Elevator Divider Beams, etc.

[GalileoG]

Hello all,

Are there diagrams out there that show how elevators are supported and everything involved in designing for elevators? What are divider beams for? Information of that sort would be very handy. I've never really touched on elevators before, so I would really appreciate all help.

Thanks

Clansman

If a builder has built a house for a man and has not made his work sound, and the house which he has built has fallen down and so caused the death of the householder, that builder shall be put to death." Code of Hammurabi, c.2040 B.C.

 

[JAE]

Elevators fall into two categories - traction and hydraulic piston.

The traction elevators rely on tension cables hanging down from a mechancial room/deck above. Hyrdraulic elevators (usually limited to about 5 stories +/-) are raised by a telescoping piston underneath that extends through the elevator pit into the ground below. The piston is supported by cross channels on top of the pit slab.

Both types of elevators require vertical guide rails that extend up on two or three sides of the elevator shaft and latch onto the cab as it moves up and down the shaft. These guide rails have horizontal and longitudinal forces applied to them - supplied by the elevator manufacturer.

The guide rails need to be laterally supported at each floor level - thus the divider beams between cabs.

 

[jike]

Divider beams are to support the side rails. For very high floor to floor, there may be a level of intermediate divider beams depending on how far the rails can span. Best to get the load and dimensional info from the particular elevator vendor.

There are two types of elevators: hydraulic and traction.

Shafts may be made constructed of masonry or shaftwall.

 

[JedClampett]

There's not that many elevator manufacturers. Kone and Otis come to mind. Call their local representative. Their websites are very poor. Each one has unique, very specific requirements that you'll need to accomodate.

 

[InDepth]

You can use the divider beams to attach the elevator guide rails to as well as the rails for the counterweight.

The rails and the backing also need to meet service level load and deflection criteria as specified by the manufacturer. I design the divider beams to be very stiff laterally so there aren't any service issues.

In seismic regions we usually obtain the seismic Fp loads from the elevator manufacturer, and if they exceed the rail capacity and deflection limits we provide a HSS section as backing. The Fp force is applied in 2 directions and for a) The elevator cab and b) the counterweight. I use the divider beams to drag load back into the diaphragm (can be large at times for freight elevators).

 

[InDepth]

Spreadsheet

 

[InDepth]

Design criteria. You'll find descrepencies between ASME and ASCE and CBC