor meet the OSHA toilet ratio without riding the hoist down. They are serviced by pumping from the floor with a hose run or by swapping units at intervals with the crane.
Expect a higher monthly rate and a coordination requirement with the crane schedule.
See also: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.51, Service visit, Staking and tie-downs
Questions that use this term
Search allCan a high-rise unit be serviced from the ground floor?
We're running a 12-story build in Phoenix and have a standard portable toilet on the 8th floor for a crew of 30. It's a long-term rental with weekly…
High-rise unit on the 15th floor: what's the service plan?
We have a concrete pour crew of 15 guys working on the 15th floor of a high-rise in Phoenix. The job will last eight weeks. The elevator core is in,…
High-rise unit servicing when the building elevator is broken.
We have a high-rise unit on the 15th floor of a commercial job. It's a standard unit, the kind with a 60-gallon holding tank. The elevator is…
Can we service a high-rise unit from the floor below?
We've got a 40-story high-rise under construction in Phoenix. The exterior elevator is down for two weeks, and the standard portable toilets on the…
What's the main difference between a high-rise unit and a regular one besides the lift?
My GC just ordered a high-rise unit for the 12th floor of our project. I've handled plenty of standard units on the ground, but this is my first time…
2026 winter: Do high-rise units need special antifreeze for crane lifts?
We're breaking ground on a 40-story tower in Chicago next January. The crew will be around 150 people, working five days a week for two years. We'll…
High-rise unit servicing: what if the building's freight elevator is too small for the vacuum tank?
We have a standard portable toilet on the 40th floor of a high-rise construction site. It's been there for three weeks with weekly service, but the…
High-rise unit on the 20th floor: how is waste pumped down?
A high-rise unit is serviced from the ground using a dedicated waste line. The waste line is a large-diameter pipe, usually 4 to 6 inches, that runs…