A Guide for Choosing the Type of Elevator You Need

Construction projects require a great amount of detail and can take months or years to complete. An important part of the construction process is ensuring you choose the right structure design and materials.For example spc floor, vinyl flooring, manhole cover, thread bar, aluminum building materials, plywood, vanities and so on. You must consider the foundation and various natural elements before incorporating certain additional items into the building.

 

When building multi-story buildings, you should think about how people are going to access each floor. Stairs are a natural choice, but it is also wise to install an elevator because it’s faster, more convenient, and it considers people with disabilities and mobility limitations.

 

What is an Elevator?

An elevator is a platform that could either be open or closed and is used for lifting or lowering both people and goods to upper and lower floors. In the past, it was not mandatory for story buildings to have elevators. As a result, some real estate investors avoided installing elevators because they were expensive to install and maintain.

 

How the Law has Influenced the use of Elevators

It was not until the Americans with Disabilities Act was introduced in 1990 that elevators become common. The legislation forbids any form of discrimination against people with disabilities. The law also requires all two or three-story buildings to be fitted with elevators. This makes it more convenient for people living with disabilities to easily access multiple floors.

How Elevators Work

Elevators haven’t changed much since the 1800s. Elevators still maintain their original purpose of transporting people across floors. The Otis Safety System is used in most elevator types and has been since the 1850s.

 

Control systems have been altered for modern elevators in ways that improve on speed and safety. In most cases, elevators will apply the use of counterweight and 40% of the maximum rated load to balance the car.

 

The main purpose of the counterweight is to reduce the weight to be lifted by the motor and to keep the entire elevator in control with the cables intact. In order to ensure durability and strength, the car elevator is made from steel. The pulley used by the hoist cable is held in place by a spanned side-to-side elevator shaft. This spun is controlled by a set of steel beams that are placed above the elevator car.

 

Modern elevator cars also have additional technology installed in them. Some have phones that allow the occupant to call for help in the event of an emergency. Others are fitted with a trap door located at the ceiling that make escape possible in emergency situations.

 

Elevators are designed and fitted into a building according to the building’s population capacity and duties to be performed. For example, there are some buildings that will have large elevators to transport cargo to different floors. Hospitals have elevators that open on both sides to allow easy entry and movement of emergency patients.

Elevator Types

In the past, most elevators had to be controlled through a centralized machine room. Today, there are some elevators that don’t need a machine room because they have an inbuilt safety mechanism. There are four main types of elevators: hydraulic, traction, machine-room-less, and vacuum.

1. Geared and Gearless Traction Elevator

Geared and Gearless Traction elevators can be separated into three different categories:

 

Traction Elevator

This elevator has ropes that pass over a wheel attached to an electric motor located above the shaft. The main function of the ropes is to raise and lower the elevator car. It can be used for both mid and high-rise applications and can travel much faster than hydraulic elevators.

 

Like other elevator types, this system uses a counterweight, which eliminates the weight of the occupants and the car so that the motor has an easier job moving the elevator load.

 

Geared Traction Elevator

The geared elevator is made up of a motor that has a gearbox attached to it. The main function of the gears is to power the wheel that moves the ropes. This type of elevator can travel up to speeds of up to 500 feet per minute. The maximum distance it can travel is 250 feet.

 

Gearless Traction Elevator

Gearless elevators don’t have a gear for speed regulation. This explains why they can move as fast as 2,000 feet per minute and can also travel a maximum of 2,000 feet. They are the best option for skyscrapers.

2. Hydraulic Elevator

Hydraulic elevators are normally given support by a bottom-placed piston. The purpose is to push the elevator car up while an electric motor forces hydraulic fluid down the piston. When it’s time for the elevator to come down, the valve releases the hydraulic fluid from the piston. This type of elevator is mostly used in 2 to 8 story buildings and can only travel at a maximum speed of 200 ft per minute. Below is a further breakdown of hydraulic elevators:

 

Roped Hydraulic Elevator

This type applies the use of both ropes and a piston to enhance the motion of the elevator car. The maximum distance it can travel is about 60 feet.

 

Conventional Hydraulic Elevator

Designed with an elevator pit, it comes with a sheave that extends beneath the floor of the pit. As the elevator begins to drop, the pit supports a retracting piston. In some configurations, a conventional hydraulic elevator may require a shallower hole below the pit that accepts a collapsing telescoping piston when the elevator drops. The approximate distance it can travel is 60 feet.

3. Machine-Room-Less (MRL) Elevator

Most elevators are designed with a machine room located above the elevator shaft. This type of elevator has a machine fitted in the override space, and it can only be accessed through the top of the elevator car whenever maintenance is required. This type of elevator can only travel a distance of 250 feet with speeds of up to 500 feet per minute.

 

MRL elevators are gaining popularity with mid-rise buildings because they conserve energy and require less room during construction.

Before your install an elevator in your multi-story building, you must know the building’s dynamics. Is it a residential or commercial building? You should also know how much the elevator needed for your structure will cost. Even though elevators can be an expensive investment, the convenience and ease of use is often an intriguing reason to add one to your next structure.