What is an elevator pit?
The lower part of the enclosure, below the level of the last stop, is called the pit. The floor must be smooth and substantially level. As the lower level of the pit is often below street level, it must be waterproofed to prevent water seepage.
What is a moat for?
In the pit there are buffers or shock absorbers to slow the descent of the cabin in the event of failure of the automatic stop mechanisms and limit switches and to reduce as much as possible the effects of its free fall in the event of cable breakage.
What measurements should an elevator pit have?
The depth of the pit must be sufficient so that when the cabin is on the fully compressed shock absorbers, there is still free space of a height equal to or greater than 0.5 m, sufficient to allow a person to remain safe in the space available under the cabin.
The UNE-EN 81 standard is more precise and states that there must be a space to accommodate a straight parallelepiped of 0.5 x 0.6 x 0.8 m that rests on one of its faces.
In the freight elevator , in the event that due to the dimensions of the enclosure there is not enough space to accommodate a person under the above conditions, an emergency stop device (it may be a switch) and a power outlet must be installed in the pit:
- The switch located inside the pit and next to the access door, so that it can be operated from outside, will cut off the general series of doors and keep the elevator stopped until it is operated in the opposite direction. To avoid errors, the stop position must be marked with a stop sign.
- An electrical outlet to plug in a lamp or portable tool.
How to safely access a pit
Access to the pit can be achieved by two procedures:
- Through a special opening in the enclosure, the solid-metal door must open outwards and be equipped with an effective lock that allows it to be locked from the outside without a key by pressing it, and opened from the inside without a key. It must also have a switch embedded in the control power supply that will prevent the elevator from operating when the door is open.
- Through the lowest access door to the enclosure, in which case it will be equipped with an interlock that prevents it from closing if the cabin is not in front of it.
- When the depth of the pit, from the threshold of the access door, exceeds 1.30 m, a ladder must be installed outside the pit clearance to allow the elevator maintenance personnel a comfortable and safe descent to the pit floor level.
Source: Elevators: Principles and Innovations.Author: A. Miravete, E. Larrodé
7 comments
You say, referring to the pit: "... The UNE-EN 81 Regulation is more precise and states that there must be a space to accommodate a straight parallelepiped of 0.5 x 0.6 x 0.8 m that rests on one of its faces..."
Are these dimensions not those corresponding to the upper space, inversely to the pit?:
«… there must be sufficient space above the cabin to contain a rectangular parallelepiped not less than 0.50 m x 0.60 m x 0.80 m resting on one of its faces…»
While the corresponding dimensions of the pit are:
"... there must be sufficient space in the pit to accommodate at least a rectangular parallelepiped measuring 0.50 m x 0.60 m x 1.0 m resting on one of its faces..."
Hello, I would like to know if it is worth installing a basic elevator with a capacity for 4 people. I would like to put it in a three-story building, the space is already made. If you can give me more or less advice on how the hydraulic and electric ones would work. Thank you very much and I look forward to your response.
Hello, I would like to know what type of elevator for the disabled (electromechanical or hydraulic) is required to move vertically from a continental or dry area to a floating platform (average level difference of 3.75 meters). I would also like to know the general characteristics of the elevator and the shaft. I await your response. Thank you.
I have a space for an elevator measuring 170 wide by 117 long or deep. The pit under the cabin measures 117x130x130. Is this valid?