Five things to consider when installing a new lift

Lifts are the backbone of any commercial or residential building. With them transporting millions of people around the world every day, it is essential that planning and implementing a lift installation is comprehensive and reliable. Here are Apex Lifts’ top five things to consider when installing an elevator in your building:
 

1. Sizing up the Building

The facility in which a lift is going to be installed will need to be initially assessed by your architect or lift consultant for now and for the future as adding extra lifts is extremely difficult. In addition, your lift company must also decide the optimum way to, not only to fit your lift, but which design will suit your requirements best. Aspects ranging from how many floors the lift will cover, to how much load it will hold, and what type of facility the building is, will all play a factor when evaluating the proposed space.

For example, if the facility is used for offices and there are cafes distributed across different floors, a possibility of a lunchtime rush will need to be taken in to consideration by facility managers and lift installers. Precautions will need to be taken in this circumstance in terms of weight-holding capability and the elevator will need to be able to cope with frequent demand within short time spans.  

2. Assessing Capacity

Before a lift installation begins, the building owner will need to know the expected capacity of the building along with expected passenger waiting times, as these factors will impact lift requirements. There are guidelines and standards to refer to in order to calculate this, which take into consideration the building’s function, the amount of employees and how they are distributed throughout the building.

3. Safety first

Safety is, as always, paramount to Apex in any new lift installation. Some key safety factors include ensuring that the lift is able to bear the weight of the people using it when at maximum capacity and that the lift has a fully functioning alarm system in place to be used if the lift were to break down.

It is also the responsibility of the facilities manager to make sure the area in question has undergone safety checks before any workers begin to carry out tasks on site. For buildings older than 20 years, asbestos checks should be undertaken beforehand as standard and the lift shaft and lift machinery should be inaccessible to anyone except workmen.  

4. Lift Design

A good lift installation should not only focus on safety and practical aspects, but also on the aesthetic aspects of the proposed lift. If a lift is being installed in a new, modern office or another more sophisticated environment, it is important that a lift system replicates the overall design and décor of the rest of the building.

5. Going green

As part of our Full Circle Green Policy, Apex is dedicated to sustainable engineering. As such, we encourage our clients to join us in lowering carbon emissions by using environmentally responsible materials. During the planning of a lift installation, building owners should consider their stance on business-related emissions and waste so that they can choose the right lift company to meet their needs. If needless fuel and material waste is an issue for them, then a company such as Apex Lifts can guarantee to avoid unnecessary ecological damage. 

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