Cargo elevators

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In Bangladesh, believe it or not, a cargo elevator is nowhere to be found in any of our high-rise buildings - residential or commercial. As if, the real estate developers, architects and civil engineers of the country are totally unaware of this item. As a result, we see passenger lifts are used for moving heavy-weight cargo materials to the upper floors.
It is possible that our designers and developers intentionally keep this item out of the picture to cut costs while the RAJUK looks the other way. As a result, all the commercial high-rise buildings get approval for construction without it.
Cargo elevators are heavy-duty large-sized elevators that are capable of carrying heavy and oversized equipments and furniture. In most developed and industrialised countries one would normally find at least one cargo elevator at the rear of the building where truck-full of heavy loads are loaded and unloaded to be carried by these elevators.
Carrying heavy items like heavy equipments, furniture, drinking water containers, over-sized packages on a passenger elevator is risky and unwanted. It reduces the elevator's life and carries risk of breaking and falling. There is a weight factor tied to their (between passenger and cargo elevators) capability and use.
As a part of building compliance, RAJUK and the City Corporation should strictly impose the provision of adding at least one cargo elevator in a building with an entrance at the rear of the building so that the main road does not get blocked by loading and unloading trucks. The concept of service roads at the rear side of a building could also be developed for all future city designs and developments along with ample fire exit options and equipments.

Sayed Javed Ahmad
E-mail: iqltdbd@gmail.com