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VDA offers consulting services encompassing all phases of vertical transportation systems, and our diversified experience and skilled, professional personnel have earned the firm recognition as one of the world’s finest independent specialty consultants.

An elevator consultant will typically evaluate your building type, occupancy, age of equipment, and current/future needs from your elevators and escalators. An elevator consultant will typically work for you to negotiate with the maintenance provider of your choosing to establish the best partnership.

The main reason hydraulic elevators are popular is because they are more affordable to set-up and still have relatively lower maintenance costs when compared to other elevators. Hydraulic elevators utilize more energy because they use an electric motor that works against gravity.

• Security/Access Control Design Issues:
  • Traditional relay interface between an access control system and an elevator control system limits functionality when Destination Dispatch control is used. The standard software interface used by elevator contractors is prohibited by certain Owners (Examples: Amazon and Microsoft), so a 3rd party middleware solution must be incorporated into the design. Braxos is one example of a company that has successfully implemented a solution with each of the major elevator manufacturer’s destination dispatch control platforms.
  • Providing the brand/type of access control during design to elevator subcontractor so that necessary interface is provided will help prevent schedule impacts and additional unplanned costs.
  • Security interface panels and relays are the only components that can be installed in a machine/control room. No other part of the security system is permitted to be in these spaces.
  • Quantity and location of access control in elevators and at elevator lobbies should be specified, including required wiring in elevator traveling cables.
    • One card reader device should be provided per car operating fixture in lieu of just one device per cab, since elevators will often have dual car operating fixtures.

• Signage must be provided on elevator machine room doors, control room doors, and access doors into pits. Elevator Contractors don’t provide this signage.
• Signage is required above each hall call fixture to direct individuals to use stairs in the event of a fire. Elevator Contractors will provide a separate plastic sign or sticker unless the specification requires them to include it engraved as an integral part of their hall call fixture. Most jurisdictions permit the signage to be displayed on hall touchscreen fixtures in lieu of as a separate sign with elevators that use destination dispatch control.
• Designations are required at each VT conveyance. Each VT Conveyance must have a unique designation. Elevator Contractor’s don’t provide this signage unless specified.

• Seattle has a specific type of key box per Section 3016.12. Recommend specifying the Elevator Contractor to provide it. Approval to locate it in another location or use a custom box type in lieu of the required Knox box 1400 series key retainer box must be provided by the building official.

• Identification of the appropriate VT product that meets the functional needs and is Code compliant
• Standard products have limitations on capacity, cab size and configuration. It’s important to understand this early in design and determine if a custom application is required to meet the functional needs of an application.
• Freight elevators with bi-parting freight doors can’t be used to satisfy accessibility standards in a building.
• Platform lifts (wheelchair lift) and inclined stairway chairlifts are approved VT conveyances in commercial/public spaces but are not permitted to be used as an accessible means of egress or eliminate the requirement for an elevator connecting floors in a building. ASME A18.1 is the applicable standard for these types of lifts.
• Material lifts are restricted in use. They are not permitted for general public use.
• SBC Definition:
  • Material Lift is a fixed, stationary conveyance that:
    • Has a car or platform that moves in guides
    • Serves two or more floors or landings of a building or structure
    • Has a vertical rise of at least 30 inches (762 mm) and no more than 60 feet (18 288 mm)
    • Is an isolated, self contained lift and is not part of a conveying system
    • Travels in an inclined or vertical, but not horizontal, direction
    • Is operated only by, or under the direct supervision of, an individual designated by the employer
    • Is installed in a commercial or industrial area, and not in an area that is open to access by the general public
  • (W) 3013.1 All new material lifts, All new material lifts and standard application material lifts, as defined in Section 3004, shall comply with ASME A17.1, Sections 2.7, 2.8 and 3.7 and with one of the following:
    • WAC 296-96 Part C1, Standard Application Material Lifts, or
    • ASME A17.1/CSA B44, Material Lifts 7.4, 7.5, or 7.6.

• Each manufacturer has different required dimensions, particularly with their MRL traction application. Dimensions need to accommodate all approved manufacturer’s products to be able to secure competitive proposals.
• Occupiable/accessible space below elevator pits requires the use of counterweight safeties per Code. This can increase the hoistway size and pit depth depending on the elevator manufacturer and product being used.
• Minimum clear hoistway dimensions published by the elevator manufacturers should not be used if an elevator is in a single hoistway shaft or as the elevator travel speed and total travel distance increases. The following provides a rule of thumb as a starting point for reference, assuming a front opening only application:
• Increase width by 12” and depth by 6” minimum for elevators in a single hoistway if travel exceeds 100’
• Increase width by 4” and depth by 4” minimum per elevator if travel exceeds 150’
• Increase width by 6” and depth by 6” minimum per elevator if travel exceeds 250’
• Increase width by 8” and depth by 8” minimum per elevator if travel exceeds 350’
• Increase width by 10” and depth by 10” minimum per elevator if travel exceeds 450’
• Increase width by 12” and depth by 12” minimum per elevator if travel exceeds 550’

Construction delays, additional cost requests to create space for guide rail brackets, and ride quality issues can occur if adequate clearances are not provided. These are general guidelines. Specific requirements need to be determined for each project.

• Overhead dimensions are based on minimum clearances defined in Section 2.4.7 of ASME A17.1 between the car top equipment when an elevator has reached its’ maximum upward movement and the lowest part of the overhead structure or other obstruction (Example: hoist beam).
• Required dimensions vary greatly between elevator manufacturer’s products. Cab height, speed, machine assembly location/configuration, hoist beam requirements, and car top/crosshead design all affect the required minimum overhead.
• Hoist beams are used for installation purposes. They can be removed when overhead clearances are limited, although retaining the hoist beams is useful for minimizing the cost and downtime for certain repairs that will utilize the beam.
• Minimum clear headroom in an elevator is 80” per Code. The standard cab offered by the elevator manufacturers provides 90” clearance measured from the floor to the underside of a standard suspended ceiling.

• Machine room and control room dimensions indicated on elevator manufacturer websites or planning guides may not be sufficient if remote monitoring, access control, destination dispatch control, a power supply requiring transformers is required. Required maintenance and electrical clearances inside rooms must be maintained.
  • The machine room and control room doors are not required to open out from a Code perspective, but clearances are measured when the door is open if the door opens into the room. We recommend having the doors swing out to avoid any Code violations.
    • Doors must be self-closing and self-locking. Minimum width is 29.5” and minimum height Is 80”. We recommend a minimum width of 36” for control rooms, 42” for machines rooms with low-capacity/low-speed hydraulic elevators and traction elevators, and 48” for machine rooms for larger applications for appropriate maintenance access.
  • Sufficient space on a platform at the top of stairs entering a machine room and control room is required, measured when the door is open. 24” from the top riser to the swing line of the door per Section 2.7.3.3.5 of ASME A17.1.
  • A vertical ladder is permitted from the floor to the machine room or between levels in a machine room when the distance does not exceed 35”, but a stair with maximum angle of 60 degrees from the horizontal is required if it exceeds 35”.
  • A minimum clear height measured from the floor to ceiling or components suspended from ceiling is 7’-0” per Section 2.7.4.1 of ASME A17.1.
    • Minimum height recommended from the floor to ceiling for standard products with travels speeds up through 500 fpm is 8’-6” to provide space for lighting, detectors, HVAC components, sprinkler lines, and other components while maintaining the Code-required clear height.
    • Required heights are greater than the minimum recommended height for elevators with speeds greater than 500 fpm to provide sufficient clearances for machines and block-up beams.