Modular Elevator System Pre-fabricated Shaft Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional construction techniques for elevator systems in modular buildings require on-site construction of the elevator shaft, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and do not leverage the benefits of modular construction effectively.
Innovation Solution
A modular elevator system comprising pre-fabricated pit, shaft, and cap modules, which are designed for sequential assembly on-site, allowing for efficient installation within a building during construction, either independently or as part of a volumetric box structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional on-site construction techniques are used for elevator shafts, then the elevator system can be installed in the building, but the construction process becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The elevator shaft system is divided into multiple pre-fabricated modular units (pit module, shaft modules with guide rails and counterweight rails, cap module) that can be manufactured independently and then assembled on-site. This segmentation enables parallel production of multiple modules while reducing on-site construction time and labor requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
Critical components such as guide rails, counterweight rails, and structural elements are pre-installed on the modular units during off-site fabrication. This preliminary action ensures that mechanical installations are completed before assembly, eliminating time-consuming on-site work and ensuring precise alignment through pre-fabricated connection interfaces.
2Ease of manufacture
If the entire shaft is built offsite and shipped horizontally, then factory construction benefits are achieved, but transportation and vertical erection create limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is segmented into multiple transportable modules that can be shipped horizontally on flatbed trucks. Each module is designed with dimensions suitable for standard transportation, eliminating the limitations of shipping a single large horizontal shaft while maintaining factory construction benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft modules are designed to be assembled vertically through stacking rather than being erected as a single horizontal structure. This dimensional change from horizontal transportation to vertical assembly provides greater transportation flexibility and eliminates the need for complex heavy-lift equipment while maintaining structural integrity.
3Device complexity
If modular shaft sections are used, then assembly is simplified, but precise alignment and connection between modules must be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is divided into standardized modular sections that can be assembled in sequence. This segmentation simplifies assembly procedures while maintaining structural integrity through standardized connection interfaces designed for precise alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
Self-aligning connection mechanisms serve as intermediaries between modular shaft sections. These connection interfaces include alignment features and adjustment capabilities that ensure precise positioning and rigid connection of adjacent modules, eliminating alignment errors that would otherwise accumulate during assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular elevator system has a pit module, one or more shaft modules that are attachable to the pit module and/or to an adjacent shaft module, and a cap module that is attachable to an uppermost shaft module. The pit module, the shaft modules, and the cap module are each pre-fabricated and transported to a site at which a building is under construction for assembly top of the pit module, the remaining shaft modules are secured sequentially on top of each other, and the cap module is secured on top of the uppermost shaft module.