INDUSTRY NEWS

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September 19, 2011

INDIAN BUILDINGS SEALED
In a crackdown against unauthorized buildings, Chennai Corp. sealed nearly seven buildings in the commercial districts of Mannady and Sowcarpet, India, on September 7. According to officials, the buildings violated development regulations.

EW POY CONTEST SUCCESS
ELEVATOR WORLD is pleased to announce that it has received a record 31 submissions for its 2012 Project of the Year (POY) contest. EW would like to thank all participants and supporters for making this year the most successful yet.

BUILDING DESIGN AFTER 9/11
Professor Ed Galea of the University of Greenwich has led a three-and-a-half-year study into the evacuation of the World Trade Center towers on 9/11. Though the research is still ongoing, Galea believes that for buildings above a critical population and height, stairs and elevators should be used in combination for the safe evacuation of the entire population.

September 12, 2011

NAESA INTERNATIONAL WEBINARS
NAESA International is holding webinars that will each fulfill .4 continuing-education units toward Maintenance of Qualifications. September 9 and October 22 will see webinars on passenger and freight door operation, and September 10 and October 21 events will involve limited-use/limited-access elevators. For more information, visit website: www.naesai.org <http://naesai.org/calendar.php> .
 
NAESA INTERNATIONAL ELECTS BOARD
During NAESA International’s 40th Annual Workshop, held August 16-18 in Portland, Oregon, the board of directors for the organization’s 2011-2012 term were elected. Members include William and Lawrence Watson, Michael Stewart, Frederick Slater and Bill Snyder.

CHINA PERFORMANCE RATINGS
The first performance rating of escalator contractors in China is to be published this month. It will follow the June 2009 launch of a demerit points system for elevator contractors. Suspended licenses, fines and/or imprisonment will all be considered for negligent contractors.
 
SYMAX LIFT CONTRACT
Symax Lift (Holding) Co., Ltd. recently announced that it received an elevator purchase order for a residential property in Qufu, Shangdong Province, China. Delivery will commence in September and be completed in October. This is the second elevator order Symax has received for real-estate developments in Qufu.

September 6, 2011

FĒNIX RETROFITS
Fēnix Energy is one of the first firms in the world with the ability to retrofit a high rise with geoexchange technology within the footprint of the building. Also known as geothermal heating and cooling, geoexchange is a clean, sustainable heating and cooling solution.
 
OFFICIAL PRODUCT LAUNCH
ThyssenKrupp Elevator has officially launched two of its products –- the iwalk moving walk and Velino Compact escalator. Both systems are designed to save space and reduce energy requirements. In addition, they are both suitable for new installations and modernization projects.

August 29, 2011

ELEVATOR WORLD WEBSITE
The redesigned Elevator World, Inc. website will launch on September 1. The new website will boast a complete revamp with an improved interface and new features, including the recently launched eDirectory and monthly web exclusives, plus all of the news and industry tools users have come to expect.

SCHINDLER R&D FACILITY
Schindler has opened a new R&D facility in Mumbai. Inaugurated in July, the facility will focus on developing skills for component design and building relationships with local engineering companies.

August 22, 2011

SCHINDLER, OLAYAN PARTNERSHIP
Olayan Financing Co.  recently acquired a minority stake of 10% in Saudi Elevator Co, Ltd. of which Schindler became the sole owner in 2010. The company will be renamed Schindler Olayan Elevator Co. Ltd., and both partners will be represented equally on the company’s board of directors.

VDI 4707 RATINGS
ThyssenKrupp Elevator (Korea) of Seoul, South Korea, has recently acquired the energy-efficiency Class-A rating certification, the highest rating according to the VDI guideline 4707 from TÜV SÜD. The company was recognized for three of its energy-efficient products with energy savings up to 60%.

EDUNBURGH PROMOTES SAFETY
China’s Shanghai Edunburgh Elevator Co., Ltd. recently held its first fellowship party aimed at popularizing elevator operation rules and breakdown procedures. The fellowship party’s goal is to raise safety awareness among passengers, government leaders, property-management companies and publications.

2-KM TOWER NOW POSSIBLE
According to Dr. Sang Dae Kim, chairman of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, it is now feasible to construct a tower standing 2 km high. Such a development would surpass Burj Khalifa, which is said to be the world’s tallest skyscraper.

August 15, 2011

ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTIONS TO BE DEMOLISHED
The Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) in Jaipur, India, plans to incorporate controlled detonation techniques as a means of enforcing laws against illegal constructions in the city, especially high rises. The new technique, if incorporated, will save time for the JDA, as it currently takes three days to demolish a building.

THYSSENKRUPP EQUIPS UNIVERSIADE
ThyssenKrupp Elevator manufactured and installed 116 elevators and two escalators for the 26th World University Summer Games (Universiade) in Shenzhen, China. Most of the vertical-transportation units were placed in the 28 buildings of the newly built Universiade Village. When the summer games are over, the 492,000-m2 site will be the new campus of the Shenzhen Institute of Information Technology.

SHENZHEN ELEVATOR INCIDENT
On July 30, two elevators in a hotel in Shenzhen, China, reportedly got stuck between the first and second floors. Eleven passengers were stranded for more than one hour, but no injuries were reported. The cause is said to have been from a failure of the elevators’ “safety” and “load-weighing device,” respectively.  

2012 PROJECT OF THE YEAR
The submission deadline for ELEVATOR WORLD’s 14th-Annual Project of the Year Awards is approaching. Winning entries will be published in the January 2012 issue of EW, and winners in each category will be acknowledged with an award. The deadline for entries is August 31.

BEIJING ESCALATORS RECALLED
Among the 102 escalator units for Beijing’s Yizhuang subway line, a dozen have been recalled because they posed the same risk of malfunction as the escalator that killed a 13-year-old boy in July. According to the Beijing Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision, the escalator involved in the July incident had a design defect and had been improperly maintained.

KINGDOM TOWER ANNOUNCED
Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal announced plans to build the world’s tallest building in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Known as Kingdom Tower and standing at 1,000 m, the building will have a total of 59 elevators and 12 escalators. It is expected to take five years to complete construction.

TAIWAN TOWER ACHIEVES LEED®
Taipei 101 in Taipei has recently achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, the highest rating the U.S. Green Building Council offers. The 508-m-tall tower’s energy consumption is 30% lower than that of an average building.

August 8, 2011

UNAUTHORIZED CONSTRUCTION
Unauthorized high-rise construction in the funnel zone of the Begumpet Airport in Fatehnagar, India, is underway. The Airports Authority of India and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corp. claim permission for construction was not granted.

INFINITY TOWER IN DUBAI
When completed, the Infinity Tower in Dubai Marina will be one of the world's tallest twisted towers, at 73 stories and 307 meters. The structure gradually twists 90° around an untwisted lift shaft. Completion is scheduled for 2012.

SHANGHAI ESCALATOR INJURY
On July 25, a four-year-old boy was injured on an escalator at the entrance of the Shanghai Railway station when his grandmother stumbled and fell backward onto him. The boy was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

STEEL COMPANY
Shareholders of Guangzhou Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. of Guangzhou, China, recently approved a restructuring plan to transform the company into an elevator manufacturer. Guangzhou Iron & Steel plans to strip off all steel assets and accept elevator assets from Guangri Group, parent of the restructured group, Guangzhou Guangri Elevator Industry.

SCHINDLER JV IN CHINA
“Competition authorities” in China have approved Schindler’s establishing of a new joint venture (JV) in China after acquiring a 46% stake in Xuchang Xiji Elevator Co. Ltd. The JV company is named XJ-Schindler (Xuchang) Elevator Co. Ltd. and has its headquarters in Henan Province.

SHANGHAI PROJECT TO CHANGE
Shanghai’s urban planning authority will reconsider the plan for the high-rise complex in the city’s historic Bund district due to popular demand. The modernistic design of the proposed 136-m-high SOHO twin towers (the tallest structures in the project) will be modified. The project’s completion is planned for 2014.

August 2, 2011

UNAUTHORIZED CONSTRUCTION
Unauthorized high-rise construction in the funnel zone of the Begumpet Airport in Fatehnagar, India, is underway. The Airports Authority of India and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corp. claim permission for construction was not granted.

KONE/APC PARTNERSHIP
KONE is to import 30 high-speed elevators from Europe for the Hangzhou, China, Asian Packaging Center (APC)’s two towers. These include 10 sets of 6-mps, 11 sets of 4-mps, four sets of 3-mps and five sets of 2.5-mps elevators. The project includes two towers and a podium building.

CHINA ESCALATOR SAFETY
Following the July 5 Beijing subway escalator incident (ELENET® 524), in which 30 passengers were injured and a child was killed, there are growing concerns that vertical-transportation safety standards in China are too lax. It has been reported that the Chinese government is tightening its supervision of inspections of escalators and elevators.

July 25, 2011

BANGALORE METRO
The K.R. Road Station in the North-South Corridor in Bangalore, India, hasn’t yet started construction on its connecting underground stretch from Majestic to K.R. Road, but the project is still expected to be completed in 2013. The stairs are almost complete, and escalators are to be fitted in the near future.

INTERLIFT 2011 PROGRAMMING
Interlift 2011, to be held on October 18-21 in Augsburg, Germany, has finalized this year’s program. It includes 54 lecturers from 16 countries. For more information, visit website: www.interlift.de <http://www.interlift.de> .

METRO STATION SUSPENSIONS
Xinzhuang Station of Metro Line 1 in Beijing returned four of its suspended escalators to service on July 14. The equipment was suspended due to a recent fatal accident. Two escalators in Xinzhuang Station and four in the Shanghai South Railway Station were scheduled to resume operations on July 16. It is unclear when the remaining 12 closed escalators in stations on lines 1 and 7 will be restored as the investigation by the state quality-inspection authority is not complete. Officials will keep checking the equipment to ensure safe operation.  

NEW PRESIDENT, CEO
Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corp. has announced the appointment of Shinichiro Akiba to president and CEO, effective June 21. Akiba has more than 20 years of international business experience. Prior to accepting his current position, he was president and CEO of Toshiba Elevator Corp. and president of the Japan Business Association, both of Houston.

MARKET IMPROVEMENTS
United Technologies has seen improvements in its building-related business market with an 11% increase in total sales for the first quarter. In addition, Otis, a division of United Technologies, has seen a 17% increase in new equipment orders compared to the same quarter last year.

July 18, 2011

CTBUH AWARDS
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has named the Regional “Best Tall Buildings” for 2011. They include: “New York by Gehry” at Eight Spruce Street, New York City (Americas); Guangzhou International Finance Center, Guangzhou, China (Asia and Australia); KfW Westarkade, Frankfurt, Germany (Europe); and The Index, Dubai (Middle East and Africa). The recipients will be formally recognized on October 27 at CTBUH’s 10th Annual Awards Ceremony & Dinner.

HYUNDAI EQUIPS I-TOWER
Hyundai Elevator Co., Ltd. has received a contract to provide 18 elevators, including two high-speed elevators, to Songdo, South Korea’s I-Tower. The building, currently under construction, is slated for completion in late 2012.

ON CAMERA FOR EW
Do you have a camera? If so, you can be an ELEVATOR WORLD or EW India On Camera reporter. Just take some high-resolution photos of something industry related that you find interesting and send us those with the basic facts. For more information or to submit, contact Managing Editor Angie Baldwin at phone: (251) 479-4514, ext. 30 or e-mail: angie@elevatorworld.com.

DESIGN COMPETITION
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) selected Chicago-based architecture firm Goettsch Partners for its winning scheme in the design competition for a prominent site in the new Pazhou district in Guangzhou, China. Three parcels form the triangular site, which is planned for seven buildings.

July 11, 2011

ESCON RATED HIGHLY
Escon Elevators Pvt. Ltd. of India was given NSIC-CRISIL Rating SE1B, which indicates “Highest Performance Capability and Moderate Financial Strength.” It indicates that Escon is growing quickly, as it reflects a compound annual growth rate of 54.34% in revenues over the past three years.

NEW MODERNIZATION SOLUTION
Schindler has introduced a new elevator modernization solution specifically designed for mid-rise buildings. With an integrated group of technology upgrades incorporating Schindler components, older mid-rise elevators can now be modernized quicker with shortened lead times and minimal downtime.

NAIROBI ENFORCES ELEVATOR LAW
The Nairobi (Kenya) City Council has begun demolishing buildings more than five stories high without a lift due to noncompliance with the law. Deaths have been blamed on some builders constructing despite not receiving council approval.

ESCON RATED HIGHLY
Escon Elevators Pvt. Ltd. of India was given NSIC-CRISIL Rating SE1B, which indicates “Highest Performance Capability and Moderate Financial Strength.” It indicates that Escon is growing quickly, as it reflects a compound annual growth rate of 54.34% in revenues over the past three years.

MITSUBISHI ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT
Mitsubishi Electric Group has released its environmental report for the fiscal year 2011 ending March 31. The report outlines the operations of Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and its 167 domestic and overseas affiliates and their sustainability efforts.

BEIJING ESCALATOR ACCIDENT
One person was killed and 28 were injured in a July 5 escalator accident at a Beijing subway station. According to the Beijing municipal government and the Beijing Metro-Transit Railway Corp., the passengers fell down the unit after “an escalator malfunction.”

KONE INTERIM REPORT
KONE will publish its interim report for the January 1 to June 30 period on July 19 at 12:30 p.m. EET. The report will be made available online at website: www.kone.com.

July 5, 2011

OVERBRIDGE DEVELOPMENT STALLED
In Chennai, India, work on a foot overbridge with escalators has yet to begin, more than two years after the foundation was laid. The proposed overbridge would have escalators at both ends, allowing commuters to cross GST Road to access the railway and bus stations on the other side.  

CTBUH 2011
The 2011 Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) World Conference will be held October 10-12 at the Coex Convention Center in Seoul. The deadline for early registration is July 10. For more information, visit website: www.ctbuh2011.org.

TOUCHLESS-CONTROL TECHNOLOGY
Mitsubishi Electric now offers the Japanese market its touchless-control elevator technology, enabling people to command an elevator and select a destination without pushing a button. This is an application of Mitsubishi Electric’s voice recognition technology.

CHINA’S NEWEST SUPERTALL TOWER
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture has unveiled its winning design for China’s Wuhan Greenland Center, set to become the world’s fourth-tallest building. The 1,988-ft.-tall, 119-story supertall will include office space, apartments and condominiums, a five-star hotel and a private club.

ISEC MEMBERSHIP OPTION
The International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) has announced a tax-deductible corporate membership program that will expose takers to the space-elevator community. For more information or to join, contact ISEC at website: www.isec.org.

SEMATIC UPDATES WEBSITE
Sematic Elevator Products has revamped its website (www.sematic.com). The site is offered in additional languages, includes an interactive product selection guide, a new contact section, and more. In addition, the reserved area includes Sematic Draw, a web-based drawing software.