Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch is one of the most recognizable and iconic monuments in the United States. The “Gateway to the West” stands at 630 feet and is still the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere, it also holds the title for the world’s largest man made arch. Construction of the Arch was completed in 1965 and has continued to be a popular tourist destination, attracting nearly 4 million visitors a year. Visitors can ascend to the top of the arch using either a 12 person capacity passenger elevator or two (2) of the existing trams that serve each “leg” of the arch. There are also two (2) service elevators that travel at a 12-degree angle, used by personnel to service the building.

VDA performed the preliminary evaluation of the two (2) service elevators, with a report that included a code review, our findings, and recommendations for improvement. In addition to our survey, VDA continued to provide services for the modernization of the two (2) elevators and included design development documents and construction documents. The angle of travel posed several unique issues including the need to substitute non-conventional systems for the traveling cable, which in this case, would not fit in the hoist-way.