Schindler To Equip The Emporium

Australia

In April, Schindler Lifts Australia announced its contract to design, supply and install vertical-transportation equipment for Emporium Melbourne. The contract calls for Schindler to provide 32 escalators and 11 passenger and goods lifts. Scheduled to open in late 2013, the Emporium is located in the city’s center and will feature a mix of international retail stores.

Brazil

Thyssenkrupp Elevadores Equipment At Soccer Stadiums

As of April, the building industry was in motion to provide the necessary infrastructure to support and accommodate the expected influx of attendees to the 2014 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games. ThyssenKrupp Elevadores has been chosen to supply the vertical transportation for the related stadiums, metro extensions, shopping centers, etc., to be finished at the end of this year.

Arena Castelão

Arena Castelão is an official 2014 FIFA World Cup stadium, which is to be refurbished and enlarged for the event. It is located in Fortaleza, capital of Ceará. The project includes the building of 1,900 parking spaces served by three ThyssenKrupp elevators. The company will also install two elevators in the adjacent new headquarters of the State Government Agencies for Sports and Architecture.

The job will have a total of 16 elevators. The 11 elevators supplied and installed by ThyssenKrupp Elevadores in the arena will serve from two to five floors at a speed of 1 mps, all of which will feature ThyssenKrupp Export cars for eight to 13 passengers, brushed stainless steel, LED illumination and highly durable car-operating panels. The arena’s elevator systems will be equipped with ThyssenKrupp’s Synergy, a gearless machine-room-less installation. The stadium will be enlarged from the existent 60,000 to 67,000 roofed seats, making it one of the largest stadiums in Brazil.

Grêmio Arena

Though not chosen as a FIFA World Cup venue, Grêmio Arena is a new sports complex planned to hold 60,000 spectators. ThyssenKrupp Elevadores signed a contract to supply and install 18 elevators at the complex, which will house a new stadium in the northern area of Porto Alegre, the capital and largest city in Rio Grande do Sul. The project is divided into four sections, each with three elevators. The complex will feature a total of 18 elevators driven by sustainable gearless machines. OAS, a building company specialized in stadium construction, has signed a contract with the Green Building Council Brasil to comply with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design®-certificate requirements.

The elevators will serve six and eight floors at 1.5 mps, and also include Export cars. ThyssenKrupp’s TKVision traffic-control system will be located at the entrance or supervision area of the complex to monitor all the elevators. The software optimizes the elevator traffic and can provide additional safety by blocking calls.

The project will comply with the Brazilian Accessibility Code and Mercosur Code NBR NM 313. Commercial buildings, shopping centers, cafeterias, a convention center and 5,000 parking spaces will complete the complex’s amenities. The project represents an investment of BRL1 billion (US$ 547,008,755). Reported by EW Correspondent Carmen Maldacena.

Canada

Rogan Named Eesfc Campaign Chairman

  The Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation of Canada (EESFC) has selected William H. Rogan of Skyline Elevator, Inc. as its campaign chairman for the 2012 fundraising year. Rogan will lead his team in seeking tax-deductible donations to further EESFC’s mission of educating the public on safe riding practices. His company has been operating in London, Ontario, for more than 37 years and been a supporter of EESFC since its inception.

Rogan explained:

“I am helping the EESFC because life, to me, is all about payback. We in the elevator industry provide a key service to society. No elevators or escalators means no commercial/residential urban life as we now enjoy. For this, we are all well rewarded. . . . The EESFC has done an amazing job in reaching out to teach and touch those where we achieve the greatest value. We start in the school system and work our way up.”

China

Seta Launches B2B Platform

The Shanghai Elevator Trade Association (SETA) has launched its “Elevator B2B” platform. A new “Components Directory” (www.sh-ea.org/En/Company/) has been upgraded to integrate elevator machines, accessories, and installation and maintenance services.

A users’ exchange meeting was held in March to improve the platform’s service to make for better publicity, raise the website’s credibility and retain its fairness. Nearly 30 enterprises related to elevator machines, accessories and maintenance attended the meeting. Attendees stated their opinions about the platform and partook in a lively discussion.

New Hitachi Production Base

Hitachi Elevator (China) Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., has started construction of its new elevator production facility in Chengdu. The plant is scheduled to be completed in March 2013 and will have a production capacity of 5,000 units in fiscal year 2013, growing to 8,000 units by fiscal year 2015. Hitachi first launched its elevator business in China in 1981 and currently manufactures in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Tianjin. Its nationwide production capacity was 42,000 units last year, and it expects to see an increase to 74,000 by fiscal year 2015. In addition to the new manufacturing base, Hitachi plans to increase its R&D, supply chain and after-sales service systems.

Europe

2012 ELCA Board Members, Meetings

The first 2012 European Lift Components Association (ELCA) board meeting took place earlier this year. During it, a new board was elected and a new approach for technical work, which involves in-house technical expertise in International Organization for Standardization and European Committee for Standardization committees, was put into place. 2012 board members are as follows:

• Matteo Volpe (president)
• Antonio Garcia Alvear (vice-president)
• Emanuele Emiliani (treasurer)
• Thomas Birnbaum
• Lars Odlén
• Gerardo Schumacher (participant)

ELCA’s board is also working on a member survey to gather updated data on the structure and interests of its membership. It plans to use the data to help it better represent small and medium-sized enterprises and provide focused outreach to European Union institutions. Other points of ELCA’s strategy include:

• Maintaining a stable presence in Brussels, as it has renewed its agreement with its service provider in the city.
• A renewed board with European outreach: with the addition of Odlén and Birnbaum, ELCA’s board now has representatives from Spain, Germany, Sweden and Italy.
• A stronger technical team to further its aforementioned in-house expertise
• Establish cooperation with relevant lift stakeholders, both within and outside Europe, by strengthening its cooperation with Normapme and other associations, such as the Russian Association for Lifts, which formally became an associated member of ELCA in February.

ELCA’s next board meeting will be hosted in Spain by its Spanish members.

Germany

Wiest Named Cfo Of Wittur Group

     Dr. Daniel Wiest has been appointed as chief financial officer (CFO) for the Wittur Group. He succeeds Christian Witt. Wiest has extensive CFO experience and most recently worked at KCA Deutag, an international drilling and engineering contractor, and APCOA Group, a European parking-service provider. He has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Berlin and an MBA from the University of Munich.

Israel

Shabbat Invention For Elevator Users

A 24-year-old Jerusalem inventor plans to market a tracking device that informs would-be Shabbat elevator users in their rooms or apartments when an elevator car will reach their floor. Under manufacture in China, the wireless system is patent pending in both the U.S. and Israel. Called “BeeOnTime,” the product is believed to have a potential market of 30,000 Israeli five-star hotel rooms whose owners would be willing to invest money in the service. There are also some 70,000 high-rise apartments in Israel that use Shabbat elevators and have religious residents.

Friedman’s product is an offshoot of the smart home system he also builds and automatically shows residents how many minutes and seconds remain until the elevator’s arrival on their floor. It is a standalone system using a 16-cm X 13-cm LCD screen that can be installed in apartments and hotel rooms, and a locked device atop the elevator car. The screens turn on automatically on Friday afternoons and shut off on Saturday nights, and are programmed to work on Jewish holidays during the week and change automatically according to Daylight Savings Time.

According to Friedman:

“The waiting times are changed if someone holds the door open a while, so it remains accurate, and families do not have to wait near the entrance with baby strollers until the elevator finally arrives.”

The technology can reportedly be adapted to any Shabbat elevator system. Rabbis have approved the device for Shabbat use, as it does not affect the speed of the elevator.

Italy

Lift 2012 Incorporated Into Made

Fiera Milano/Lift announced in May that it rescheduled Lift 2012, originally scheduled for November 7-9. The event has now been incorporated into MADE and will take place on October 17-20 in Rho-Pero, Milan. The decision follows an agreement between Fiera Milano and Federlegno/MADE concerning the Milano Architecture Design Expo (MADE). This event will include a lift and escalator expo. According to Fiera Milano/Lift, the vertical-transportation exhibitors in attendance will likely be included in a special pavilion. MADE expects to feature 1,950 exhibitors across 95,000 m2 and 253,000 visitors. For more information, visit website: www.madeexpo.it.

Japan

Mitsubishi Electric’s Environmental Plan

Mitsubishi Electric announced in April it launched its “Seventh Environmental Plan,” a three-year strategy aligned with its long-term “Environmental Vision 2021” (ELEVATOR WORLD, August 2009). The plan aims to contribute to the reduction of carbon-dioxide (CO₂) emissions on both the production and end-use sides, support other recycling-based society efforts and expand environmental business.

CO₂ emissions are to be reduced by an average of 27% in the use of 84 of the company’s products compared to its fiscal 2001 levels. These levels are planned to reach only 83% of the fiscal 2011 level in terms of CO₂ emissions per unit of product net sales. Other greenhouse-gas emissions will also be reduced by 70% compared to fiscal 2006’s level on a CO₂-equivalent basis. The plan will have the company endeavor to reach 14,100 kW of photovoltaic power-generation capacity, an expansion from its current 6,400 kW, in three years.

In order to lower its final waste disposal ratio, the company will evaluate and sort its waste to maintain a ratio below 0.1% at Mitsubishi Electric sites and keep this level lower than 1% at its overseas affiliates’ sites. Resource inputs will also be reduced by 39% from fiscal 2001 levels through the development of more compact, lighter products. The company plans to nurture environmental specialists with technical skills to mentor others in subjects such as energy efficiency, waste management and pollution prevention as it globally expands its environmental businesses related to materials recycling, energy efficiency and innovative products in such fields as “smart grids” and “smart communities.”

Malaysia

Hatten City Project To Receive Kone Solutions

In April, KONE announced its contract to provide vertical-transportation solutions for Hatten City, a mixed-use development project in the coastal city of Malacca. The contract calls for 23 MiniSpace™ and 14 MonoSpace® elevators and 72 TravelMaster™ commercial escalators. All elevators will be equipped with KONE’s Infoscreens to guide passenger traffic. The project includes a five-story shopping mall and two 170-m-tall tower blocks, and the first phase is scheduled to be completed by 2015.

Saudi Arabia

Otis Announces Multiple Contracts

Otis Saudi Arabia Ltd. has received six contracts to supply vertical-transportation units to the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh. The contracts call for 263 elevators, including 10 double-deck elevators and 90 escalators to be installed in different buildings in KAFD. Within the district are two of the Persian Gulf region’s tallest buildings, the 300-m-tall KAFD World Trade Centre, which is scheduled to be completed later this year, and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Bank Headquarters. For the KAFD World Trade Centre, Otis will install 25 elevators and eight escalators. For the GCC Bank, Otis will install 30 elevators and four escalators.

Singapore

Parkroyal Receives Green Certification

Parkroyal on Pickering, located across from Hong Lim Park, is currently under construction, with completion scheduled for this month. At 89-m tall, the project combines hotel and office space with a self-sustained garden environment. Designed by WOHA, the structure demonstrates how architects were not only able to conserve greenery in a high-rise city center, but also multiply it vertically in an architecturally striking manner.

A total of 15,000 m² of sky gardens, reflecting pools, waterfalls, planter terraces and green walls were designed. A diverse variety of plant species create a tropical setting that attracts insects and birds, extending the green areas from Hong Lim Park and encouraging biodiversity in the city. Photovoltaic cell arrays on the roof power reticulation systems and softscape lighting, while rainwater collected from upper floors irrigates planters on lower floors using gravity supplemented by non-potable recycled Newater, which will also be used for all water features. Parkroyal has achieved Singapore’s Green Mark Platinum score, the nation’s highest environmental certification.

Sri Lanka

Kone Expands With Lanka Elevator

KONE is expanding its operations into the Sri Lankan market by entering into a distributorship with Lanka Elevator Engineering Pvt. Ltd. The agreement was signed by Neeraj Sharma, managing director, KONE Elevator India, and Karl Perera, managing director, Lanka Elevator, in Chennai on April 4. Sharma said:

“With a strong gross domestic product growth of almost 8% in 2011, the country is slated for growth in the coming years. The tourism industry will [also see] growth, and this will call for better infrastructure facilities, which will spur the growth of the construction sector. We see a good potential for us in this market and are confident this distributorship will help us in expanding our operations”.

KONE will be supplying elevators to Sri Lanka from its global and Chennai supply locations. Lanka Elevator has approximately 30 years of experience in installing, maintaining and servicing elevators and escalators.

United Kingdom

Mitsubishi Electric Supplies Bwh

Mitsubishi Electric has announced its contract to supply nine elevators to the Bernard Weatherill House (BWH), an office complex for the Croydon Council Urban Regeneration Vehicle and other service providers in the greater London area. The elevator contract includes three of Mitsubishi Electric’s Elenessa units, six NexWay units rated at 2.5 mps and two panoramic elevators with glass interiors. Construction on BWH commenced in March 2010 and is scheduled to be completed in spring 2013.

Worldwide

VDI 2566, Part 1 Available

VDI 2566, Part 1, concerning acoustical design for elevators with machine rooms, has been issued. The paper contains target values for noise emission in the machine room, as well as for airborne and structure-borne sound levels in front of shaft doors, and in the shaft and cabin. The guideline recommends structural noise control in compliance with permissible noise impact in rooms requiring protection and provides support for structure-borne, sound-optimized installation of manufacturing equipment. VDI 2566, Part 1 provides information for measuring noise emission, noise impact in rooms requiring protection and structural noise control of completed facilities and buildings. Prepared technically by working group NA 001-02-03-05 AK, the paper was approved for publication by parent committee NA 001-02-03 AA. The substantive revision of parts 1 and 2 has already begun under the leadership of Undine Stricker-Berghoff, Managing Director of VFA-Interlift e.V. – Association for Lift Technology. A first draft is to be expected in 2014. The VDI guideline can be ordered at website: www.beuthe.de.

Peters Research Announces Training Schedule

Peters Research Ltd. has announced the dates and locations of its 2012/2013 Elevate training schedule. The elevator traffic analysis and simulation software training will take place in the following cities:

• London: September 20-21, March 14-15, 2013 and September 19-20, 2013
• New York City: October 16-17
• Hong Kong: November 28-29, 2013
• Sydney: December 2-3, 2013

For more information, visit website: www.peters-
research.com.

Speakers Confirmed For CTBUH 2012

In addition to the International Student Tall Building Design Competition (ELEVATOR WORLD, March 2012) at its 9th World Congress (CTBUH 2012) in Shanghai on September 19-21, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) will focus on the theme “Asia Ascending: Age of the Sustainable Skyscraper City.” A lineup of speakers on the topic has been confirmed as follows:

• Jian Ping Gu, president of Shanghai Tower Development Group
• Harace Lin, CEO of Taipei Financial Center Corp. (Taipei 101)
• Zhang Junjie, chairman of East China Architectural Design Institute
• Jiemin Ding, CEO of Tongji Architectural Design Group
• Xue Yi Fu, chief engineer, China Construction Design International

In addition, representatives from the Greenland Group, the Shanghai Institute of Architectural Design & Research, Shanghai Construction Group, Yuanda Aluminium, Tongji University and the China Academy of Building Research will speak. This roster of regional leaders will be complemented by the following experts in tall-building design and construction:

• Richard Tomasetti, founding principal of Thornton Tomasetti Structural Engineers
• Adrian Smith of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
• William Baker of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
• Chris Wilkinson of Wilkinson Eyre Architects
• John C. Portman III of Portman Holdings
• Ole Scheeren of Buro Ole Scheeren
• James Goettsch of Goettsch Partners

Ninety-three speakers are planned, spanning three keynote sessions and four simultaneous tracks. Other international firms represented on the speaker rostrum include Arquitectonica, Arup, AECOM, ArcStudio, Buro Happold, Gensler, Kohn Pedersen Fox, KONE, Magnusson Klemencic Engineers, Meinhardt, Rolf Jensen Associates, Moshe Safdie Associates and Schindler. Presentations and panel discussions will also focus on the latest techniques and issues surrounding sustainable tower design, particularly in Asia. Technical tours of some landmark Shanghai buildings will be available, and tall-building-focused regional tours to Beijing, Hong Kong, Shenzen, Guangzhou and Tianjin will be offered.