TAIWAN BLACKOUT PROMPTS PUSH FOR ELEVATOR CODE CHANGES
Architects and engineers say residential buildings with elevators should be required by code to have backup power, following a blackout caused by a power-plant generator failure earlier this month that affected millions across Taiwan and trapped people in elevators, Taipei Times reports. As per building code, many modern elevators have systems powered by generators that allow units to descend to the nearest floor and open doors during power outages and earthquakes, but it’s not a requirement for residential elevators. If codes are changed, developers could use elevators with backup power as a selling point, a local construction manager says.
CODE ANALYSIS REVEALS COST SAVINGS RELATED TO ELEVATORS
Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International analyzed the latest revisions to the International Code Council’s 2015 I-Codes and found cost savings for building owners, including those related to elevators and emergency operation, Buildings reported. While the 2012 I-Codes required most existing elevators intended for use by firefighters and other rescue personnel to have emergency-operation controls, the latest revision exempts some elevator cabs in buildings with fire-suppression systems. Buildings with automatic fire-suppression systems that meet National Fire Protection Association standards and do not have floors 55 ft. above or 25. ft. below the lowest level a fire-department vehicle can reach can forego installing controls, potentially saving more than US$6,200 per cab.
72-STORY CONDOMINIUM TOWER NEARS COMPLETION IN NYC
Within the next several months, One Manhattan Square at 252 South Street in New York City’s (NYC) Lower East Side is expected to top out, eventually bringing 815 condominiums to the market and becoming one of the largest condo projects in NYC, New York YIMBY reports. Extell is the developer and Adamson Associates is the architect of the project, which will stand 850 ft. above street level and include a 13-story residential building next door. Completion is expected in 2019.
APEX PRESENTED WITH RoSPA’S HIGHEST SAFETY AWARD
London’s Apex Lifts has received the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents’ (RoSPA) top health and safety award for the eighth consecutive year. Presented only to winners with five or more consecutive top, “Gold” awards, the honor required Apex to provide evidence of compliance with RoSPA’s strict health and safety guidelines. Apex was found to have a rigorous approach to occupational health, with zero major injuries or fatalities. Apex Health, Safety, Quality and Environment Manager Jim Johnson stated that health and safety is the “backbone of our company and integrated into everything we do.”
POTENTIAL TALLEST IN BENELUX GETS THE GREEN LIGHT
The Zalmhaven, a 215-m-tall tower with 475 apartments, commercial and retail space planned in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, has gotten the green light from the Dutch high court, which says the local city council correctly applied zoning laws when it previously approved the plan, Dutch News reports. Some residents had opposed the proposal, fearing increased traffic and wind. Developers AM and Amvest hope to open The Zalmhaven, designed by DAM & Partners, in 2020. If built, it will be the tallest structure in the Benelux Union.
ERRC 50/50 RAFFLE TO BENEFIT EESF
The Elevator Riders Riding Club (ERRC), a group of motorcycle enthusiasts and vertical-transportation (VT) professionals who support VT safety, are planning their 50/50 raffle fundraiser for the Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation (EESF) at the National Association of Elevator Contractors 68th Annual Convention and Exposition in Orlando on September 13 and 14. The winner splits half the pot, and ERRC members are encouraged to wear their club vests on the expo floor to show support.
Image courtesy of pixabay.com via tingyaoh.
