283757893275

Lifts and Escalators 517
will be built to a different finish than one designed solely for transporting goods. All passenger
lifts should comply with EN81-70 Accessibility to lifts for persons including persons
with disability. There are two types of lifts: mechanical or traction lifts and hydraulic lifts.
Traction lifts
The most common form of lift is the mechanical lift, usually described as a traction lift.
The lift car is operated by a system of pulleys and steel wires, powered from a lift motor
room which is usually adjacent to the lift. The motor room is usually positioned at the top
of the lift shaft, or sometimes within the basement. A safety system stops the lift from falling
should the steel cables break due to prolonged wear (which is highly unlikely in a maintained
lift). Traction lifts are the most common type of lift in use. They can be used in
buildings with as little as two different ground levels (e.g. ground and first floor) to multistorey
buildings with numerous floors.
Lift motor room
The lift motor room may be positioned adjacent to the lift (Figure 9.1), or more typically
at roof and/or basement level. The lift motor room must be large enough to accommodate
the necessary equipment and allow clear and safe access for routine maintenance and
replacement activities.
Hydraulic lifts
For low- to medium-rise applications, a hydraulic passenger lift is an alternative to a traction
lift. Loading on the hydraulic lift shaft is not excessive and some manufacturers provide
hydraulic lifts with their own structure, which helps to keep building costs down. Hydraulic
Non-dedicated option –
surface-mounted control
cabinet
Dotted lines show
alternative positions of lift
motor room
Lift shaft /well
Lift car
Well depth
Well width
Figure 9.1 Plan of lift shaft.