Big Ben Case Study
Elevating Safety and Accessibility Inside a Global Landmark
The Elizabeth Tower Restoration Project
The Elizabeth Tower, an iconic global landmark part of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster (known to us all as ‘Big Ben’) has undergone a major restoration to address decades of weathering, pollution, and war damage and SVM Associates are immensely proud to be a critical part of the project team.
The project, led by Sir Robert McAlpine Special Projects (SRM), aimed to preserve the historic fabric while modernising internal features. As you can imagine, this was no mean feat!
A Collaborative Effort
Provided detailed manufacturing design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of the lifts.
Carried out lift and platform design, technical tender evaluation, installation and quality control.
SVMA, in collaboration with mechanical design engineers SI Sealy and construction managers Lendlease, ensured precision in lift design and installation.
Stannah’s Major Projects Division, known for handling complex heritage site projects, spearheaded the lift construction.
The Engineering Challenges
The Space Restraints
A ventilation shaft measuring 4.9m by 2.4m was the only available space for the lift.
The tower's slight lean of 0.23 degrees required millimetre precision in design and installation
Historic Preservation
The lift had to fit within its own structural skeleton to avoid damaging the historic fabric of Big Ben itself.
Original Victorian features, like tie-rods, were preserved and integrated into the new design.
Our Innovative Solutions Main Lift:
A bespoke, energy-efficient gearless traction drive passenger lift was designed for the ventilation shaft.
It travels 57 meters from the ground to the ninth floor, with a top speed of 1.5 meters per second.
Features include regenerative drive, polymer pulleys, and direct motor drive for enhanced energy efficiency.
Secondary Lift
A smaller 500kg hydraulic lift platform provides access from the ninth floor to the Belfry, navigating tight spaces with advanced engineering.
Advanced Features Energy Efficiency
Sustainability was a key driver in the refurbishment of Big Ben and it was important for us to ensure that energy was preserved and reused wherever possible.
The lift’s regenerative drive returns power to the mains when descending with a high load.
Optimised counterweight mass and idle power shutdown features reduce energy consumption.
Accessibility:
The main lift was equipped with all the required accessibility features, including enhanced audio-visual passenger information.
Dual power supplies ensure passenger safety even during power outages as well.
Maintenance and Monitoring:
Historically, maintenance in the Tower was difficult. Installing a lift means that maintenance of building fabric, the clock and Big Ben itself is much easier.
In the refurbishment, we wanted to make sure that the motor room was easily accessible making regular maintenance much more straightforward.
We also ensured that advanced technology monitored systems were installed, notifying service engineers of any problems.
Project Summary Enhanced Accessibility:
The new lifts significantly ease maintenance for clock engineers, providing a safer alternative to the 334-step spiral staircase.
Preservation and Sustainability:
The project maintained the historic integrity of Elizabeth Tower while integrating modern, energy-efficient technologies.
Global Recognition:
The successful installation was closely monitored due to Big Ben’s high profile, demonstrating UK expertise in precision engineering and sustainable construction.
The Legacy of our Big Ben Project
Our Big Ben lift project stands as a testament to advanced engineering, historic preservation, and the collaborative efforts of UK-based experts.
It not only enhances accessibility and safety but also ensures the iconic structure remains a symbol of British heritage and innovation.
Something we can all be very proud of.
Would you like to discuss a sensitive, complex lift refurbishment? We’d love to hear from you.