Elevator History, Standards and Records
From Elisha Otis's safety brake to modern accessibility and safety standards and how lift traffic is planned.
The origins
Elisha Otis, sometimes misspelled elijah otis, demonstrated a safety brake in 1854 that made passenger lifts trusted. The elisha otis elevator idea allowed buildings to grow upwards. The empire state building elevator system remains a famous early example of high-rise vertical transport.
Records
Searches for largest elevator in the world return varying answers, because a record depends on whether you measure capacity, cabin size or travel.
Standards
Standards protect users. csa b44 is Canada's elevator and escalator safety code, and en81 70 is the European standard for accessibility in lifts. In India, refer to the current Bureau of Indian Standards documents applicable to lifts.
Traffic planning
Designers use passenger-flow calculations, sometimes written p flow in search queries, to decide how many lifts a building needs.
Practical questions
Most everyday questions, such as what to look for in elevator specifications or when an elevator needs replacing, are best answered by a site visit.
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