Lifts are now such a part of everyday life. They are used by such a wide variety of different people each day, whether this is at the workplace, in the home or maybe even in the local shopping centre. From the very young to the very old, all have uses for lifts in our modern society.
Chairs lifts can really help disabled people and old aged pensioners to overcome the challenges of stairs. Chair lifts are now so popular; you can even receive government grants for them – which in the current climate is very much appreciated. A chair lift can be fitted according to the individual requirements of the person’s home, so even if your stairs go round in circles, you could still manage to get to the top.
Most public places, such as restaurants shopping centres, offices and cinemas etc., are now built with a disabled lift. One type of disabled lift is known as a platform lift. The design of these is really very user friendly as it enables the wheelchair user to roll on to the platform at floor level. Then the user would put their brakes on and a security bar comes down. The lift moves up to the next level, which then allows the wheelchair user to move off and access the area they desire.
Lifts are also sometimes used as spectacular features in modern hotels or even shopping centres. A lot of hotels in Dubai now have glass lifts that travel on the outside of the building, just to offer the hotel guest that extra something.
Can you imagine the amount of tourists that the Empire State Building would receive a day if they all had to walk up 102 stories of stairs? It would probably stop most of the tourists going to the top to see one of the most spectacular views available in New York.
Escalators are ever more popular and keep the movement of people flowing in very busy areas such as the London Underground. An escalator is basically a moving staircase which is powered by motors. Going at a steady speed, it allows people to step onto and off the escalator very easily. They also allow people to be transported up levels on car parks of shopping centres or to be taken down levels too. They can also been used to transport people along, instead of them having to walk. For instance, they really come in handy when people have very heavy objects to carry, such as in airports.
Sam Ellis has a background in architecture and enjoys writing for Leading Edge Creative Design Ltd