Have you ever wondered what makes an escalator move? What do its components look like? How do the steps move, and how many people can an escalator carry? Read the article and watch the video to find answers to all these questions.
An escalator in the US carries an average of about 12,000 passengers daily. That’s almost 3 million people a year. Since there are approximately 35,000 escalators installed across the country, this means that they carry 105 billion passengers annually. Based on these staggering figures from the National Elevator Industry Inc. (NEII), escalators are constantly being improved.
The invention of American Charles Seeberger (Charles Seeberger), who created the world’s first stepped escalator (the name is derived from the Latin word scala, meaning steps, and the English word elevator, meaning lift), was first shown at the World’s Fair in Paris in 1900, where it won the grand prize. Over the next 117 years, the escalator has been continuously improved. Not only its length has changed, but also its shape. The longest escalators are over 100 meters long, and curved and spiral machines bring style and design to the traditional concept. Nevertheless, the main function remains the same — it is a continuously moving staircase that helps people go up or down.
Modern escalators are usually made of steel, aluminum, and plastic. Some older escalators had wooden parts, but these were gradually phased out due to the low strength of wood. Strength is of paramount importance for escalators: they lift an average of 4,500 kilograms and are constantly in motion.
In most shopping centers and airports, passengers move at a speed of 0.5 meters per second, while underground escalators can be faster, reaching speeds of around 0.75 meters per second. It is interesting to note that when used correctly, these huge machines are completely reliable and safe.
Passenger behavior is considered to be the cause of 64% of all escalator accidents. People often place bags on various parts of the escalator, talk on the phone while moving, or simply get distracted and lose their balance, resulting in various injuries. Despite these problems, escalators are reliable machines for moving people from point A to point B. And the pace of technological development amazes even the most vivid imagination.
- The shortest escalator:
The moving walkway at the Okadaya More shopping center in Japan, with a vertical height of 83.4 centimeters.
- The longest escalator:
The Central Hillside Escalator Link in Hong Kong is over 800 meters long.
- The largest number of escalators in the metro:
The Washington Metro system has 557 escalators, which require 90 specialists to maintain.