Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) said on the 17th it will implement a "comprehensive elevator improvement plan" to provide a safe and pleasant public housing living environment.
The plan was prepared to not only create a safe and comfortable elevator-use environment in response to abnormal weather such as heat waves and heavy rain, but also to raise safety, user convenience, and cost-effectiveness through improvements to rational design standards. After implementation, the plan will apply first to elevators in apartment complexes ordered by LH, but the corporation plans to reflect it as much as possible at sites where construction is underway, considering installation conditions.
LH improved the existing design system by reflecting measures such as air-conditioning equipment for elevators, which has recently drawn social attention, enhanced safety functions to prevent flooding accidents, and the introduction of a real-demand-based power design technique.
First, LH will make air-conditioning equipment mandatory for newly ordered elevators. Because there have been ongoing complaints about rising interior temperatures in summer due to the lack of installation standards for air-conditioning equipment in elevators in apartment complexes, LH will require air-conditioning equipment in elevators by improving its design standards.
It will also enhance elevator flood safety in preparation for heavy rain. By introducing flood detection and control operation functions, elevators will automatically move to a safe floor when flooding is detected and operations can be restricted.
In addition, it improved cost-effectiveness. Breaking from a design approach centered on manufacturers' minimum specifications, it will introduce a "real-demand power load-based design method" that reflects operating conditions such as load and speed to optimize building electrical design, thereby reducing maintenance expense. The savings will be used to invest in improving residential quality, including applying elevator air-conditioning equipment, strengthening flood safety, and enhancing speed.
It will also raise the speed standard for low-speed elevators to shorten waiting and travel times, and promote improvements to the interior design and quality of elevators—such as the ceiling and position indicators—to boost user convenience and satisfaction for residents.
Meanwhile, since July LH has also made the installation of air conditioners mandatory in elevator replacement projects for aging rental housing. In addition, to ease inconvenience for residents, it is reviewing the installation of air-conditioning units for existing elevators not subject to replacement, taking into account budget and installation conditions.
Lee Seong-hun, LH president, said, "We aim to further improve the convenience of elevators, a daily life–oriented facility in public housing, to provide people with an even more pleasant and convenient living environment," adding, "We will work to improve public housing quality in ways that people can feel, in line with public expectations."