INDUSTRY NEWS

BIM STANDARDS IN CONSTRUCTION
Though many large companies have already implemented building information modeling (BIM) standards on a project-by-project basis, many industry members are considering adopting formal BIM standards across entire organizations, rather than just single projects. According to Constructech, creating the standards could allow organizations, to standardize how data is accessed across all construction projects.

OTIS RECEIVES CONTRACT FOR METRO PROJECT
L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd. has awarded Otis a contract to supply 670 elevators and escalators for the Hyderabad Metro Rail project. Otis will install 260 Gen2® Premier elevators and 410 520 NPE escalators in more than 66 stations, workshops and other buildings at depots. Otis will maintain the equipment for 10 years after a two-year warranty period.

CTBUH YOUNG PROFESSIONALS PRESENTATION
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) Young Professionals Committee has announced a multidisciplinary presentation on the Shanghai Tower’s design and construction process at the Chicago Architecture Foundation on May 22 from 5:30-9:00 p.m. Presenters will include Dennis Poon of Thornton Tomasetti, Grant Uhlir of Gensler and Christian Von Holten of Cosentini Associates. Attendance is free, but pre-registration is required via e-mail: ypc@ctbuh.org.

MAN TRAPPED IN MUMBAI ELEVATOR
On April 13, a man was trapped in the elevator of his Mumbai office building when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corp. (BMC) switched off the power after conducting repair work. The BMC was not aware the elevator was in use. According to The Times of India, the man entered the elevator on the third floor and remained entrapped for approximately 36 hr. On April 15, building personnel switched the power on and started the elevator, and found the man lying on the floor. Though considered to have been in ill health, he managed to survive two nights without food or water.

CHINA DEATHS SPARK DISCUSSION
According to Dynasty Fusi Elevator Co., Ltd., recent elevator-safety problems have caused “heated debate” in China. A graduate student died in an elevator incident at a Guangzhou school on March 16, and a woman died in a Shanghai freight elevator on January 28. Furthermore, seven people were injured in a “falling elevator accident” on March 4 in a Hong Kong North Point District building. Two elevator workers were seriously injured and entrapped for more than 1 hr. following an elevator incident on March 16. In 2012, 28 people were killed and 15 were injured in incidents in China involving elevators.

CHINA ISSUES ELEVATOR INSTALLATION GUIDELINES
The Chinese government has issued guidelines for the design, installation, operation and maintenance of elevators, escalators and moving walks in Macau, according to the Macau Daily Times. At a recent press conference, the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau released the guidelines and instructions, which will be effective May 19. The guidelines will require existing equipment to undergo yearly inspections and obtain a safety certificate. In addition, the government said it will perform random inspections on at least 5% of the city’s 5,000 machines. The bureau will create a database in which to record the information.

MANDATORY AUTOMATIC RESCUE DEVICES
According to the Hindustan Times, the Haryana State Government in India has directed Inspectorate Lifts and Elevators to publicize the names of owners, companies and commercial establishments that have not installed the mandatory automatic rescue devices (ARD) in elevators. A report revealed approximately 426 lifts out of 4,495 in buildings in Gurgaon do not have ARDs. Though ARDs became mandatory in 2009, many developers have neglected to install them in their buildings.

BMC TO REPLACE MUMBAI'S FIRST ESCALATOR
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corp. (BMC) is replacing Mumbai's first escalator after almost 30 years of not operating, according to the MumbaiMirror. Located at Girgaum Chowpatty, the escalator was installed in the 1970s and broke down in the 1980s, remaining inoperable for several years before being dismantled. Civic officials are designing plans to reconstruct the escalator, which is attached to the city's oldest footover bridge, and installation is expected to begin soon. In addition, BMC has appointed a consultant to study other busy pedestrian areas where escalators can be installed.

EW TO FOCUS ON CABS, ENTRANCES
The July issue of ELEVATOR WORLD will focus on elevator cabs and entrances. The issue will include coverage of this year’s National Association of Elevator Contractors Spring Educational Conference. The deadline for contributions is May 15. To participate or for more information, contact the EW Editorial Department at phone: (251) 479-4514, ext. 30 or e-mail: editorial@elevatorworld.com.

IAEC FORUM GETS CET APPROVAL
The educational program for the International Association of Elevator Consultants (IAEC) Forum has been approved for 6.75 contact hours for the National Association of Elevator Contractors Certified Elevator Technician (CET®) program. This marks the first time the event has had certification for CET. The forum is scheduled for April 29-May 2 in San Antonio.

SCHINDLER SOLAR ELEVATOR NEARS LAUNCH
Schindler has introduced a solar-powered elevator, which the company says was inspired in large part by its partnership with the Solar Impulse project (ELENET 569). The hybrid system is built on the standard Schindler 3300 model and designed to supply up to 100% of the elevator’s power needs from rooftop solar panels using a proprietary energy manager that utilizes batteries. Solar panels supply most of the Schindler Solar Elevator’s power requirements, which will vary depending on size and daily traffic. Backup power is provided by a one-phase grid connection. Intended for residential and low-rise commercial buildings, the new product is to be available in Europe and India in 2013, and the U.S. and other global markets in 2014.

BAKU FLAME TOWERS RECEIVE AWARD
The Baku Flame Towers in Baku, Azerbaijan, were recently awarded "Best Hotel & Tourism Resort" at the 2013 MIPIM Awards in Cannes, France. Designed by HOK architects and developed by Azinko Development, the project is comprised of three towers, one 34-floor commercial office building and two 39-floor towers, featuring residential and hotel space. They are connected at the base of the structure. The towers were also designed to withstand high winds and seismic activity, both of which are prominent weather conditions in the area.

ELEVATOR REPLACEMENTS IN AZERBAIJAN
According to the Azerbaijan Business Center, Iham Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s president, has ordered the strengthening of materials and technical base of elevators in apartment buildings in Baku, Ganja and Sumgait. In recent years, the country has made efforts to improve living conditions in apartment buildings, which includes the replacement of the majority of elevators. Aliyev has allocated AZN7 million (US$8.9 million) for the elevator project.

KONE OPENS MANUFACTURING, R&D SITE
KONE recently announced the official opening of its new KONE Park manufacturing, engineering and R&D center in the Kunshan New and Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone in Kunshan, China. The 240,000-m² center is KONE's largest, and includes three elevator factories and one escalator factory. KONE Park was planned according to the company's global supply-network needs and the Lean manufacturing principle, aimed to maximize energy efficiency and eliminate waste. It was also constructed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification. KONE Park also features eight global R&D centers, and a new high-rise test tower, under construction. The test tower is expected to open in 2014.

SAUDI ARABIA MARKET REPORT
Research and Markets recently announced its “Elevator and Escalator Market in Saudi Arabia 2012-2016” report. It aims to help professionals understand the significant trends impacting the market. According to the report, the increase in construction in Saudi Arabia has led to a rise in demand for elevators and escalators. The report examines the following: projected market size in 2016, growth rate, key market trends and vendors, and potential market challenges. For more information, visit website: www.researchandmarkets.com.

FOUR-TOWER PROJECT UNDERWAY IN DUBAI
Damac Properties and Paramount Pictures have partnered to develop a US$1-billon hotel project in Dubai, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The Damac Towers is Paramount’s first project into the hotel and real-estate industry and will feature four 250-m-tall towers. One tower will be a 540-room Paramount hotel and residence, and the other three will include serviced apartments. The towers are said to be deigned with a “rippling” appearance and will sit on a multilevel podium with various amenities. Construction is underway.

ISTANBUL LAUNCHES INTERNATIONAL CENTER
According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, construction of the Instanbul International Financial Center (IIFC) recently commenced. The HOK-designed project consists of four districts centered around culture, commerce, civic functions and government. The US$2.6-billion center will also add a new subway line, urban park and 45 million sq. ft. of retail, office, residential, conference and hotel space. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2016.

IAEC FORUM APPROVED AS CE OPPORTUNITY
The IAEC Forum, to be held on April 29-May 2 in San Antonio, has recently had its educational sessions approved by NAESA International for continuing-education (CE) credit. Four educational sessions are planned, two each on April 30 and May 1. A total of 0.825 CE units (8-1/4 CE credits) can be earned by completing the requirements for all sessions.

TECHNO ELEVATORS CELEBRATES MILESTONE
Techno Elevators LLC, part of North Ocean Enterprises, recently celebrated the completion of 250 successful Installations of Hyundai Elevator elevators and escalators in Oman during five years of operations in the country. Techno Elevators also installed one of the country's first automatic car-parking systems last year and has a goal of installing 100 elevators in 2013-2014.

KONE TO SUPPLY HAIKOU TOWER
KONE recently announced a new order to install 31 elevators and four TravelMaster™ 110 escalators at the Hainan Tower in Haikou. The order includes 28 MiniSpace™ elevators with a capacity of 1600 kg and speed of 6 mps, and three MonoSpace® elevators. KONE will also supply its E-Link remote monitoring system. The 200-m-tall commercial office building is expected to be completed by the end of this year and open to the public at the end of 2014. The project is contracted by Beijing Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd., and the architect is Zhongxu Planning & Architecture Design Co., Ltd.

CANNY TEST TOWER/TECHNOLOGY BUILDING
On March 12, Canny Elevator began foundation work on its new test tower and technology building in Wujiang, China. The main structure height of the test tower is to be 288 m, with 268 m above ground, making it one of the tallest elevator test towers in the world. Elevator speeds inside could reach 21 mps, and double-car testing is possible. The east side of the test tower will consist of an escalator testing area for units up to 50 m, and the south side will include a technology building.