by Shane Henson — December 14, 2012—Otis Elevator Company, a unit of United Technologies Corp. that manufacturers, installs and maintains elevators, escalators and moving walkways across the globe, has won a contract with W.E. O’Neil Construction to provide 24 Gen2 elevators and modernize 29 additional elevators at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
The elevator modernization is among a series of capital improvement projects aimed at enhancing safety, security and service at one of the world’s busiest airports. The project is expected to be completed in early 2016, says Otis Elevator.
Otis will replace 24 elevators at LAX with Gen2 elevators, Otis’ premier, energy-efficient product. The Gen2 machine-roomless elevator reduces energy consumption by up to 50 percent compared to conventional systems, the company says. In addition to saving energy, the Gen2 elevator reduces the system’s environmental impact because its patented polyurethane coated-steel belts, gearless machine and roller guides eliminate the need to apply lubrication. Otis was also awarded a five-year maintenance contract.
“We are very pleased to have Otis as a partner to tackle this challenging project,” said Jim Surdyk, vice president, W.E. O’Neil Construction. “Otis management took the initiative and allocated skilled resources to conduct thorough physical surveys of the existing units to be modernized. This proactive approach helped identify existing conditions not known by the design team and has afforded W.E. O’Neil and Los Angeles World Airports the time necessary to develop solutions to help mitigate cost and schedule impacts.”
Otis’ energy-efficient solutions were also chosen in 2010 for the Bradley West project, a major modernization effort at LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal, the company says. Otis was selected to provide 92 elevators, escalators and moving walkways for the terminal. This project is currently underway with completion expected in early 2013.
