To place an elevator it is a significant challenge that needs a lot of analysis and consultation. As you plan to have an elevator installed whether for a residential or a commercial building, there are some important things that you need to know in order to have the best results. As advertised, in this article, you will explore the five critical aspects every contractor needs to understand in an elevator installation project. If clients spend some time thinking through these factors carefully right from the start, then their projects are likely to succeed.
1.Choose Your Goals Wisely
Before starting the elevator installation process, there are several things that you will need to consider and this involves an assessment of your requirements. If you are planning on installing an elevator in your building, clearly think about what is the reason behind it. Do you wish to make the site more accessible? Improve ability to move people through the intermediate levels? Make movement more convenient in a complex? Have your building or construction take up as much space as possible in the building structure? Understanding which need or desire is being met when one decides to install an elevator will assist in many future decisions.
This is also useful in relation to key elements such as building size, number of floors, anticipated elevator usage, and types of users. For each floor calculate the approximate square footage of each floor, identify the average number of occupants per floor, and expected use of elevators during rush hour. All of these are among the considerations that go into the calculation of precisely how big, what type, and how many elevators that you will require. If you take the time to accurately identify what you will likely need once construction is underway, you will avoid nasty shocks.
1.Choose Your Elevator Type
Given that there are several thousand options for elevator configuration, style and specification today, choosing the right type of elevator is crucial. Some key factors that will guide your selection process include: They include, the intended use (passenger or freight), the drive system (hydraulic, traction, machine room less), number of stops, heights, speeds, capacity and efficiency. In low rise residential constructions compact hydraulic elevators are a simple affordable solution while complex commercial construction require sturdy traction elevators.
Another thing that needs to be kept in mind while choosing an elevator is to focus not only on the existing occupancy but also on the future capacity that may be required. These initial expenses may be covered by the initial expense of installing a larger elevator to serve the building. No one would wish to install an elevator only to realize that it is too small for the building, after sometime you may be calling for service frequently or even replacing the elevator after a short period of time. Accurately forecast the usage requirements today, in five, ten or even twenty years from now.
1.Understand key site considerations.
By making sure that sufficient research has been conducted with regards to key site specifications, the probability of encountering some nasty surprises during the installation phase can be greatly reduced. Make sure that you take a good look at dimensions, shapes, and sizes of your building, its construction, wiring, and exterior and interior designs. Identify and note down the probable barrier that may limit the location of the elevator shaft including the plumbing pipes, the heating and air conditioning systems, ceiling beams, and the wall studs.
Take record of all low ceilings, doorways and corridors that will be affected in case the elevator shaftway is to be extended. However, this is not easy especially when constructing an elevator within a structure that did not have one before it is essential to come up with a construction plan. This can usually be done by removing some of the walls or floors and other structural members and re-constructing them for the purpose of accommodating the new elevator shaft.
1.Understand Safety Standards and Regulatory Requirements
There are certain factors to be considered in an elevator installation and the most important of them is safety. In both the technical aspects of operating an elevator in addition to the behavior of the layman riding in them, there are strict rules and regulations. It would be advisable to learn about elevators ‘standards set out by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for the manufacture, installation, and operation, along with testing, as well as inspection. All elevators must meet the provisions stated on the ASME code.
You also need to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disability Act in regards to accessibility. This civil rights legislation prescribes unique elevator car size, doorway size, hall call/car operation interface, handrails, signals, and emergency communication for the physically challenged. The building code for ADA elevators applies to any building that is accessible by the public, or in other words, is accessible by the public.
1.Prioritize Regular Maintenance and Upkeep
After an elevator has been installed and inspected and proven to be in compliance with all the stipulations, don’t just leave it alone. After that, don’t be tempted to just leave the elevator alone because this is not allowed by law – they need to be maintained and tested regularly. Elevator systems contain many mechanical and electrical parts, most of which have an ascertainable lifespan. Maintenance via the best elevator maintenance companies is an important aspect that is often overlooked in the elevator industry as it may help to avoid small problems to become a major outage and guarantee that the elevator is in good working condition.
Furthermore, most elevator companies provide low priced maintenance service contracts. The standard agreements cover periodic or regular visits by a qualified technician to oil parts, check wiring, examine emergency features, replace worn out parts, look for signs of possible trouble or issues, and ensure the validity of your elevator license. Elevator installation of the highest quality can also have to be occasionally checked, tuned up as well as have its parts replaced.
Conclusion
The installation of an elevator can therefore be considered as a challenging project with its unique complexities. But when you carefully figure out all the critical factors such as your needs, the site and legal requirements, safety considerations, and elevator maintenance in uae requirements prior to the project, the execution of the project is smooth.
