flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Shanghai Tower nabs three world records for its elevators

High-rise Construction

Shanghai Tower nabs three world records for its elevators

The second tallest building in the world is officially home to the world’s fastest elevator, the tallest elevator in a building, and the fastest double-deck elevator.


By David Malone, Associate Editor | February 8, 2017

Pixabay Public Domain

The Shanghai Tower is already known around the world for currently being the tallest twisting tower in the world and the second tallest building in the world overall. Now, it also has the distinction of adding three newly awarded Guinness World Records to its resume. Shanghai Tower officially has the world’s fastest elevator, the tallest elevator in a building, and the fastest double-deck elevator.

Shanghai Tower’s elevators were designed by Mitsubishi Electric and just barely outpaced elevators designed by Hitachi in the Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, which can reach speeds of 20 meters per second, or 44.7 mph.

The fastest elevator in Shanghai Tower can reach speeds of 20.5 meters per second, or 45.8 mph. However, in order to achieve these speeds, a Mitsubishi technician needs to be on hand to press the proverbial red button and send the elevator into hyperdrive. Without the technician, what most people experience in Shanghai Tower is an elevator ride that only reaches 40 mph.

While elevators may be able to continue to reach higher and higher speeds, at least one elevator engineer believes a speed of about 24 meters per second, or 53.6 mph, is the limit. According to CNN, this is because the people in an elevator traveling faster than 24 meters per second would not have time to adjust to the air pressure on the top floor. The entire building would need to be pressurized like an airplane to be able to achieve higher speeds.

For now, Shanghai Tower’s 45.8 mph represents the pinnacle of elevator speed, though, with the sheer volume of supertall buildings being constructed around the world, don’t be surprised if that record is soon broken.

Related Stories

| Oct 12, 2010

Guardian Building, Detroit, Mich.

27th Annual Reconstruction Awards—Special Recognition. The relocation and consolidation of hundreds of employees from seven departments of Wayne County, Mich., into the historic Guardian Building in downtown Detroit is a refreshing tale of smart government planning and clever financial management that will benefit taxpayers in the economically distressed region for years to come.

| Oct 8, 2010

Union Bank’S San Diego HQ awarded LEED Gold

Union Bank’s San Diego headquarters building located at 530 B Street has been awarded LEED Gold certification from the Green Building Certification Institute under the standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council.  Gold status was awarded to six buildings across the United States in the most recent certification and Union Bank’s San Diego headquarters building is one of only two in California.

| Sep 21, 2010

New BOMA-Kingsley Report Shows Compression in Utilities and Total Operating Expenses

A new report from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International and Kingsley Associates shows that property professionals are trimming building operating expenses to stay competitive in today’s challenging marketplace. The report, which analyzes data from BOMA International’s 2010 Experience Exchange Report® (EER), revealed a $0.09 (1.1 percent) decrease in total operating expenses for U.S. private-sector buildings during 2009.

| Aug 11, 2010

New data shows low construction prices may soon be coming to an end

New federal data released recently shows sharp increases in the prices of key construction materials like diesel, copper and brass mill shapes likely foreshadow future increases in construction costs, the Associated General Contractors of America said. The new November producer price index (PPI) report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics provide the strongest indication yet that construction prices are heading up, the association noted.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category



Curtain Wall

7 steps to investigating curtain wall leaks

It is common for significant curtain wall leakage to involve multiple variables. Therefore, a comprehensive multi-faceted investigation is required to determine the origin of leakage, according to building enclosure consultants Richard Aeck and John A. Rudisill with Rimkus. 


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