Plunging Elevators

Hollywood has made some terrific scenes on the theme of an elevator plunging after some mishap.

Can anyone point to any credible report of this ever happening?

 

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I hate to bring this up, but there has been at least one article I am aware of that describes how elevators in the world trade center plunged to the ground after the planes struck the towers. Other than that case, I am not aware of any. In fact, most elevators have an emergency braking system that is suppose to kick in when an elevator loses its supportive system, which may be hydraulic or cable depending upon the height of the structure.

 

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Safety first.

I have never heard of elevators plunging, but I have heard about an elevator which cable snapped.

All elevators have at least one safety brake, most of them have more than two, which consist of both cables, electromagnetic brakes and mechanical brakes. So did this one. The elevator only fell for one meter until it was stopped. The people inside did not realize what had happened, they did not even feel much of the fall.

I do not think one should worry about elevators plunging at all. If one should worry one should probably worry about REAL OLD elevators, because they can have just one safety brake.

The elevator I studied in a digital course on an university in Sweden had these safety brakes.

- An extra cable which were not supporting the elevator in general. The cable was loosely fastened in the elevator and if the elevator moved to fast downwards a mechanism on the cable noticed and started to break the fall. This cable was fastened in another structure than the original cable which elevated the lift (the original cable also had some safety brakes).

- One set of mechanical brakes which was activated in the same manner as the safety cable (by speed downwards).

- One set of magnetic brakes a top the mechanical ones, same activation.

I have also heard about safety issues in the bottom of shafts but never seen one. Supposedly they use compressed air or foam in the bottom of the shaft slowing a falling elevator.

 

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I remember someone showing me a design for an elevator brake (One that works with the actual elevator on a track)

It was meant for if the counter weights broke off and it started plumitting.

The design was of a corkscrew that would turn a spring in an emergency... as it plumets the sping would be wound to completely tight and then fire a bolt up that would allow the breaks to shot out on the tracks and stop the elevator.

It is possible for an Elevator to plumit, but it's likely that it wouldn't go all the way to the bottom.
(unless of course a fire had warped the breaking system from beneath it)

These systems can be applied to both the elevator cab and it's counterweights.

elevators are by percentage very safe, the only real dangers are getting something trapped in the doors (like a skirt or something and losing it when it moves). Poweroutages that cause the elevator to stop working, mechanical faliures that cause it to get stuck.

Escalators a by far more dangerous, Take for instance the Kings Cross Fire in London (started by grease and a discarded cigarette butt).

By the way if you do ever end up in a burning building.. use the stairs. (not the window or elevators) And if everyone is panicing... Well it's your chance to be the boss and make sure they know to calm down. (get them inline)

 

Stryderunknown

Well spoken.

 

how would they ever know? the whole this was distroyed.

it might be nice to note that a month ago in my college dorm I was in an elevator that fell a floor. i went in this a girl and the doors closed, the elevator jerk down a floor and then preceded up. i went off the first floor the door opened, lol