Construction Hoists Automated - Finally
The amount of effort spent in loading up a building is tremendous. Contractors have recently been using false work structure to allow them to have up to 6 hoists on a single building loading them up. Think of the expense and the value to getting it done quickly involved.
Construction of Waterline Tower in Austin and the hoists loading it up.
Gain Speed, Function & Safety
The operators require space to move around in the hoists to close gates, function the controls, and to open the building side gates in the end. In that process they are sometimes exposed to items that can fall and crush them. These safety hazards are little discussed. I have served as one of these operators and I can tell you how true it is. I erected tower cranes much of my career and I’ve never had more concern than being in the hoist with racks of drywall which is unforgiving once it starts shifting while on castors.
While using these for materials only, the operators can help load the hoist, or go on to other functions if the subs will be loading the hoist. All of the functions can be found at the loading dock outside of the car, or at the floor on the building. You can send it from the floor with no human exposed inside the car, or call it to yourself when the person at the floor says it’s ready. It couldn’t be easier. And if you want to switch back to moving humans, you can easily put the operator back in. You can move these with people without an operator, but it won’t make much sense. We prioritize the car controls over the floor controls so an operator can always “take the wheel” so to speak.
Construction Hoists can be automated and speed up the loading of a building process dramatically.
Save Potentially Seven Figures on a High Rise
Another benefit here is that General Contractors are paying for operators, often through a third party, to assist in the load up process due to contractual obligations. The result with automation is the GC can decide if they want to pay for the operator to assist, or to have them do other functions and save that expense which can be as high as $20,000 per month when it’s through a third party. On a building like the Waterline pictured above, can that be a $60,000 per month savings while getting more work done? And for the morning, lunch, or end of day transporting of humans, you can immediately take control of the car from within and focus on the task of getting people off of the building. Then for afterhours, the hoists can be automated again equally as easily.
ANSI A10.4 makes allowances for automated operation. But moreover, OSHA doesn’t require ANSI A10.4 when it comes to operations. If you are in an OSHA state that doesn’t self regulate, then there shouldn’t be any limitation beyond the manufacturer recommendations. If you personally require a National Consensus Standard to guide your activities, then the ANSI has you covered.
ANSI A10.4 section 24.1.2.1 states:
“(2) Momentary pressure operation with up-down buttons or switches, or call buttons, at each landing. It is not required that the operation be selective.”
It’s time we modernize our thinking in hoists. The technology today is nearly as reliable as interior elevators. Why can’t we automate them? If no human is exposed to the risk of riding with materials, we’ve lessened our risk profile. Encoders and PLC controllers tell the hoist exactly where it is in the hoist way. A back up set of upper and lower limits stop it from running too far either way. If it lost it’s position somehow, it could be safely recalled to the base and serviced.
We sell the hoists we offer. If you are a contractor and would like a modern hoist that runs with Call to Floor Functionality so your hoists can be automated, we can help. You can stop paying rents, or ask your rental company to carry our solution so you can control one more area of spending and risk. Get a European designed and built hoist that comes with parts easily sourced in the US today.
