flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Finnish elevator technology could facilitate supertall building design

Finnish elevator technology could facilitate supertall building design

Carbon-fiber ropes could offer significant advantages in energy consumption, downtime, compared with conventional steel hoisting technology.


By BD+C Staff | June 11, 2013
KONE UltraRope elevator hoisting machine.
KONE UltraRope elevator hoisting machine.

KONE Corporation has announced a new elevator technology that could make it possible for supertall buildings to reach greater heights by eliminating several problems of existing elevator technology. The firm's new UltraRope hoisting system uses a rope with a carbon-fiber core and high-friction coating, rather than conventional steel rope. UltraRope is comparatively lightweight, requiring 15% less energy for moving hoisting ropes, compensating ropes, counterweights, elevator cars, and passengers, according to KONE. 

In addition, carbon fiber resonates at a different frequency than steel and other typical building materials, a property that is predicted to reduce downtime attributable to building sway. KONE estimates that the product will only have to be replaced half as often as steel rope. The manufacturer claims that the new technology will make it practical for elevators to travel heights of up to 1,000 meters—twice as high as is possible with current technology. (Elevators in the Burj Khalifa, an 828-meter-tall building, will travel a maximum of 504 meters.) 

The technology could help facilitate the creation of high-density housing and other urban projects. "This is finally a breakthrough on one of the 'holy grail' limiting factors of tall buildings: that is, the height to which a single elevator could operate before the weight of the steel rope becomes unsupportable over that height," says Antony Wood, Executive Director of the Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

 

 

(http://download.kone.com/ultrarope/index.htm)

Related Stories

Wood | Apr 26, 2015

Building wood towers: How high is up for timber structures?

The recent push for larger and taller wood structures may seem like an architectural fad. But Building Teams around the world are starting to use more large-scale structural wood systems. 

Museums | Apr 23, 2015

Moshe Safdie unveils pentagonal scheme for National Medal of Honor Museum

The new museum near Charleston, S.C., will archive the history of the nation's highest military honorees.

Green | Apr 23, 2015

3 sustainable projects take top prize in 2015 Global Holcim Awards

Projects from Colombia, Sri Lanka, and the U.S. were chosen by the Holcim Foundation for the impact the projects have on their local communities.

High-rise Construction | Apr 23, 2015

Size matters in NYC, where several projects vie for the city’s tallest building honor

The latest renderings of 217 West 57th Street show a tower that would rise higher than the World Trade Center’s pinnacle, when elevations are included.

Multifamily Housing | Apr 22, 2015

Condo developers covet churches for conversions

Former churches, many of which are sitting on prime urban real estate, are being converted into libraries, restaurants, and with greater frequency condominiums.

High-rise Construction | Apr 22, 2015

Architects propose sustainable ‘vertical city’ in the Sahara

Designers aim to make the 1,476-foot tower sustainable, relying on rainwater collection, solar power, and geothermal energy.

Architects | Apr 22, 2015

Architecture Billings Index accelerates in March

For the second consecutive month, the Architecture Billings Index indicated a modest increase in design activity in March.

Green | Apr 22, 2015

AIA Committee on the Environment recognizes Top 10 Green Projects

Seattle's Bullitt Center and the University Center at The New School are among AIA's top 10 green buildings for 2015.

Museums | Apr 22, 2015

Check out Ralph Johnson's stunning nature-inspired Shanghai museum

The newly opened Shanghai Natural History Museum, designed by Perkins+Will’s Global Design Director Ralph Johnson, mimics the shape of a nautilus shell, and features natural elements throughout. 

Green | Apr 22, 2015

GSA's Federal Center South Building honored with AIA Top Ten Plus Award for 'verified' sustainable performance

The annual award recognizes green building projects that have quantifiable metrics demonstrating the performance and positive impact of the sustainable design.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Museums

UT Dallas opens Morphosis-designed Crow Museum of Asian Art

In Richardson, Tex., the University of Texas at Dallas has opened a second location for the Crow Museum of Asian Art—the first of multiple buildings that will be part of a 12-acre cultural district. When completed, the arts and performance complex, called the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum, will include two museums, a performance hall and music building, a grand plaza, and a dedicated parking structure on the Richardson campus.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021