Keywords: Seismic performances. Rail counterweight systems. Building elevators. Guide rail designs. Seismic code provisions. Elevator systems. Critical facilities. Hospitals. Nonstructural components.

An elevator counterweight crashed to the bottom of a shaft yesterday at the Bethlehem Steel Corp. general office, setting off the building’s fire alarm. No one was injured. The elevators were not in ...

In elevators, counterweights are essential to offset the car weight, reduce motor load, and ensure smooth vertical mobility. The expansion of high-rise buildings and increased urban development are ...