Elevator Services
Our Services
Our Elevator Services manages the university’s vertical transportation systems and is responsible for the operation, maintenance, and inspection of more than 480 pieces of equipment on campus. This includes equipment, such as elevators, escalators, wheelchair lifts, and dumbwaiters. We also provide and review equipment specifications for both modernization and new construction projects.
What You Should Know
If you need to report a problem with an elevator or escalator, call the corresponding building’s Zone Shop, or call Planning and Scheduling at 512-471-7221. Provide a complete description of the problem and the unit (location, etc) when you call.
Entrapment
Should you ever become stuck in an elevator, don’t panic. Remain calm and use the in-car emergency phone to call for help. Under no circumstances should you attempt to exit the elevator by yourself. You may be inconvenienced by the delay, but you’re much safer in the cab as opposed to exposing yourself to the dangers of moving equipment in open hoistways. A technician will be dispatched as quickly as possible to assist you and correct the problem.
About Campus Elevators
Various types of elevator units on campus range from the most common to some of the more elaborate and unusual. Below are just a few examples of the many types of elevators you can find around campus.
Highly Specialized Elevators
The Engineering Teaching Center has a roof-top elevator, which serves two floors within the building as well as the roof. This elevator is designed for normal traffic between floors of the building and has restricted key operational use for transporting large experimental equipment to the roof.
The campus recently installed another unusual elevator that is the only one of its kind to date in Texas. It has 3 openings in the cab, one front, and two side openings. It serves eight landings, with nine openings between the Benedict and Mezes Buildings. The unit was specially designed to serve the split nature of these two buildings and the new infill area between them.
High-Speed Gearless Cars
Ashbell-Smith, Bellmont, Ernest Cockrell, R.L. Moore, and the Tower at are equipped with high-speed gearless cars. These units travel 500 feet per minute and are designed to shuttle hundreds of people between floors. Additionally, R.L. Moore was recently modernized with new microprocessor controls. These controls report the average number of trips these elevators make in a day to a central monitoring system. These five units answer more than 6,000 calls, and travel a distance of roughly 270 miles a day.
Other Elevators
There are numerous other elevators and lifts that move everyone on campus safely to and from their classrooms and offices. There are stage lifts, which move entire orchestras or performances to different levels in campus concert halls and theatres. There are also ADA lifts, which provide vertical assistance to those requesting a key for their operation. All of these units require untold amounts of wire, indicator lamps, safety switches, hoist ropes, and hydraulic equipment. In addition to these hardware items, there are thousands of hours spent performing preventative maintenance and inspections. Technicians and the UEM elevator personnel inspect each unit annually as required by law.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many elevator mechanics service the equipment at the university?
We have seven full-time service mechanics.
Where are the fastest elevators on campus?
The Main Tower’s elevators convey passengers at 600 feet per minute.
What is the oldest original elevator on campus?
The oldest elevator is the Texas Memorial Museum freight elevator, which was installed in 1937 but is now closed to the public.
How many escalators are on campus?
88
What is the largest capacity elevator?
The North End Zone service car has the largest capacity at 14,000 pounds
Which building has the most pieces of equipment?
The stadium complex with 65 units (46 of which are escalators)
