thyssenkrupp recently opened its newest plant in Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, China. The focal point of the new facility is an 813-foot tower (31 floors above ground) that will be used to test new concepts and product pilots.
The tower includes 13 shafts and an Active Mass Damper (AMD) system meant to significantly reduce the extent of tower swing caused by changes in weather conditions. The AMD system can also mimic motions of extreme meteorological conditions, like earthquakes and typhoons.
A new high-speed elevator capable of reaching 40 miles per hour and MULTI, the world’s first rope-less elevator system, will be among the first technologies tested in the new tower. MULTI uses the power of linear motor technology to move multiple cars in a single shaft both vertically and horizontally with a much smaller footprint, substantial weight and mass reduction, and increased capacity.
The test tower is thyssenkrupp’s second. The first was completed in Germany, where the company is headquartered, last October.
Courtesy thyssenkrupp.
Related Stories
Contractors | Feb 6, 2015
Census Bureau: Capital spending by U.S. businesses increased 4.5%
Of the 19 industry sectors covered in the report, only one had a statistically significant year-to-year decrease in capital spending: the utilities sector.
Public Health Labs | Jan 29, 2015
Breaking out of the box: Pirbright Institute’s radical approach to biocontainment facility design
The novel scheme turns the typical containment lab building inside out, placing the high-containment spaces at the perimeter to provide researchers with daylight and views.
| Jan 21, 2015
Tesla Motors starts construction on $5 billion battery plant in Nevada
Tesla Motors’ “gigafactory,” a $5 billion project on 980 acres in Sparks, Nev., could annually produce enough power for 500,000 electric cars.
| Jan 2, 2015
Construction put in place enjoyed healthy gains in 2014
Construction consultant FMI foresees—with some caveats—continuing growth in the office, lodging, and manufacturing sectors. But funding uncertainties raise red flags in education and healthcare.
| Dec 29, 2014
'Russian nesting doll' design provides unique fire protection solution for movie negatives
A major movie studio needed a new vault to protect its irreplaceable negatives for films released after 1982. SmithGroupJJR came up with a box-in-a-box design solution. It was named a Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 28, 2014
Robots, drones, and printed buildings: The promise of automated construction
Building Teams across the globe are employing advanced robotics to simplify what is inherently a complex, messy process—construction.
| Dec 28, 2014
AIA course: Enhancing interior comfort while improving overall building efficacy
Providing more comfortable conditions to building occupants has become a top priority in today’s interior designs. This course is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
| Dec 2, 2014
Nonresidential construction spending rebounds in October
This month's increase in nonresidential construction spending is far more consistent with the anecdotal information floating around the industry, says ABC's Chief Economist Anirban Basu.
Sponsored | | Nov 6, 2014
Drilling deeper: On the ground insights from the Marcellus Shale region
The Marcellus Shale region is expansive, stretching from upstate New York through Pennsylvania to West Virginia. It’s an exciting time to live and work in the area. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Oct 27, 2014
Davis, Calif., latest city to join race to develop 'innovation hubs'
The city plans to develop two "innovation centers" with a total of seven million sf of commercial space geared for local research and technology companies.