Just realized modern elevator cabs weigh almost 40% less than the ones from the 1970s after looking up old building specs

I was digging through some original blueprints for a retrofit in a 1968 office tower here in Columbus and the old cab weight listed was like 3,400 pounds versus the new MRL cabs we install now that come in around 2,100, has anyone else seen that kind of difference on their jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

miaprice1d ago

Started noticing this back when we swapped out a 1972 Otis cab in a Cleveland hospital, that old thing weighed a ton and a half easy compared to the new lightweight ones we put in. The difference in the hoistway load calculations was huge, we had to double check the guide rails weren't overbuilt for nothing. Ended up using a smaller machine on the retrofit because the counterweight ratio shifted so much, saved the building owner some real money on electricity too. The old cabs had those thick steel panels and heavy doors, now everything is aluminum composite and glass, makes a big difference when you are hauling it up a stairwell.

the_faith1d ago

Yeah the weight difference is wild, we had a 1969 Westinghouse cab in a Philly office building that came out to nearly 2000 pounds including the old wood paneling and brass fixtures. The new cab we built was less than half that with aluminum framing and acrylic panels, made the whole roping setup way easier to balance. Our guys were actually able to haul the sections up the service stairs by hand instead of renting a crane for the weekend.

rowan_ross1d ago

Wait, you mean those old cabs were really that heavy? That changes how I look at retrofits now.

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