Lightening the Load
Tall thin buildings need a base of the right size. But that’s not where the need for the sideways elevator exists. The problem has more to do with weight and wait.
The weight of cable and mechanism to take the elevator car up and down in an 800 foot tall building would be prohibitive. Even in a building half that size, there is a problem of waiting.
The time for an elevator car to traverse 400 feet from bottom to top and back is prohibitive. That’s why large skyscrapers have elevators that go mid-level to another set of elevators that only service upper floors.
MULTI Elevator System
The sideways elevator solves both problems. Using MULTI elevator system, developed by Thyssen Krupp, the car can move both vertically and horizontally using magnetic linear induction motors. These magnetic devices have no cables and plenty of safety devices. The sideways shift allows the elevator car to move in a shorter loop. With connected loops throughout the building, the car can be programmed to find the quickest rout to the destination floor. Imagine the veritable checkerboard of paths that could be taken. Over three, up five. Over four, down one.
Bird’s Eye View
This video gives a look at the elevator testing building used by Thyssen Krupp in Germany. A bird’s eye view of a fascinating technology.
