Purpose of the Control Tower Elevators Enclosure

The project included the works for the Control Tower Elevator Enclosure, Tenerife Norte.

The elevators in the tower were panoramic elevators in open air. An enclosure was built to protect the components of these panoramic elevators from wind and rain.

General Description

A structure was designed and calculated to enclose the two shafts through which the panoramic elevators of the tower run, of the six that are located between the concrete screens that make up the shaft of the tower.

This enclosure was designed to be resistant and easy to maintain, integrating into the aesthetics of the existing tower. The materials selected were suitable for the specific climatic conditions of Tenerife Norte airport. In accordance with the airport’s requirements, blind enclosures were chosen, avoiding glass materials (glass, polycarbonate, etc.) to simplify maintenance and reduce costs.

The execution of the enclosure complied with the elevator regulations, respecting the minimum distances and adopting measures to prevent shaft collapse. It also included the cleaning and sanitation of the current exterior installation (landing doors, guides, supports and low enclosures in case of maintenance).

Justification of the adopted solution

The chosen stainless steel curved sheet metal enclosure complies with the required characteristics:

• Resistance to the weather conditions of the island. Improved maintenance.
• Circular shape adapting to the curve of the tower shaft. Avoiding the polygonal shape.
• The system is horizontal in counterpoint to the vertical aesthetics of the structural ribs of the tower.
• In this case, an internal finish was not necessary as the panoramic cabin was vinyl coated.
• The auxiliary structure to support the new enclosure was erected with metal profiles using hot-dip galvanized steel tubes to prevent rusting on the inside.