Though Hill Hiker’s hillside lift installation teams make the work seem easy, there’s a lot that goes into the process. For starters, a Hill Hiker® installer needs to be prepared. In many states, mechanics need an elevator mechanic’s license before working on hillside lifts. We require extensive on-the-job training from our senior mechanics along with the necessary licenses for each Hill Hiker® installer. Once the hillside lift installation mechanic passes our standards, they and their team can begin work.
The Plan
That old adage from Ben Franklin, “failing to plan is planning to fail” is especially true for funicular installation. Hill Hiker® mechanics start their site preparation with a detailed plan of action and continue to revise the plan as needed in the early phases. This makes the first steps and the following steps go smoothly.
Site Preparation
With the plan in hand, workers begin clearing a path down the slope for the lift system. This needs to be done carefully. Clearing away too much plant life will hurt the slope. Slopes need this vegetation to keep them strong. That’s why our hillside lift installation teams are careful when it comes to clearing a site.
After we clear the site, the team focuses on laying out the system location and footings. This includes setting a stringline and determining the final elevations and landing areas.
Excavation
With the site prepared, we dig in. The excavation starts with digging the concrete pad for the motor and the gearbox. Then comes the holes for the footing which will serve as the foundation for the inclined lift. The foundation has to be sturdy. That’s why we dig past the frostline. This ensures the foundation stays put and stays strong.
Foundation
After digging the holes, in comes the concrete. For most inclined elevator systems this means we’ll fill in the holes and pad area with concrete. However, some conditions call for alternate methods like driven posts of two by two steel pushed into the ground with a hydraulic hammer. These posts can go as deep as 10 to 50 feet.
NOTE – Winding Drum X and Continuous Loop systems do not require a concrete pad area to mount the motor and gearbox assembly.
Steel Structure
The structure comes next. Each Hill Hiker® inclined lift system, the structure is made of galvanized, powder coat painted or stainless steel. We install the steel structure for the hillside lift system by placing column brackets or posts. Then our team installs steel rails, and last of all, they cross brace posts. The last step solidifies the structure, especially the aboveground portions.
Mechanical
With the structure in place, the moving parts follow. First, the hillside lift installation team places and secures the motor and gearbox assembly. Then they mount the car and chassis. Last of all, they put in the cable, which will pull the car up and down the tracks.
Electrical
At this point, your hillside lift system is nearly ready. All we have to do is hook up the controller to power, mount the wireless communication controls and wire and set limit switches. These limit switches are especially important. They tell the car when to stop or slow down. In the case of a safety being tripped, it will even shut off the motor.
Ready To Go?
The system is not quite done yet. We still test the lift and bring it through an inspection. After the lift passes our internal inspection, the local regulator begins theirs. Depending on the state, there may be numerous inspections for different components, or different levels of government (city, state, etc.) will each want to take a look. Fortunately, Hill Hiker’s team is ready to help clients like you through this process.
As you can see, a lot goes into the installation of a hillside lift system. That’s why it’s so important to go with a provider that has lots of experience and a reputation for reliability. Hill Hiker, Inc. offers both. Our skilled mechanics will not only install your system quickly (average system takes about a week), but they’ll do the job right the first time. To learn more about our installation process or our systems, contact us here.
