For much of human history, buildings were limited in their height and scale, and only cathedrals and the great pyramids of Egypt were more than a few stories tall. There was neither the need nor the technology for commercial elevator installation at the time, but this changed in the 1800s. New technology allowed for much taller and tougher buildings, and skyscrapers and offices, hotels and apartments, and more reached staggering new heights, quite literally. But this also meant that interior transportation was an issue. Climbing stairs to a building’s 30th floor would be wildly impractical, so an elevator company could be hired to put in residential lifts. Ever since then, a elevator company will always be around to effect elevator repair or installation, and residential elevators are safer and faster than ever before. When might an elevator company be hired for a job, and how often are elevators used in the United States today?
How Elevators Are Used
Elevators are used around the world, and being a large and highly developed nation, the United States is home to many of these elevators. The United States is home to some 900,000 elevators in total, and on average, each one can service 20,000 people every single year. That’s like an entire small town’s worth of people, all riding an elevator over a year. Overall, this adds up to around 18 billion passenger trips taking place in elevators across the United States every year. Most of these elevators are within commercial, retail, or residential properties that are on average five stories tall. Very tall buildings must have elevators in them, but even relatively short buildings often make use of them as well.
A commercial elevator, or a freight elevator, is designed to carry items up and down in a retailer or in a factory or similar structure. These elevators are built on an industrial scale; they are wide enough to hold many items of cargo, and they have enough power to lift a great deal of weight. Such elevators may also have people on board along with the cargo, such as employees who will move that cargo out of the elevator once it reaches its destination floor. Such elevators are rarely used to transport only people, however.
Meanwhile, most people are more familiar with residential elevators, which are more box-shaped and have furnishings to look more attractive. These elevators may carry around six to 10 people or so, and are typically found in apartments, hotels, skyscrapers, and similar structures. Such elevators may have soft lighting, carpets, wood paneling, and other comfort features, and some may even have “elevator music” in them for longer rides. These elevators have large control panels where a rider may press a button for their desired floor, as well as buttons to open or close the door early. On the outside, a person may press a button to call the elevator to that floor. Such elevators are often saver than escalators, being used 20 times more often but only having 33% more accidents. This makes for a good ratio of elevator use vs incident rates.
Hiring an Elevator Company
Who is going to hire an elevator company, and why? When a large retail building, a hotel or skyscraper, or similar building is being built, an elevator company may offer its expertise and install all hardware needed for a functional elevator. A typical construction project has several different contractor teams working in tandem, each with different skills and materials to offer. This ranges from a concrete company to electricians to plumbers to an elevator company, and the latter will build the elevator’s shaft in the building as well as the car itself and its necessary hydraulics or cables. This also includes electrician work for the elevator’s control panel and the control panels located outside every set of doors in the building.
These elevator companies may also be called upon if a building’s existing elevator has broken down, and they can effect repairs and possibly help people trapped inside the elevator get out safely. In some cases, an old elevator may be replaced entirely, and an old building may have one installed for the first time. Such elevators may be great convenient for many occupants or guests.