Reduce disaster losses, GFC recommends installing seismic sensors in elevators. The strong earthquake on April 3rd has raised concerns about elevator safety across various sectors, especially in Taiwan where tall buildings are prevalent, intensifying the focus on elevator operation safety. GFC, a leading domestic elevator company, illustrates that when faced with a major earthquake, which has a higher probability of damage: a moving train or a stationary one? The answer is clear.

Elevators, in particular, rely on ropes to suspend the carriage, which travels along guide rails inside the shaft. Apart from the multiple ropes suspending the car, there are also traveling cable following the car's up and down movements. These cables could swing during a strong earthquake, potentially entangling various floor facilities inside the shaft, leading to significant accidents such as rope derailing, jamming, or broken strand.

The swaying elevator car passing through each floor could also damage floor panels and switches. Besides numerous limit switches at the top and bottom of the shaft, each floor of an elevator has several sensing points like door switches and floor panels. Any deviation or malfunction in these sensing points could result in elevator malfunction and shutdown, requiring inspection and restoration by licensed and experienced maintenance personnel.

During earthquakes, both car and counterweights sway inside the shaft. Due to the narrowness of the shaft, they are relatively prone to distortion or derailment during severe earthquakes. What's even more terrifying is that during strong earthquakes, if the car and counterweight happen to meet and touch, it can cause partial damage to the car.

In earthquake-prone countries like Japan and Taiwan, high-speed elevators, like high-speed trains, are designed to high standards. Apart from using higher-grade rails compared to non-seismic areas, high-speed elevators are usually equipped with P-wave or S-wave seismic sensors, with different accelerations based on the location and height of the building, typically 80 and 120 gal (approximately seismic intensity of 4 and 5). 

When the up-and-down shaking P-wave or S-wave strikes, the elevator will stop at the nearest floor, open the door for passenger evacuation, and then pause operation until the earthquake ends, automatically resuming operation afterwards. If the seismic wave exceeds 120 gal and the elevator cannot stop immediately, the car will emergency stop in the shaft, and it can only be released after all floors of the shaft are inspected by maintenance personnel to ensure safety.

GFC's GENESIS high-speed elevator series are all equipped with S-wave earthquake detectors, and it is recommended that elevators, especially those in high-rise buildings, which were not previously equipped with earthquake detectors, should consider installing them. Furthermore, regular maintenance and safety inspections by qualified elevator manufacturers should be arranged to reduce the potential for personnel or elevator injury and loss caused by major earthquakes.

News link: https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20240423700184-430503