Seeing the new construction downtown changed my view on elevator specs

They're putting up a fifteen-story office building on Main Street. All the elevators are traction, but every other building nearby uses hydraulic. I figured out it's because the water table here is high, making hydraulic systems risky. Now I see why engineers pick certain designs for local conditions.

3 comments

3 Comments

parker_campbell14d ago

Checked soil reports first, same deal.

ryan88913d ago

So Parker Campbell, you're telling me the dirt itself is against hydraulic lifts? What's next, the bedrock files a formal complaint? Guess the whole area just really hates smooth elevator rides. Makes you wonder if the water table is just a secret fan of climbing stairs.

johnfoster13d ago

That old library on 5th Street has hydraulic elevators, and it's right in the same high water table zone. The real tipping point for traction is often building height. Once you go past six or seven stories, the hydraulic piston gets too long and impractical. Engineers usually pick traction for anything taller because it's smoother and faster for those longer rides.