NEW CONSTRUCTION ELEVATOR INSTALLATION
Metro Elevator is the nation's most trusted elevator company and can handle new elevator construction projects from initial design to equipment installation. Our management and design team works alongside our clients to create custom, non-proprietary elevator solutions that fit your unique needs.
As the nation's top elevator company, Metro Elevator, completes projects on time and on budget.
New construction elevator installation means installing an entirely new elevator system, including the car. Elevator installation most often occurs during new building construction, although, occasionally, an existing elevator is so old that it is more cost-effective to replace it than to modernize it. For example, if there are hoistway or asbestos issues.
Elevator modernizations involve working within an existing building and parameters such as a predetermined pit depth, overhead clearance, and hoistway width and depth. However, new installations have more equipment flexibility, as the building design team determines the hoistway size before construction begins. It is important that the architect and general contractor work with the elevator company early in the design process to determine the correct-size hoistway dimensions, guide rail attachments, and electrical requirements.
Metro Elevator installs the following types of elevators:
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Passenger Elevators – for transporting residents, employees, and customers in an aesthetically pleasing environment
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Service Elevators – for behind-the-scenes normal-load transport such as moving hospital beds or cleaning carts
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Freight Elevators – for moving heavy loads between floors
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Dumbwaiters – for transporting certain smaller goods, such as bringing dishes from a dining room down to a kitchen
KEY ELEVATOR COMPONENTS
New elevator installation involves a number of different components including:
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Elevator Car - this may also include a counterweight for traction elevators which improves elevator safety by reducing strain on the cables
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Cables & Ropes – supports the elevator car
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Elevator Machine – the motor that raises and lowers the car (traction or hydraulic)
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Controller – coordinates elevator functions, including travel, speed, acceleration/deceleration, door opening, and leveling
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Safety Systems – mechanical (brakes, buffers) and electrical components that work together to monitor and control safety features such as car speed, car position, and door-lock state
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Hoistway – the fireproof space in which the elevator cab travels, including the pit below and, depending on the type of elevator, the machine room above
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Guide Rails – vertical steel sections that connect the elevator to the building, guiding the elevator within the hoistway
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Doors – most often automatic but can be manual
WHAT TYPE OF ELEVATOR SHOULD I INSTALL?
There are two primary means by which elevators are lifted and lowered: traction and hydraulic. Which type is best for a given environment depends on the type of building, occupancy, capacity requirements, and level of use.
TRACTION ELEVATOR
Traction elevators use a pulley system of steel ropes and a sheave that is located either above the elevator shaft (geared) or above the cabin and travels with the cabin (gearless). In either case, the motor that drives the system is located in a machine room at the top of the building. Traction elevators offer a faster, smoother, quieter ride than hydraulic systems. But the machine room at the top of the hoistway requires more space and leads to higher installation cost.
HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR
Hydraulic elevators are powered by an electric motor that compresses oil-based fluids to generate the elevator movement. They do not require any overhead hoisting machinery and can be machine-room-less (MRL), and thus are quicker and less expensive to install. However, they use a lot of energy and are slower; therefore, they are not used in buildings that are more than seven stories high. Hydraulic elevators can also be noisier.
WHAT DOES IT COST TO INSTALL AN ELEVATOR?
There are many variables that factor into the cost of a new installation. It depends on building size and whether the project is new construction or replacing an existing elevator. In the case of an elevator replacement, it also depends on what other changes may be required to the building such as fire safety, electrical or structural changes.
There are base costs associated with a new installation regardless of how tall the building is. For example, the machine and controller need to be installed if you have a building with two floors or sixty floors. Each stop, or floor, will have an additional cost. For two stops a new elevator installation may cost anywhere from $100,000 to $350,000 with each additional floor costing between $20,000 to $50,000.
WHY CHOOSE METRO ELEVATOR FOR YOUR NEW CONSTRUCTION ELEVATOR INSTALLATION?
Metro Elevator is the country's best elevator company. We work with our customers as partners, planning and executing the project in a way that makes the most sense. We put our customers’ needs ahead of our margins. Our dedicated project managers will communicate consistently with you to keep the project running smoothly. Most importantly, as an independent company, we have no bias toward any elevator manufacturer, and we hand-pick our mechanics for their efficiency and work quality.
Each of our Metro Elevator locations is locally operated, which means someone picks up the phone when you call us. We work quickly to meet your needs and provide exceptional customer service. With Metro, you’re not just another contract.