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THE NEW ERA OF LIFTS THAT’S SET TO REVOLUTIONISE ARCHITECTURE

When we think of the modern elevator, we think of one of the greatest solutions to inner building travel but for some, the elevator is a stressful device. It’s only natural; to those who work in busy city areas, in buildings bursting with working people, the elevators are in constant use which can mean a lot of waiting around and waiting behind an entire queue of people.

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As a result, engineers and architects are constantly looking for new ways to change this – hoping to cement the idea to everyone that elevators truly are the great devices we, as members of the industry, know they are.

But now, they seemed to have come up with one that will do this and more – a development that will not only change the way we see lifts, but also how urban architecture will be conceived from now on.

The Future of Elevators

This isn’t the first time we’ve looked at how elevators have impacted architecture, as back in September we looked at the impact of lifts on structural design and architecture – and it seems that impact is about to get much bigger.

And that’s with an elevator that will travel horizontally as well as vertically.

As the population grows, cities need to expand but need to do so without sacrificing any open spaces and parks, as they’re essential to the upkeep of urban life. In many cases, taller buildings are the perfect solution to this – providing more working and living space, without increasing any of the ground area needed to complete construction.

Elevators have made these new heights (pun intended) in buildings possible. However, the taller the building, the more space you need for conventional elevators – add to that the fact that people will have to suffer incredibly long waiting times.

Engineers over in Germany have been wanting to combat this problem for years, and now they’ve come up with a way for elevators to travel on a continuous loop in high-rise, busy buildings.

Elevators Making New Feats Possible

Many different technologies have come together to make this amazing feat possible. It was clear that conventional wheels on tracks wouldn’t work for something like this, so instead the engineers implemented their experience with magnetic linear propulsion into the project, as well as using high-tech mechanical brakes to ensure the system is safe, efficient and flexible.

Advancements in light-weight design have made it possible to reduce carriage weight by up to 50%. Multiple carriages into fewer shafts will also make it possible to reduce the elevator footprint in buildings by up to 50%.

Looking downwards in a modern open elevator shaft iStock_000042855584_Medium

Lastly, an innovative track changing system also allows for the horizontal connection of two shafts on the top and bottom to create a continuous loop – where cabins go up one shaft and down another.

So soon, these lifts will be the norm and inner-building travel will be safer, faster and more revolutionary than it already is.

We can’t wait to start installing some of our own!

At Axess2, we’re passionate about all things to do with elevators, which is why we supply the best platform lifts on the market. For more information, contact us on 01200 315 025 and speak to one of our team members today.

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