Elevators Rise to the Occasion

By Henry Petroski

Virus safety now joins practicality and structural reliability as a performance metric for vertical transport.

This Article From Issue

May-June 2021

Volume 109, Number 3

Page 148

DOI: 10.1511/2021.109.3.148

View Issue

Half a century ago, New York City’s Empire State Building was the tallest in the world, measuring 381 meters from the sidewalk to its roofline. It had set the height record upon its completion in 1931 and held onto it until the North Tower of the World Trade Center was topped out four decades later.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, elevators worldwide have been outfitted with signs and floor markings to indicate proper social distancing in the enclosed spaces.

**ZUMA Press, Inc./Alamy Stock Photo**

To access the full article, please log in or subscribe.

American Scientist Comments and Discussion

To discuss our articles or comment on them, please share them and tag American Scientist on social media platforms. Here are links to our profiles on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

If we re-share your post, we will moderate comments/discussion following our comments policy.