Wednesday, April 22, 2015

The Need for Change in the Elevator Industry



In a recent story from the New York Times, analysts and experts in the elevator industry expressed the need for several changes. Since the 1970s, there have been many occurrences of people being trapped inside of elevators during fires. Changes from the ADA in the 1990s yielded some improvements. However, there was still plenty of room for improvement. After the tragedy of the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, the reality of people being trapped and helpless really hit home. Experts have been working since that time to come up with better solutions for better evacuation options.

Documentation about the collapse of the Twin Towers showed that about 1,000 people had problems using the stairs because of health conditions and disabilities from chronic illnesses. Elevators were a key component in saving many lives. From the actions they took in the minutes following the initial impact of the plane on the first tower, many people were able to escape using elevators and stairs. Experts analyzed the structure and provided their reports for proposed improvements.

Extensive review by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers of standards and codes inspired officials in New York City to consider some code updates. The updates would make it possible to use elevators for evacuation in the event of emergencies in large buildings. The proposed concepts show a significant change in the traditional idea that stairs are the best solution for all emergency situations.

Big cities in the region where there are tall buildings are expected to adopt several changes in the coming years. At 3 and 4 World Trade Center in New York City, the floors are raised in front of elevator doors. This protects the hoistways if water from sprinklers or hoses is flooding the floor. Emergency generator capacity was increased to allow longer service times for the elevator cars. With the new building plan, the cars stop at every floor. In addition to this, the hoistway walls were thickened to provide better protection.

If you are searching for new elevator DC or new elevator MD, it is important to keep evacuation features in mind. Old elevators should be replaced for the safety of everyone and to avoid tragic consequences. Do not waste hours searching the Internet for new elevator DC or new elevator MD. Contact MarylandElevator.com for the best and safest products and services to meet your specific needs.

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