Projects Taking Off around the World

Huge project in Iraq among evidence of strong first quarter

Hyundai Elevator Lands 1,668-Unit Deal — Its Biggest Ever

Seoul-based Hyundai Elevator Co. has secured a 1,668-unit, US$63-million contract to outfit all apartments in Bismaya New City, a planned city approximately 10 km southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, with elevators through 2019, Yonhap News Agency reported. Hyundai Elevator anticipated an additional US$26 million would be added to the contract for installation. Hyundai Elevator has supplied government buildings in the Middle East since early 2000 and states the Bismaya New City deal is “the largest single order” for the company since its founding in 1984. Upon completion, the city is expected to have 100,000 homes and 600,000 residents.

Schindler to Supply 45 Units to Warsaw Spire

Schindler has been selected to fulfill a 45-unit order for Warsaw Spire in Warsaw. The order consists of 14 7000 high-rise double-deck elevators, 27 energy-efficient 5500 elevators and four energy-efficient 9300® AE escalators. In addition, Schindler will install its PORT destination-control technology. The architecturally significant project boasts 100,000 m2 of office space in a pair of 55-m-tall buildings with a 220-m-tall, spire-topped building in the middle. Andrzej Stawniak, general director of Schindler Poland, noted the spired building will be the first in Poland, and one of the first in Europe, outfitted with double-deck elevators.

Big Plans for London Construction

According to Yahoo!, London’s skyline is set to undergo a major transformation over the next few years, with at least 236 high-rise buildings currently proposed, planned or under construction throughout the capital. All but 72 have had their proposals approved. Having analyzed the result of an independent survey by property consultant GL Hearn, the news outlet explains the buildings in question will all feature at least 20 stories. Thirty-three will be towers of 40-49 stories, and 22 others are planned as “super skyscrapers” stretching 50 floors or more. Two will reach up to 75 floors.

Almost half of the buildings have already been granted planning permission, and 19% percent are already under construction. Most (189) are residential, intending to counter the recent “housing crisis.” Offices will occupy 18 of the towers, while eight hotels will also be added. Thirteen of the developments will be mixed use, and one is tagged as an educational institute. The neighborhood to see the biggest change is Tower Hamlets, where 13 buildings are planned.

Auckland Skyline May Get an Addition

The skyline of Auckland, New Zealand, may soon get a newcomer in the form of the proposed 209-m-tall, 52-story NDG Auckland Centre, The New Zealand Herald reports. If built, the structure would be dwarfed only by downtown’s 328-m-tall Sky Tower. A project of New Development Group, which is owned by Shanghai businessman Furu Ding, the tower would house residences, a hotel, and retail and entertainment amenities. It would take shape on a site in the heart of the Central Business District that has been vacant, save for parking, since the Royal International Hotel was demolished in the 1980s

Mitsubishi Electric Completes St George Tower Job

Mitsubishi Electric has installed four passenger elevators in the newly completed 50-story, 181-m-tall St George Tower, a residential building that is part of the larger St George Wharf development along the River Thames in Vauxhall, London. Included in the contract were three NexWay 4-mps units with custom edge-lit glass and bronze trim behind filigree panels, and one machine-room-less Elenessa unit. To ease tower construction, Mitsubishi used a phased jump-lift installation method.

Schindler Wins 58-Unit Contract for Singapore Changi Airport

Schindler has been hired to supply 58 elevators and escalators, including 23 5500 modular elevators, to the new terminal at Singapore Changi Airport. The deal includes a 20-year equipment-maintenance provision. Boasting an orchid petal-inspired design, Terminal 4 (T4) will cover 195,000 m2 and include a 300-m-long central indoor mall and 68-m-tall control tower. Ground was broken in November 2013, and T4 is scheduled for completion in 2017. It is expected to increase Changi’s annual passenger capacity by 20%, to 82 million.

Samsung Life Breaks Ground on Beijing High Rise

Seoul-based Samsung Life Insurance has broken ground on a 63-story office building in Beijing, part of a continued effort to diversify its real-estate portfolio and take advantage of low interest rates, Business Korea reported. Scheduled for completion in 2016, the office tower will stand 260 m tall and comprise 167,500 m2. Approximately US$703.4 million is being invested in the project.

Burma to Get National Building Code

According to DVB, construction projects in Burma will soon be regulated under a national building code. In drafting stages as of March, the Myanmar (Burma) National Building Code is designed to ensure procedural safety and combat embezzlement. It has been in development since 2012, said Than Myint, chairman of the Committee for Quality Control of High-Rise Building Projects. He also explained that a building code must be coupled with the establishment of disciplinary boards so those who fail to uphold the code will be penalized.

“There may also be some buildings constructed in the past that need reviewing. It is important to set a schedule for check-up systems on these buildings — say, once every three months, six months, or one year,” Myint continued. Construction Minister Kyaw Lwin said in March that 22 major development projects were soon to be revealed, with 60% of construction work to be implemented under private contract.

Corporate Deals, Progress

Technological advances, acquisition and certification recently took place.

Oman’s TLS Joins Forces with ThyssenKrupp Elevator

Trade Links & Services (TLS), a division of the Ali Mirza Group in Oman, has become an officially licensed distributor of ThyssenKrupp Elevator products. The partnership promises to help TLS meet demand from Oman’s burgeoning real-estate and construction markets. TLS Managing Director Hani bin Mirza stated:

“ThyssenKrupp Elevator’s . . . parts contribute to maintaining leading-edge equipment [and] can be used to repair malfunctions and upgrade older equipment, creating a suitable modernization option to improve the performance of units in any building. The partnership will allow TLS to stock replacement parts for the entire ThyssenKrupp Elevator line, as well as source additional components from the regional headquarters in Dubai. Experienced staff will be able to offer complete packages and step-by-step solutions for maximum functionality.”

Concepcion Industrial to Acquire Otis Shares

Concepcion Industrial Corp. (CIC) in Manila, Philippines, plans to enter the elevator business by acquiring shares of Otis E&M Co., ABS-CBN News reported. In filings with the Philippines Stock Exchange, Concepcion Industrial subsidiary Concepcion-Carrier Air Conditioning Co. (CCAC) said the deal is subject to final approval by CCAC and Otis parent United Technologies. Should it be finalized, CCAC said the acquisition “will strengthen CIC’s building and industrial solutions segment, creating added synergies and a new strategic growth platform aligned with a global brand and building-solution trends.” 

Sematic Italian Sites Earn Certification

Sematic sites in Osio Sotto and Suisio, Italy, have earned International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification for their business-continuity plans. “This international standard provides a framework for companies in implementing procedures that will ensure the continuity of business during exceptional circumstances” such as production breakdowns, natural disasters, pandemics and supply-chain failures, Sematic stated, adding that it is one of the first in the elevator industry to receive such certification. Roberta Franco, Sematic Group QHSE manager, remarked:

“Obtaining the [ISO certification] is part of our commitment to continuous improvement. Ensuring total customer satisfaction, even during exceptional circumstances, is one of our main areas of concern, as our materials are at the core of our customers’ performances.”

High-Speed Buffer Line in Development

Oleo International announced in February that it is developing a new high-speed buffer range from its manufacturing facility in Coventry, U.K. The buffers would be positioned at the bottom of elevator shafts to provide a safety mechanism for elevators in skyscrapers. As faster elevators to enable the efficient movement of larger throngs around tall buildings become more necessary, Oleo’s new telescopic elevator buffer is designed to provide them with a safe average deceleration of 1G.

While Oleo already designs, manufactures and installs buffers that support elevator speeds of 11.62 mps, it reports there are none on the global market capable of supporting elevator speeds in excess of 20 mps. It announced that key “unique technical advancements” in its design include a shift from a single-phase unit to two- and four-stage telescopic buffers. Telescopic technology allows for smaller buffer sizes than conventional designs, giving the company’s new HSL range what it calls “an easy installation process and [reduction in] installation costs by saving critical space in the elevator shaft.”

CTBUH’s Newest Books, DVDs Available

Books, DVDs explore 2012 Shanghai World Congress, best skyscrapers.

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has announced all papers, presentations and special events from the 2012 9th World Congress in Shanghai have been compiled into an 86-page book and accompanying DVDs, available for US$120 at CTBUH.org. The event drew more than 870 delegates from the 43 nations and 430 organizations. There were more than 114 presentations. Planning is now underway for the 2014 conference, “Future Cities: Towards Sustainable Vertical Urbanism,” scheduled for September 16-19 in Shanghai.

An Overview of 2013 Skyscrapers Completed

Best Tall Buildings: A Global Overview of 2013 Skyscrapers is now available from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). Through photographs, dialogue and drawings, the 223-page hardcover book chronicles the annual awards process in which CTBUH recognizes outstanding tall buildings (ELEVATOR WORLD, September 2013), sustainability and design innovations worldwide. In addition to regional winners, finalists and nominees, the book spotlights recipients of the 10-Year Performance (30 St. Mary Axe, London), Innovation (Broad Sustainable Building Prefabricated Construction Process and KONE UltraRope™) and Personal Lifetime Achievement (Henry Cobb of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and Clyde Baker of AECOM) awards. To purchase the book or download a preview, visit CTBUH’s web store at store.ctbuh.org.