CET Elevator Installation & Components 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of the elevator pit in a hoistway installation?
- To house the machine room equipment
- To provide clearance below the lowest landing for the car and buffer (Correct answer)
- To store counterweight guide rails
- To mount the governor device
Correct answer: To provide clearance below the lowest landing for the car and buffer
The pit provides the required clearance below the lowest landing to accommodate the car frame, buffers, and related equipment at the bottom of travel.
Question 2: Which component in a traction elevator system prevents the car from exceeding its rated speed?
- Brake drum
- Safety device
- Governor (Correct answer)
- Buffer
Correct answer: Governor
The governor monitors car speed and triggers the safety device if the car exceeds the overspeed threshold defined by ASME A17.1.
Question 3: When installing guide rails, what is the correct method for joining two rail sections together?
- Welding the rail ends directly
- Using fish plates bolted to both rail sections (Correct answer)
- Bonding with epoxy adhesive
- Clamping rails to a common bracket
Correct answer: Using fish plates bolted to both rail sections
Fish plates (splice plates) are bolted to the web of each adjoining rail section to create a secure, aligned joint.
Question 4: What is the minimum overhead clearance required above the car top in a typical traction elevator hoistway per ASME A17.1?
- 18 inches
- 24 inches
- 36 inches
- The clearance is defined by the specific installation design and code section (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The clearance is defined by the specific installation design and code section
ASME A17.1 specifies overhead clearances based on car speed, equipment height, and runby, so no single fixed value applies universally to all installations.
Question 5: What function does the counterweight serve in a traction elevator?
- Limits hoistway door closing force
- Balances the car weight to reduce motor load (Correct answer)
- Prevents the car from free-falling
- Controls rope tension during acceleration
Correct answer: Balances the car weight to reduce motor load
The counterweight offsets the weight of the car plus approximately 40–50% of rated load, reducing the motor torque required to move the elevator.
Question 6: What material are elevator guide rails most commonly made from?
- Aluminum extrusion
- Stainless steel tube
- Cold-drawn steel T-section (Correct answer)
- Cast iron channel
Correct answer: Cold-drawn steel T-section
Guide rails are manufactured from cold-drawn steel in a T-section profile to provide the precise surface finish and strength needed for guide shoes and safeties.
Question 7: During rope installation on a traction elevator, why must ropes be uncoiled rather than pulled off the reel over the end?
- To prevent rust formation on outer wires
- To avoid introducing twist and kinks into the rope (Correct answer)
- To maintain the factory lubrication coating
- To allow visual inspection of each strand
Correct answer: To avoid introducing twist and kinks into the rope
Pulling rope off the end of a reel induces twist that permanently damages the wire rope lay and reduces its load capacity.
CET Elevator Installation & Components 2
What is the purpose of the elevator pit in a hoistway installation?