Santa Bárbara Castle in Alicante, Spain, is a ninth-century fortress built during the country’s Muslim occupation. Located on the summit of Monte Benacantil, the castle is a symbol of the city and an important tourist attraction. To improve the architectural site and tourist accessibility, a rehabilitation project was designed for the castle, consisting of the renovation of the inner walls, areas to be used as a museum, exhibition rooms and entrance to the castle from Postiguet Beach.

ThyssenKrupp Elevadores España was awarded the contract to modernize the castle’s vertical transportation. The final stage of the renovation plan required the replacement of elevators installed by Otis in the 1960s. The elevators had a 12-person capacity, traveled at 2 mps and had not been significantly modernized since installation. The units had operational problems preventing both elevators from operating simultaneously, limiting visitor accessibility.

The third stage of the project was divided into two parts:

1. The complete renovation of access tunnels to the lower and upper elevators; the lower tunnel, with a length of 220 m, connects Postiguet Beach to the elevator entrance. The upper tunnel, with a length of 100 m, provides access to the king’s rooms.

2. The complete replacement of the elevators installed in a 3.4-m-diameter shaft excavated in rock from the summit of Monte Benacantil down to sea level; these ran for a length of 142 m with three stops: the entrance, another stop at 120 m to access the king’s rooms and another at 142 m to access the museum.

The Otis elevators were completely replaced using the shaft’s existing dimensions and holding elements. This meant the measurements and design of the new units had to be adapted to increase traffic and capacity.

The newly installed elevators have a load capacity of 1125 kg (15 persons) and travel through a single shaft. Travel time has been reduced to 36 s. A vertical motorway has a height of 142 m, with the elevators traveling at a speed of 4 mps. The elevators have three stops: the first at street level, the second at 120 m and the third at 142 m.

The engine room is located above the vertical axis of the shaft. It was modernized by reinforcing the flagstone and installing new gearless machines, including an SC 400 synchronous engine and Thyssocontrol Multican® TCM-MC1 controllers with an attached CPI 50 R variable-voltage, variable-frequency controller with energy recovery. Suspension is differential (2:1) and uses high-performance steel-traction cables. Doors are central opening with a gap of 900 mm and equipped with traction operators regulated by frequency variation.

The elevator is controlled by a high-generation microprocessor and selective up or down operation speed with a series of functions such as automatic fire evacuation, emergency current, etc. Also of note is the automatic passenger evacuation control by means of transfer between cars, as both cars are equipped with an emergency door for this purpose. The cars travel over car guide rails and counterweight guide rails using rollers over dry rails.

The elevators are environmentally friendly, with no greasing elements. The energy-efficient frequency controller is equipped with an energy recovery unit to the network in the driving and generator phases. Cars are illuminated using LEDs.

Santa Bárbara Castle opened in April 2011. By June 2011, the newly modernized elevators had made a total of 170,000 journeys, an average of more than 2,000 trips per day.

Company Divisions

Lifting Italia® specializes in the R&D and production of cars, car slings, doors, lift components, bespoke lift systems, heavy-load freight elevators, traditional and machine-room-less (MRL) systems and metal structures. Lifting Italia also works in the sales and distribution of EN 81-compliant components and installations, in addition to lift modernization feasibility studies and assistance. In conjunction with Lifting Italia, Audel contributes to the R&D and production of main control panels and automation systems.

Within the lift-platform division, areaLift works with the sales and distribution department for lift platforms and home lifts in compliance with the new machinery directive. Upon request, it provides site surveying and assistance. Within the stairlift division, mobivita® operates the sales and distribution of platform and chair stairlifts, including feasibility studies and installation assistance.

Custom Designs

AreaLift offers a range of custom-designed lifts that are rigorously tested at an in-house facility. Among the lifts offered are the Lumiere doors and InDOMO lift systems, designed to meet the stylistic demands of customers’ homes. The InDOMO is fitted with automatic EASYhome doors designed to facilitate mobility. The InDOMO system, incorporating MyDOMO double-hinged automatic doors and MyDOMOpack, is one of the only systems on the market designed to meet the mobility needs of customers with limited space.

Certifications

Vertíco’s InDOMO elevator is Class “A” compliant with VDI 4707:2009 and Lifting Italia received ISO 9001 certification for its management and production expertise. In addition, the Viper MRL elevator system for high strokes is compliant with UNI 81-1 and received TÜV ATE012 certification in July 2011. Vertíco’s Focus electric screw-driven platform, introduced at Interlift in Augsburg, Germany, in October 2011, achieved IMG CM369DM certification for systems up to 500-kg capacity.

Major Projects

Vertíco has provided products ranging from passenger lifts to vehicle lifts in a number of countries. One of its largest projects includes the installation of 22 passenger lifts with a capacity of up to 2000 kg in Algeria. In addition, the group provided passenger lifts to a shopping mall and hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Despite the current market situation, the group has decided to invest in the expansion of its production center and plans to increase its workforce in an effort to continue supplying safe and reliable products worldwide.

Founded in 1976, Centennial Elevator Co. of New York is currently owned and operated by Rich L’Esperance,Sr.; Rich L’Esperance, Jr., chief operating officer; and Gus Catanzaro. The company focuses on modernization and maintenance projects, and has more than 3,000 units under preventative maintenance. In September 2011, L’Esperance, Jr., announced the company’s completion of several Fifth Avenue projects, with the most recent being 1215 Fifth Avenue, a high-end residential building. The project was completed in June 2011 and included various upgrades.

The modernization consisted of replacing all basement traction machines with new Hollister-Whitney machines and GAL GALaxy controllers, in addition to a complete support- system upgrade. Each machine room included new motor room electrical components, mainline disconnects, AC feed, communication system for the elevator and lobby, heating ventilation and air conditioning to manage motor room temperature, new lighting and outlets in the motor room pit and overhead. The upgrades will improve reliability and longevity of the installations.

The project was a high-pressure job conducted on an accelerated timeframe to minimize the inconvenience to the building owners. It was designed and overseen by L’Esperance, Jr., and also handled by Superintendent Peter Hyde, who also oversaw two teams working simultaneously to complete the project on schedule. In addition to the Hollister-Whitney machines installed, the new GALaxy control system utilized Magnatek’s HPV 900 drive.

Some of the project challenges of modernizing the old building with new equipment were the minimal clearance and space restrictions in the motor rooms, in addition to a lower-level pit with the machine installed in it. The project was consulted by DTM Elevator Consulting, which also worked from the initial concept of the modernization through supervision and signoff.

Two automatic passenger cars were upgraded and meet new code compliances for firefighter service and communication. Additional building services include taxi notification. The new lobby panel consists of the communication system, and a car-to-lobby and/or hold feature, items common in high-end residential properties.

The building’s original manual freight cars were completely modernized with new fixtures, handles, gates and cab interiors. Additional project challenges included the installation of the new hall and car fixtures in both the existing hallway and the existing cab on the passenger elevators, as they required detailed coordination with the building to avoid damage to its marble walls, including apartments that had custom design materials in their hallway and corridors.

Centennial Elevator has 45 modernization teams. Their hands-on approach to modernizations, preventive maintenance and customer service has helped establish the company as one of the leaders in the New York Metropolitan area. Working with management company Brown Harris Stevens, Centennial Elevator has completed several other projects similar to 1215 Fifth Avenue, including 1216 Sixth Avenue, the New York Academy of Medicine, the Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue and 1049 Fifth Avenue.

The theme of the 2011 Interlift event held in Augsburg, Germany, on October 18-21 was “10 in 20.” This theme was adopted to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the joint venture between German elevator association VFA-Interlift e.V. and German conference organizer AFAG Messen & Ausstellungen GmbH, during which this remarkable partnership produced 10 Interlift expositions. This event has grown through the years to become the largest elevator industry trade show in the world. Planning for the first one actually began when conversations and meetings between the two organizations commenced in 1986, and after five years of planning, the first actual Interlift event was held in 1991. During this first event, it was agreed that to effectively accommodate planning by the organizers and the rest of the international elevator industry of what was felt could become a huge biannual elevator trade show, subsequent events should be held in the same location and at the same time of year. This concept is what has been implemented and allowed Interlift to become the world’s largest elevator-industry event.

Opening Ceremony

The event started off with an opening ceremony, during which Heike Konicke of AFAG and Achim Hütter of VFA provided opening remarks expressing a warm welcome to the attendees and appreciation for the support provided by Interlift participants. Konicke also announced that the 2011 event marked a milestone for its organizers, as it was the 20th anniversary of the VFA/AFAG partnership and the 10th such event. Following a presentation of Interlift’s history that described its growth since it was conceived in 1986, the 2011 Interlift statistics were provided. It was reported that 499 exhibitors had been booked for the event, and, using the typical four-to-one attendee-to-exhibitor ratio that has historically been the case for Interlift, it was anticipated that the number of attendees could easily exceed the 2009 event’s attendance of just over 18,000 visitors.

Next on the agenda was a recognition ceremony for the AFAG and VFA staff members, who have worked diligently to organize Interlift. As the stage filled with smiling and appreciative people, the audience applauded the award recipients for their efforts on behalf of the international elevator industry as cameras clicked and flashed to record this monumental event.

Following brief appreciative remarks by representatives of ANICA (Italian elevator components association) and the European Federation for Elevator Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (EFESME), the final presentation of the opening event was made by well-known footballer Oliver Kahn, who has received three awards for being Europe’s best goalkeeper. Kahn pointed out similarities between the challenges taken by athletes and business executives and how they can and should be transformed into successful leadership skills and team-building characteristics. He provided examples of how to display leadership qualities that will gain respect from your colleagues by being a part of the team, acting with pride in your company and doing the most that you can to make your organization successful.

Exhibits

The major aspect of Interlift (which takes up most of the attendees’ time and attention)  is its exhibits. All of the Messe Augsburg fairground’s exhibit halls were full, and there were even some stands set up in the passageways between the main halls. Throughout the event, all of the exhibits were busy, and the aisles were often quite congested.

The Technical Forum presentations were consistently well attended with many of the presentations made to standing room only audiences. The association conferences and meetings held during the event were also very well attended, and at each of the press conferences (during which numerous companies announced the introduction of new products), not only were all of the elevator-industry magazines present, but also large numbers of the exhibitors’ existing and potentially new customers.

EFESME Events

Another major aspect of Interlift is it provides an opportunity for companies and organizations to make important announcements about their activities and programs to the largest in-person gathering of international elevator-industry personnel. It also provides industry associations the opportunity to take advantage of the on-site gathering of their members to hold association meetings and conduct seminars. EFESME always takes advantage of this opportunity during Interlift, and this year was no exception, as the federation conducted two major events for its members and other Interlift attendees.

The EFESME Technical Conference, entitled “Standardization Package: The SMEs’ Role,” was held on October 20, during which a number of members made presentations that covered a wide range of topics. Moderated by Susan Mompalao de Piro, the conference included the following speakers:

• Joachim Kalsdorf, AFAG project manager
• A. Tajani, DG Industry and Entrepreneurship vice-president
• J.C. Georges, EFESME president
• K.Y. Tillmann, NORMAPME (European Office of Crafts, Trades and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises for Standardization) secretary general
• A. Benassi, UEAPME (European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises) secretary general
• R. Weissenhorn, Unit C5 “Standardisation” European Commission head
• J.P. Menard, ANPA expert for AFNOR (French Association for Standardization)
• L. Faletto, EFESME expert for CEN (European Committee for Standardization)/International Organization for Standardization

Another significant EFESME event that took place during Interlift 2011 was the federation’s announcement of a recently completed agreement with POVESA (National Association of Small and Medium-Sized Regional Elevator Companies of Greece). During this celebratory event, it was stated that this expansion of EFESME brings its total membership to over 5,000 member companies and further enhances its ability to effectively deal with codes and standards, as well as the requirements set forth for elevator-industry companies doing business throughout the European Union. EFESME and POVESA officers and directors announced their satisfaction with this important arrangement and invited those in attendance at the EFESME exhibit stand to join in a celebratory Champagne toast, while enjoying some fine Italian hors d’oeuvres.

Technical Forum

A hallmark of each Interlift event has always been the Technical Forum, which is ongoing throughout the event. The forum conducted at the 2011 event was no exception. As in years past, the forum was organized and moderated by VFA Educational Director Werner Boehme. The roster of speakers included technical experts, educators and business executives from various elevator-industry organizations, as well as academic institutions. An extensive schedule of presentations was provided throughout the four-day event, covering a vast variety of topics that included elevator equipment design and maintenance, new technology, the application of environmentally sensitive and energy-efficient technology, elevator performance monitoring, emergency operations, and information on the current and future state of the elevator industry throughout the world. The full listing of the presentations delivered is shown in the accompanying sidebar; presentation material is available for download at website: vfa-interlift.com.

Conclusion

The attendance and participation statistics for Interlift 2011 are staggering. In addition to the aforementioned 499 exhibit stands, 18,781 visitors from 54 nations were present. During the Technical Forum, 56 speakers made excellent presentations to approximately 1,500 attendees.

As it has always been, Interlift in 2011 was another great success for its organizers, visitors and exhibitors. It turned out to be the largest and best-attended elevator-industry exposition of the year, and this will, in all likelihood, be the case for the next Interlift, as well. Mark your calendar for October 15-18, 2013.

by Antonio Cabezos

Located 20 km from San Sebastián, Spain, Hondarribia is a town in the Basque Country at the mouth of the Bidasoa River, which makes a natural frontier with Hendaye, France. Currently the only walled town in the Guipúzcoa province, Hondarribia is a tourist attraction and predominately residential. Its two historical areas make up the oldest parts of the city center. The Old City is a historic walled town with more than 1,500 residents. The La Marina area is located outside the walled town, along the sea, and is known as el Barrio de la Marina. Together with la Campiña, it is one of the most densely populated parts of town.

One of the council’s objectives was to facilitate better communication between the two areas, which are between three pedestrian precincts. Following a pertinent technical analysis and viability study, two of the locations were discarded as possible sites for the installation of escalators, as they were considered too narrow. Madalen Karrika, la Magdalena, was considered to be the most appropriate point for the installation, although it was the area with the greatest slope, with a height difference of 20 m. ThyssenKrupp Elevadores (Spain) was selected to provide the escalator equipment for the installation.

Work on the escalators began in December 2008, and lasted for five months. Consisting of three sections, both for ascending and descending, the escalators were installed parallel to the existing pedestrian stairs, separated by a slope. The first section, which begins at Madalen Karrika and ends in the small square of an old church, covers a change in height of 5.58 m. The two following sections, although they also run parallel to the pedestrian stairway, cover the height change differently as the slope is greater. The height difference is 7.44 and 7.23 m, respectively, before they reach the upper level of Donostia Kalea. In this case, it was necessary to bore into the mountain to build the slopes and install the two upper escalator sections.

The new Lombardy Region headquarters, L’Altra Sede, is the first large public building of its kind constructed in Milan, Italy, since 1450, when Castello Sforzesco was erected. It was designed by the international consortium of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners from New York, and Caputo Partnership and Sistema Duemila from Milan. The complex is comprised of a 39-story, 161-m-tall tower (one of the tallest in Italy) and four 45-m-tall sinusoidal buildings. This public complex aims to represent excellence in architecture, ecology, comfort, functionalism and innovative technology, while fulfilling administrative, cultural, representative and entertainment needs.

ThyssenKrupp Elevator Italia received the contract to supply and install elevators for the central tower and its sinusoidal buildings. The project’s main challenge was to satisfy the technology needed to transport 350,000 people per year. In the main tower, ThyssenKrupp Elevator Italia installed eight electric machine-room-less (MRL) high-speed elevators with a capacity of 24 passengers (1800 kg) per load. Six of the MRL elevators travel at 7 mps, one with a 109.8-m travel height and another with a 114.9-m travel height. Two MRL elevators are capable of traveling at speeds of up to 8 mps (making them among the fastest elevators in Italy) with a travel height of 150.9 m. In addition, one freight elevator was installed with a travel height of 150.9 m, load capacity of 2500 kg and travel speed of 2.5 mps.

Due to traffic needs, a destination selection control (DSC) system was installed. Using advanced microprocessor technology, the DSC is capable of optimizing passenger traffic flow, even during rush hour. The system ensures the circulation of 874 people every five minutes, resulting in a considerable savings of time and energy efficiency. The DSC not only registers the desired travel direction when a call is entered, but also the floor destination desired by the passenger. This extra data allows the system to select an elevator from the group that can best serve the call, so no additional car commands are required. The number of intermediate stops and empty trips is reduced, increasing elevator availability and service capacity by 30%.

The four sinusoidal buildings house many offices and spaces used for various functions and see a high amount of daily traffic. Nineteen MRL elevators with a capacity for 24 passengers (1800 kg load) were installed, with travel speeds of 2 mps and travel heights between 34 m and 39.2 m. Four freight elevators were also installed. With a load capacity of 2500 kg and a travel height of 44.1 m, the freight elevators travel at 1 mps.

All cabin interiors were decorated in accordance with the contractor’s request –- pearl-green glass for the walls, gray stone for the floors, stainless-steel ceiling and LED lighting that reduces energy consumption by up to 90% and lasts 50,000 hours. For the freight elevators, wall decoration is stainless steel SB, and the floor is embossed anti-slip aluminum.

To install the elevators, workers had to raise them to a height of 149 m before locating them inside the shaft. For the first time in Italy, workers used an installation system based on mobile platforms that permits alignment of the guide rails by laser, ensuring extreme accuracy and a deviance of less than 1 mm. The measuring system, Plumbline Gauge PG3, is an arrangement of sensors and a controller, which gauges the alignment of elevator guide rails to a reference. This reference is realized by two tensed wires accurately plumbed. During measurement, the wires are clamped between fixed top and bottom points in the shaft.

Work on began in October 2008. The elevators arrived by May 2009 and were completely installed by January 2010, when the Lombardy Region president inaugurated the complex for Milan citizens.

Shinsegae Centum City, located in Busan, South Korea, opened its doors in March 2009 to more than 190,000 people. The 465,457-m2 complex is comprised of five underground and 14 aboveground floors. It includes a large department store, leisure center, shopping mall, duty-free shop, movie theater and theme park. It was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest shopping center in the world at that time.

In order to accommodate the high volume of visitors, 123 vertical-transportation units were added throughout the complex. In August 2007, ThyssenKrupp Elevator was awarded the contract to supply the equipment. In total, ThyssenKrupp Elevator supplied 84 escalators and moving walks, and installed the equipment within 10-and-a-half months. In addition, the company provided 39 elevators. To reduce delivery and installation time, the escalators were shipped fully assembled and ready for installation.

Specifications

• Velino escalators (indoor): 74 units (maximum rise: 7.5 m, 30°)
• Velino Extra escalators (outdoor): two units (maximum rise: 12.3 m, 30°)
• Orinoco moving walks: eight units (maximum rise: 5.5 m, 12°, maximum length: 26 m)
• Gearless elevators: eight units (maximum speed: 2 mps)
• Geared elevators: 20 units (maximum speed 1.75 mps)
• Machine-room-less elevators: 11 uni­­ts (maximum speed: 1.75 mps)

Equipment Features

The escalators have a gear efficiency of 95%, generate less heat and have low noise levels (55 db). Elastic rollers are applied at each link of the step chain, improving the safety of the equipment. In addition, the escalators feature low-pitched dual roller chains for handrail driving, which help minimize vibration. A U-shaped guide rail for the step chains helps prevent the inflow of alien substances and extends the lifespan of the step chains.

There are three flat steps at the landings of the escalators to improve passenger safety when loading and unloading. Traffic lights and display pads at the inner decks indicate the moving direction.

MP Elevator, Inc. was tasked with providing the elevator modernization for Condominio Villas del Mar – Isla Verde, a beachfront condominium situated in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The project, completed in December 2009, involved upgrading eight cabins, reconditioning the door tracks in conjunction with replacing the door-operating systems, upgrading fixtures and signals to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations, and ensuring that systems met fire emergency service and elevator safety requirements for seismic operation in compliance with ANSI 17.1-2004. MP Elevator supplied eight Otis elevators to the building’s east and west towers, three passenger elevators and one service elevator in each tower. Each unit has a 2,000-lb. capacity, 18 landings and is a passenger/traction DC type. Passenger elevators reach travel speeds of up to 350 fpm, while service elevators reach speeds of up to 300 fpm.

While the modernization process called for replacement, a portion of the existing equipment was reusable. The machine room saw upgrades to the AC-type hoist machine motor, and a new governor rope, a control panel and hoist machine ropes were added. Hoistway guide rails, inserts, brackets, buffers and counterweights were reused. New hoisting and governor cables, normal and terminal stopping devices, a pit stop switch and a pit governor sheave were installed. Hoistway doors, entrance frames, door hangers and tracks were also reused, while interlocks, contacts, unlocking devices and the hoistway door system (gibs, rollers, etc.) were upgraded.

Car equipment saw the installation of mostly new components, including a car door, a door protective reopening device, car and hoistway door operators, a guide and roller guide and a top-of-car operating device. The car’s cap was reused. New signals and fixture upgrades were installed, which consisted of a corridor position indicator integrated with the hall-call buttons, car position indicator, car-operating panel, car lantern, raised and Braille characters on the hoistway entrance, fire service, independent service, governor, sheave and governor rope, emergency lighting in the car-operating panel, traveling cables, a two-way communication system and seismic requirements.

The existing traction hoisting machine was retained and reused; however, the machinery was reconditioned. Worms and gears were realigned and set to the manufacturer’s tolerances when required. Field coils were removed, dipped, baked and reinstalled. All sheaves were either regrooved or replaced, and oil was flushed and replaced. When necessary, commutations were recut, regrooved and balanced. A tachometer add-on kit was adapted to the existing hoist motor. The hoisting-machine brake was also reused following reconditioning, realignment, cleaning and testing.

The governor, tension sheave, governor rope and hoisting rope were all newly installed. MP Elevators provided new, centrifugally operated overspeed governors designed to activate safeties on the elevator car by application of clamping force on the governor cable. An overspeed governor switch was supplied, which would cut the power from the hoist motor and machine brake when tripped, providing protection against overspeed in either direction.

Existing car and counterweight guide rails were reused after cleaning and degreasing. Their alignment was checked to ensure plumb and parallel erection for the entire length of travel. Brackets, bolts and guide clips were tightened for smooth and quiet operation of the car and counterweight. Car and counterweight buffers were reused and load tested. The counterweight was retained and additional weight added to ensure it weighed the same as the elevator car, plus 40% of the specified capacity load.

All hoistway doors and entrance frames were kept, but new interlocks, contacts and unlocking devices were installed. Each elevator hoistway door was equipped with a hoistway-door interlock to prevent the operation of the elevator driving machine by the normal operating device unless the hoistway door is locked in the closed position, except when the car is in the landing zone and is either stopped or being stopped. Interlocks also prevent the opening of the hoistway door from the landing side unless the car is within the landing zone and is either stopped or being stopped at that level.

Existing elevator cabs were retained and repaired. The platform was reused and repainted. Any safety-plank components that showed signs of wear were replaced, and new car rollers were installed. An emergency power unit employing a 12-V rechargeable battery and static circuits illuminate the cabin and provide electrical current to the alarm bell in the event of power failure. An exhaust fan was also mounted on the car top.

An operating station was attached to the top of the car. This station allows the car to be operated at a speed no greater than 150 fpm for use in maintenance and inspection. A master electric door operator designed to operate the car and hoistway door simultaneously was also installed on the car. The door, meant to operate at an average opening speed of 2 fps, has an automatic closing speed of 1 fps. A new door protective and reopening device was installed, ensuring that the car and hoistway doors will automatically stop and reopen if obstructed by an object or person.

A new controller with a variable-voltage, variable frequency drive was installed. The electronic control system is capable of allowing a technician to determine the status of the hoistway door locks, car door locks, safety string, drive status and status of every hoistway and car-control button and switch without requiring the use of specialized or electronic tools. All accessories required by the control system to operate were upgraded. The control system includes the following special operations: fire service phases I and II, independent services and seismic operation.

To meet seismic requirements, a minimum of one seismic switch per elevator or group of elevators was provided. For the entire height of travel, dual counterweight derailment sensing wires on each side of the counterweight were installed. The counterweight frame was equipped with four derailment rings, and a counterweight displacement switch was installed. When the switch is activated, the corresponding elevator will stop and proceed in a direction away from the counterweight to the next floor at a speed no greater than 150 fpm. When arriving at the next floor, the elevator will shut down, and its doors will open. An indicator pilot light will illuminate when the counterweight derailment detector is activated.

A vandal-resistant corridor position indicator was provided adjacent to the corridor entrances at the first floor to indicate the floor location and travel direction of the car. New hall call buttons and a car position indicator were installed in the elevator lobbies and halls. Vandal-resistant operating panels were installed in each elevator cab, complying with ADA regulations. Cars also received independent service controls, allowing for the operation of the elevator from car buttons only. When a car is on independent service, other cars operate as a group system serving all corridor calls and their own car calls.

M/s Systra & Parsons consultants was awarded the preliminary engineering Dubai Metro Rail Project contract, and a consortium of four companies headed by Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries built the Red and Green lines of this driverless rapid-transit system. Other consortium members include the Japanese Obayashi and Kajima corporations, and Yapi Merkezi of Turkey.

The metro’s Red Line project consists of 436 vertical-transportation units (29 stations, including two car parks) — 300 escalators and 136 elevators, the installation of which were completed by M/s ETA MELCO Elevator Co. LLC. It was the first phase of the overall project and designed with 29 stations (25 elevated and four underground, covering a distance of 52.1 km spanning the Rashidiya and Jabel Ali Industrial stations).

Project Execution

Material delivery was carried out in phases between March 2008 and June 2009. Hoisting and joining the trusses, and leveling the escalators with rises of 11.5 m and 13.6 m at each location 25 m below ground posed challenges. Yet another task was the installation of stainless-steel outer sheathing for 300 escalators. This operation involved very close coordination with other trades due to interference of false ceiling panels and staircase glass panels. This work was carried out by six specialized teams executing the tasks simultaneously during escalator construction work.

Each station has two panoramic glass lifts and four escalators inside the station to handle passengers’ movement from ticket counter to platform levels. An extended area constructed adjoining the station was meant for handling the inward and outward movement of people from entrance to exit. This section was designed with two elevators and two to six escalators, depending on the structure of the station. An entrance section also exists; this deals with approaching passenger movement from the adjoining buildings and bus stops. This entrance section is constructed with one elevator and two escalators.

Special Elevator Features

All the elevators installed in this project are machine-room-less units designed by Mitsubishi in Japan. These elevators were supplied and installed in conformance with EN 81-1 standards of construction. The basic specification of each is 17 passengers (1275 kg), with a speed of 60 mpm and two stops. They were also supplied with the following special features:

• Voice guidance in both Arabic and English
• Wheelchair operation and Braille nameplates
• Closed-circuit TV surveillance cameras installed in the car ceilings: these are Internet-protocol configured with a centralized connection to the operations control center (OCC), then station master office (SMO).
• In the event of passenger entrapment, pressing the emergency button will trigger the Talk-A-Phone system that will automatically dial the OCC and SMO.
• All elevators are equipped with remote monitoring for fault detection and controlling remotely from the SMO.
• A special car-operating panel with 60-X-60-mm buttons and Braille nameplates that comply with EN 81-70

Escalators

All escalators travel at 39 mpm. The carrying capacity of each is 10,800 persons per hour. They are of various rises, ranging from 2.95 m to 13.6 m. Most aboveground stations are provided with escalators of a 7-10-m rise. An exceptional criss-cross arrangement was made for 16 units at Rashidiya Car Park and 12 units at Nakeel Harbor. Other rises are:

• 72 with a 2.95-4.9-m rise
• 119 with a 5.05-8-m rise
• 97 with an 8-10-m rise
• Four with a 11.5-m rise (at Rashidiya)
• Eight with a 13.6-m rise (at City Centre and Al Rigga’s underground station)

The control panels of the escalators are located separately, outside the truss. All the field wiring cables in the project are halogen free and fire retardant as per EN 50214, Part 5.2. Escalator work was completed at a rate of 75 units being hoisted and leveled within one month.  M/s JTMJV, the main contractor of the project, regularly apprised the safety performance of the installation team and distributed monthly safety awards as a mark of appreciation.

Special Escalator Features

All escalators were supplied and installed in compliance with EN 115. Certain special features include:

• Variable-voltage, variable-frequency drives for smooth and variable-speed operation
• Automatic operation with passenger detection via infrared sensor
• Multistage drive
• Handrail lighting
• An automatic oiling system to lubricate the moving parts at regular intervals
• Three flat steps at landing
• Emergency-stop switch posts (three in each escalator)
• Remote monitoring with fault selection and control (up, down or stop form the SMO)
• An automatic sprinkler system is provided inside the trusses

Testing and Commissioning (T&C)

T&C of the Redline units was performed around the clock to meet the September 9, 2009 handover date. The T&C team had to coordinate with Systra Engineers for carrying out inspection and a full load test of each unit in accordance with Lifts Directive Annexes VI, X, XII and XIV. Similarly, all the escalators were inspected, and live full-load tests were carried out by ETA MELCO mobilizing its workforce to stand on each step, then measuring slip distance to be within the allowable limits as per EN 115:1998.

When your reporter was leaving the exhibition venue of Suzhou Industrial Park in late March 2009, a green poster that read “Meet you again in 2011” caught my eyes. My first thought was that this would be a quite distant event, and a lot could happen in between. But how time flies! I did return to the venue in Suzhou, China, in 2011, on an ELEVATOR WORLD assignment to see our Chinese customers and friends in the elevator industry at the (East) China Elevator & Accessories Expo (Elexpo).

Elexpo is sponsored by a number of local government organizations of Jiangsu province and Suzhou, including the Jiangsu Center for Promotion of Commerce, Suzhou Industrial Park Administration Committee and Suzhou Economic & Information Technology Commission. A number of forums were held by organizer Suzhou Glory Exhibition Co. during the three days of the show, including one themed around “the Development of China Elevator Industry 2011.” Featuring a regional expo for exhibitors from the Yangtze River Delta, this year’s Elexpo gathered 26 elevator and escalator manufacturers and suppliers and roughly 80 component and part suppliers. Most of these came from the region covering Shanghai, southern Jiangsu and northern Zhenjiang provinces, where numerous complete elevator/escalator unit and component manufacturers and suppliers congregate.

The Yangtze Delta region plays a leading role in the Chinese elevator industry, as well as in the country’s steady and constant economic development. With more than 60% of the country’s elevator and escalator manufacturing capacity, and the myriad elevators and escalators in service backed by professional local maintenance and inspection systems, the region can be regarded as the strongest of the top three regions for traction machines in China. The other two would be the Pearl River Delta region in Guangdong and the Coastal region around the Bohai Sea in Northern China.

Among the exhibitors were KONE, Canny, SJEC, KOYO (based in Suzhou) and GiantKONE (from the neighboring province Zhejiang). It was a great pleasure to see Ruan Jiaxing, one of my friends since my time at Zhejiang Giant Elevator. He told me his company had come to show up together with KONE, with which it has a joint venture in China.

EW welcomed the opportunity to communicate with these companies and other Chinese elevator-industry members and readers face to face in the area. They appreciate the valued and long-lasting stage EW has provided for them to announce their presence in the global market, which has enabled Chinese national brands to play an ever-increasing role in the international elevator industry. Copies of China Digest 2011, this year’s publication in Chinese by EW, were handed out to the exhibitors and visitors at the show with positive comments. Among the component suppliers at the show were Wittur, Torin Drive, Oleo Buffers, Zhiel-Abegg and 2N Telekomunikace, the latter being a new face from the Czech Republic.