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Corporate siteSeattle, Wash., Sept. 8, 2017 – KONE, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, today announced successful installation of the first KONE JumpLift™ technology in the U.S. Two KONE JumpLift elevators are now operating at the 8th and Howell construction site in downtown Seattle, home of the future Hyatt Regency Hotel, which will be the largest hotel in the Pacific Northwest.
The first of its kind, KONE JumpLift is a self-climbing elevator that improves jobsite safety and construction efficiency by enhancing the flow of people through a construction site. Located in the building’s permanent hoistways, KONE JumpLift elevators are capable of moving workers and materials at speeds up to four times faster than the traditional external hoist.
In effect, KONE JumpLift cuts wait times in half, slashing the number of hours wasted each day by workers waiting to reach their worksite.
“Our work with Sellen Construction on this high-profile Seattle project demonstrates the value of this smart construction technology,” says Larry Wash, executive vice president, KONE Americas. “Through KONE Smart Construction methods, innovative products like KONE JumpLift boost project safety and efficiency. When vertical transportation is considered as part of the pre-construction process, productivity gains become a reality and buildings are turned over quicker.”
How does KONE JumpLift work?
With KONE JumpLift, workers can use the elevator while guide rails, entrances and doors are installed above. When construction reaches a designated floor, the mobile machine room, which contains the hoisting machine and elevator controls, moves upward. The mobile machine room is then locked into place in the new location, and the elevator can serve the additional floors covered by the jump. As the building grows taller, KONE JumpLift follows, with additional floors served after each successive jump.
Benefits of KONE JumpLift technology include:
- Improved safety: Workers are transported inside an elevator, rather than in an external hoist, where they are fully exposed to the elements.
- Productivity gains: With speeds of up to 800 feet per minute, workers’ waits for transportation to a floor above are shorter and traffic capacity is tripled.
- Streamlined installation: Because movement of the mobile machine room does not require a crane, the need for coordination with other trades is minimized.
- Seamless transition: Changeover to the permanent elevator is efficient; KONE handles all inspections and coordination.
Once construction is completed, KONE will deliver and service 16 KONE MiniSpace™ elevators in the hotel tower, 12 KONE TravelMaster™ escalators, six KONE MonoSpace® elevators and two large freight elevators.
KONE JumpLift is a proven construction innovation used previously in many KONE projects internationally, including the One Bloor project in Toronto, Canada.
For more information on KONE Jumplift, click here.