What Should I Know about Elevators?
The two basic categories of elevators are hydraulic elevators and cable (also called traction) elevators. Within the first category there are holeless hydraulic and bore hole hydraulic. The hydraulic elevators provide an economical option for low rise buildings. The second type elevator is for mid or high rise buildings and utilizes a cable system.
The Construction Supervisor should pay attention to the actual requirements for the elevator shaft and the machine room. Often the information shown on bid drawings doesn’t match the true requirements for the purchased elevator, so the Construction Supervisor should verify the following:
- Actual required elevator shaft inside dimensions?
- Requirement and size of sump pit?
- Requirement and size and discharge of sump pump?
- Is an oil detection system required on the sump pump discharge?
- Where do the rail attachment inserts get located?
- Is there adequate rail attachment at the top of the elevator shaft?
