Altitude Adjustment

This may be our year of adjustment. While many of the restrictions put on us by the pandemic are now gone, the hangover seems to still be with us. 

Remember the “great resignation?” It’s still happening, but it turns out not so many people are happy at their new positions. And all those people working remotely who left the big cities for the suburbs? Now, some are coming back, and the rents are still sky high; but in the suburbs, there’s not enough housing, period. In what we call “second cities,” there is a severe housing shortage. According to CBS News, the U.S. is actually 4 million homes short of the need. At the same time, there are acres of empty offices. Barclays says vacancy rates in major cities have risen to 12.2%, but a company that measures occupancy by looking at foot traffic into offices showed vacancies of about 60% in major markets.

What to do? We need more housing and less office space. This is where the adjustment may come in. I am hearing about a mild slowdown in elevator work on the construction side. Modernization and service are still booming (especially in NYC and Florida). I would guess that some new construction is being adjusted — to compensate for fewer office workers and maybe more residents. 

Multi-purpose buildings are not a new idea — my grandparents lived in a building in the Bronx over a fish shop — but doing it on a grand scale is relatively new in the U.S. I’m reading a book, Vertical City: A Solution for Sustainable Living, published in 2015. There are many contributors to the book — consultants, architects, structural engineers and more — all with very familiar names in our industry. Maybe this is an idea that is coming into its own. It certainly can’t hurt the vertical-transportation industry for everyone to start looking UP.

Our focus topic this month is Motors and Drives. We have four articles to share:

Isomag Bearing Seals is about eliminating wiper seal failure and shaft wear, which can happen within 3-6 months. Isomag is a long-term solution that eliminates leaks and fretting.

Rotary Encoders in Elevator Technology by Jonathan Dougherty. The author notes the encoder and feedback technology is already available and will play a huge role in the transition to frictionless mechanics and digital diagnostics.

The Next KEB Generation by Tyler Pecha. The new F6 VFD (variable frequency drive) occupies a much smaller footprint than the F5 VFD and will eventually replace it. 

The Sherrill-Roper Hot Air Engine by Dr. Lee Gray. Our historian tells how Sylvester Roper invented the hot air engine for use where needed. Henry Sherrill adapted it for elevators circa 1879.

We offer a well-rounded group of features this month: 

Sleek, Minimalist, Ultramodern by Christopher Rosario and Brayan Casas. This modernization of the elevators in 5 Times Square with Schindler, United Cab and DTM was actually finished early as the building was only 1% occupied due to COVID-19.

Riding Fast by Carmen Maldacena. The fastest elevators (3 stories per s) in Brazil are at Birmann 32. Installed by TKE, they meet the prerequisite to be the most technological elevators in the country.

On to the Portuguese Riviera, The Disappearing Car Lift is in a villa. In this one, the owner can park his cars in an underground hidden garage.

Mayflower Remembrance by Matt Irvin. In 1620, the pilgrims landed in Cape Cod (a little off course). A monument and museum there were made more accessible with an inclined elevator to the top of a sand dune.

There are many other selections to enjoy in this May issue, including With an Eye on the Horizon by Lindsay Fletcher. This is an interview with Jim Borwey, the new executive director of NAESA, who looks to the future and praises the staff for their knowledge and hard work. Dr. Gina Barney has also written for us on revising EN 81-20:2022 in the area of Rated Load and Maximum Available Car Area.

We are all traveling again, trying to understand the new normal. It is so good to see people face to face. . . but just a little unnerving. Do we fist bump now, or can I hug you?