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Location
Credits
- Developer: Tishman Hotel & Realty LP
- Architect: Gensler Architects
- Engineering: Stantec Consulting
- General Contractor: John Civetta and Sons, Inc.
- Lift Installer: Handi-Lift, Inc.
- Lift Manufacturer: Lift-U, a division of Hogan Mfg., Inc.
- Enclosure Designer and Fabricator: InDetail, Inc. and INA Building Shop, Inc.
First of its kind
Elevator World Magazine
The New York City subway system is a demanding environment. Standard wheelchair lifts just aren’t capable of holding up there for many reasons: metal dust, power washing, and of course 24 hour a day use by not only those with mobility impairments but by anyone who wants to take a ride.
Designing to minimum safety standards isn’t sufficient to meet these demands. The MTA insists on a level of serviceability and performance that we have not encountered in other markets for accessibility equipment.
Living up to high standards
But for this project, the Hotel Intercontinental, developers Tishman could not rely on an elevator alone. Site conditions made it impossible: A sewer line running beneath the intermediate landing, the structure required to support the sidewalk, the tracks underneath. It would take two pieces of equipment to achieve full accessibility.
Tishman installed a commercial-grade elevator to get passengers to the landing. The MTA hired Handi-Lift to provide a wheelchair lift from the landing to the track level. The keyless vertical platform lift we built for them is the first ever installed in a active subway station in NYC to our knowledge.
Bullet Proof
The MTA was unimpressed with standard accessibility equipment. When the project was started, Handi-Lift was already consulting with the MTA to develop a two-lift solution to replace commercial elevators in typical stations. When this unique challenge came up, we were brought in.
There was limited overhead, limited maneuvering space, and the pit could only be 2” deep. The challenge was to build a lift that would be servicable in the demanding environment of an active subway station. The MTA asked if we could build a lift that was ‘bullet proof’, easy to use and easy to maintain.
Unique Drive System
Our friends at Lift-U were able to devise a unique cantilevered, twin screw, direct drive system that was beefed up for this project. It even withstood a 10,000 cycle test under full load prior to installation.
The custom stainless and glass enclosure was provided by InDetail and built by INA Building Shop in Brooklyn. We shipped the Lift-U drive system to their shop and mocked up the entire system before bringing it to the site.
A Difficult Challenge
Once we found a drive system that could meet the MTA's requirements, we could design the enclosure.
The biggest challenge we faced was to ensure that our plan’s dimensions were precise to the ¼”. We had to release into production before concrete was poured, let alone before floor and wall finishes could be installed and the field measured.
The plan view dimensions turned out perfect but the elevation was more difficult to predict. Even with all our care and planning with the contractor, the finished floor was 1” taller than anticipated. This caused us some sleepless nights but we were eventually able to make key adjustments in the field without having to send the lift back to the factory.
| Travel | 51.5 inches |
| Speed | c.10fpm |
| Capacity | 750lbs. |
| Configuration | Two stops, straight through. |
Enclosure
The enclosure frames are 2” stainless tubing with channels for ½” safety glass. The glass is set inside the frames to avoid interior pinch points (as required by code). The glass can be removed from the outside if it ever needs to be replaced. The MTA also specified anti-graffiti film on both sides of all glass panels.
Electrical
The motor, controller, and UPS back up system are hidden underneath the upper landing sill. The ¾” thick aluminum platform is structural — the drive system picks the lift up from the car sides. This means we could install this heavy duty lift in only a 2” slab depression.
All electrical connections (to the remote hall stations, the phone line, the MTA LiftNet monitoring system, the electrical power source, etc.) had to be in conduits laid in before the concrete was poured and so all electrical connections terminate in the space under the upper landing, hidden from view. Service requires removal of the stainless panel under the upper landing from inside the car (or under the car if in the upper landing position).
The disconnect (AC/DC) for the power source is located with battery back up system. The disconnect for the power door operators, along with a GFI outlet, are in an access panel at the upper landing for ease of access and service.
Drive
The drive motor is 2HP, totally enclosed non-ventilated (TENV), 3 phase. The control system is a variable frequency drive with a programmable logic controller.
The MTA approved the Lift-U direct drive system because it does not use hydraulics, which the MTA efforts to avoid even in commercial elevators.
Special Features
The ADA phone was a T1250 by VPP (Vandalism Proof Products) distributed by Janus
The power door operators are by Tormax. We wanted to use their TN series but there was no way to get the pocket in the floor at the upper landing over the lift mechanism or below due to limited pit depth so we went with their low energy TTXII overhead operators.
General Theological Seminary
Design Assistance