A 2013 analysis of two-dimensional elevator traffic systems likens the present use of one cabin per elevator shaft to using an entire railway line between two sites with a single train—an avoidable inefficiency.
ThyssenKrupp's latest offering, named MULTI, will allow several cabins in the same shaft to move vertically and horizontally, which the company says is “a new and efficient transport solution for mid- and high-rise buildings.”
The mechanism is made possible by applying the linear motor technology of the magnetic levitation train Transrapid to the elevator industry.
In a manner similar to a metro system operation, the elevator design can incorporate various self-propelled elevator cabins per shaft running in a loop, increasing the shaft transport capacity by up to 50%, making it possible to reduce the elevator footprint in buildings by as much as 50%.
The elevator requires no cables, and uses a multi-level brake system and inductive power transfers between shaft and cabin. This allows the elevator to occupy smaller shafts than conventional elevators, which can increase a building's usable area by up to 25%. The overall increase in efficiency also translates into a lower requirement for escalators and additional elevator shafts, resulting in significant construction cost savings as well as a multiplication of rent revenues from increased usable space.
Although the ideal building height for MULTI installations starts at 300 meters, this system is not constrained by a building's height.
“Building design will no longer be limited by the height or vertical alignment of elevator shafts, opening possibilities to architects and building developers they have never imagined possible,” the company said in a release.
MULTI is based on the concept of ThyssenKrupp TWIN's control system and safety features, but includes new features such as new and lightweight materials for cabins and doors, resulting in a 50% weight reduction as compared to standard elevators, as well as a new linear drive—using one motor for horizontal and vertical movements.
Operating on the basic premise of a circular system, such as a paternoster, MULTI consists of various cabins running in a loop at a targeted speed of 16 m/s, enabling passengers to have near-constant access to an elevator cabin every 15 to 30 seconds, with a transfer stop every 50 meters.
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | Nov 1, 2016
Winthrop Square will give rise to Boston’s second tallest building
The building will become the tallest residential tower in the city.
Building Team | Oct 31, 2016
The world’s 100 tallest buildings: Who owns and has developed the most?
All but four owners/developers on the list are located in the United Arab Emirates, China, or Hong Kong.
High-rise Construction | Oct 28, 2016
The world’s 100 tallest buildings: Which contractors have worked on the most?
Only one firm has worked on more than 10 of the world’s 100 tallest buildings.
High-rise Construction | Oct 27, 2016
The world’s 100 tallest buildings: Which MEP engineers have worked on the most?
The top firm worked on over three times as many of the tallest buildings as the second place firm on the list.
High-rise Construction | Oct 26, 2016
The world’s 100 tallest buildings: Which structural engineers have worked on the most?
The top firm has worked on almost one-fifth of the 100 tallest buildings in the world.
High-rise Construction | Oct 25, 2016
That sinking feeling: Millennium Tower San Francisco is beginning to worry residents with its sinking, leaning [Updated]
Residents are beginning to question if the tower, which exists in a major earthquake fault zone, is safe.
High-rise Construction | Oct 21, 2016
The world’s 100 tallest buildings: Which architects have designed the most?
Two firms stand well above the others when it comes to the number of tall buildings they have designed.
High-rise Construction | Oct 14, 2016
Perkins+Will-designed residential towers would transform the Seattle skyline
The towers thrive on ‘creative tension’ and lean farther away from each other the higher they climb.
Wood | Oct 13, 2016
Concept from Perkins+Will could become the world’s tallest timber tower
River Beech Tower is said to be a part of a masterplan along the Chicago River.
Resiliency | Oct 5, 2016
San Francisco’s 181 Fremont will become the most earthquake-resilient building on the West Coast
The building has achieved REDi Gold Rating, resilience-based design guidelines developed by Arup that establish a new benchmark for seismic construction.
