Stannah FX - for timber framed buildings
Stannah have responded to a growing need within the construction industry by developing a structure-supported lift for timber framed buildings.
Timber framed construction is being used with greater frequency in building developments. Due to shrinkage and settlement inherent in this type of building design, current lift structures were found to be too rigid which can mean movement around the lift entrances of as much as 30mm on a five floor lift.
A solution was needed, and Stannah Lifts Ltd eagerly took up the challenge. The company took its existing FX structure-supported lift and adapted it to suit timber framed buildings, creating a new option in the FX range.
Research and development of the new lift structure required analysing the movement within timber framed buildings, and modifying the FX solution to increase the flexibility needed to ensure a lift structure would not be unduly stressed by any building movement.
On the standard lift structure design the landing doors were fixed directly to the steel structure, whilst on the timber solution the landing entrance frames are fixed directly to the inside face of the timber shaft. This method allows the building to move independently of the lift structure preventing the distortion between the building and the lift architrave frame previously experienced. The new structure is supported by contact with the internal walls of the lift shaft and slipper plates are used to allow the vertical movement of the building to slide pass the fixed lift structure. This maintains the lift structure location within the lift shaft, allowing more space at the top of the installed structure frame and prevents the building from settling on to the lift structure frame.
From Stannah’s experience the concrete pit area and the interior cladding of the timber frame rarely line up, a discrepancy of 30mm being common, so an additional 50mm has been added to the width and depth of the lift shaft for the new option to allow for this discrepancy.
Detailed Builders work drawings are produced for each client and provide designers and builders with information on how to reduce problems with settlement on site.
