When it opens its doors in 2018, the world’s tallest building, Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will have the fastest elevator in the world, which will go at a speed of 10 meters per second. The elevator, the product of a Finnish company, will transport passengers 660 feet in the air, using technology known as Ultraroup, based on the ropes made of carbon fiber. Extremely light cables mean that the elevator shaft can be longer, and thus the building can be higher.
The former steel cables that elevators have, in fact, restrict the height of buildings, because the energy required to raise the height of the cables themselves grew. New cables are, however, 90% lighter than the previous and the new skyscraper that will be finished in 2018 should be a mile high. A representative of the Finnish manufacturer of elevators, “Kone” Santeri Suaranta says that according to their calculations, the speed of 20 m / s could still be considered relatively unpleasant for travelers, although some of them may feel pressure and crackling in theirr ears.
