Way into Clouds
According to the United Nations, more than half of the world populations are city dwellers, and by 2050 they will represent 70% of all humanity. The process of enhancing the role of cities and metropolises leads to the development of the maximum enlarged urban conglomerations as structures designed for a rather dense concentration of people. At the same time, of course, the most economically and environmentally promising option for the development of modern cities is their growth up, that is – due to the construction of highrise buildings. According to experts, currently in different parts of the world are built or planned to be erected about 600 buildings over 200 m high. Moreover, to the three ultra-high skyscrapers that have overcome the 500-meter mark, soon will be added twenty similar. Striving upwards - an obvious trend that defines the future of urban development and will continue in the future.
Elevator – is a special, specific transportation mode to help millions of people to move around on a vertical of these impressive constructions. Currently, the elevators can go up only to 500 meters, because of weight of steel ropes. For example, in order to take the elevator up to a height of half a kilometer their weight should be 75% of the total weight of the system. Of course, the development of highrise construction stimulates the rationalization of the related industries. The KONE UltraRopeTM is a completely new hoisting technology that eliminates the disadvantages of conventional steel rope and opens up a world of possibilities in high-rise building design. “We are proud to introduce this innovation that we are certain will revolutionize the elevator industry for the tallest segment of buildings across the globe. The benefits of KONE UltraRope versus conventional elevator hoisting technologies are numerous and indisputable,” said KONE President and CEO Matti Alahuhta.
After decades of testing in Lohja laboratory specialists of corporation created the unique KONE UltraRope™ technology, which allows lifting the elevator at least on kilometer altitude! This becomes possible due to the replacing of the ropes material: instead of steel will be used carbon fiber.
Full content of this issue you can read here
The full version of the article can be read in our printed issue, also you can subscribe to the web-version of the magazine
Text: Alexander Shevchuk, Images provided by KONE