by Brianna Crandall — June 24, 2015—ThyssenKrupp, a global technologies and materials group, recently announced that the company’s elevators were chosen to be installed at the 104-story, 1,776-foot-tall One World Trade Center (1WTC) in New York. According to the company, the five elevators servicing the observatory represent a significant engineering feat, able to travel at nearly 23 mph and climbing to the 102nd floor in just 60 seconds. At this speed, the elevators nearly outpace Usain Bolt’s world-record 100-meter sprint, points out ThyssenKrupp.
The company’s global network of experts collaborated to achieve this record-setting mark through a variety of customized solutions specific to the demands of the iconic One World Trade Center (see the ThyssenKrupp project page). Together, eight countries contributed key elements of the elevators including cabins, motors, cables, 4 million pounds of rails, and complex software.
Speed
The high-speed elevators are equipped with several special technologies to get and keep them moving at record-setting speeds. Aerodynamic aluminum shrouds deflect air and maintain speed, similar to a spoiler wing on a car, explains the company. A special guide system minimizes vibrations, ensuring a smoother ride. Sound-suppressing materials throughout elevator cabs and doors limit noise.
“The sheer magnitude of One World Trade Center posed unique vertical transportation and structural engineering challenges which required thoughtful engineering solutions,” said Richard Hussey, president and CEO of ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas. “What riders experience is just a small fraction of the years of planning and execution we have invested into creating and maintaining the fastest elevators in the Western Hemisphere.”
Safety
Besides the “fastest” elevators, ThyssenKrupp also designed and installed all of the elevators (73) and escalators (11) throughout the building. The company asserts that safety is the top priority for the 1WTC project. To that end, the elevators have the capacity to transport approximately 12 percent of the building’s occupants in a five-minute period. And the project includes a dedicated firefighters’ service car, equipped with side openings throughout the building to provide exclusive access to a dedicated firefighters’ stairwell.
Energy
The ThyssenKrupp elevator system also provides energy conservation to the building. Light-emitting diode (LED) lights in cab ceilings are expected to save more than 78,000 kilowatt-hours annually versus halogen bulbs, which is equivalent to fully powering an average U.S. home for more than seven years, calculates the company. Regenerative drives will recapture elevator energy and return it to the building’s electrical system.
Intelligent people movement
In addition, the elevators employ ThyssenKrupp Elevator’s Destination Dispatch technology, which uses intelligent software and kiosks to group people on to elevators to move them to their destination the fastest.
