Weight Tests Begin On Coors Field Escalator
Kone Says Overloading, Misconnected Wire A Problem; City Disagrees
POSTED: 10:33 a.m. MDT August 12, 2003
UPDATED: 6:52 p.m. MDT August 12, 2003
DENVER -- The city is beginning to conduct weight tests on the escalators at Coors Field after a moving stairway malfunctioned last month and injured 35 people.
On Tuesday morning, crews began putting weights on one escalator to see how it reacts under pressure. The inspectors plan to load 22,500 pounds in increments to test the brakes. Kone Inc., the company that makes and maintains the escalators, has objected to the test, saying it will damage the broken escalator.
Another escalator company helped the city conduct Tuesday's tests, putting weights on an escalator that was similar to the one that failed.
"It's an identical model. We'll test that first. We're assuming it's going to hold the weight. Then tomorrow we're going to take all those weights to the failed escalator and place them there," said Julius Zsako with the Denver Community Planning and Development Department.
All of the escalators at Coors Field have been shut down since the July 2 accident, when the three-story escalator near Gate C suddenly began to accelerate and hundreds of people were sent speeding and tumbling to the bottom.
Kone Inc. said the accident was caused by overloading and misconnected wiring in the braking system. The company said the combination caused the escalator to speed up beyond what the brakes could handle after a sold-out Colorado Rockies game and fireworks show.
City inspectors, however, think that Kone's explanation is inadequate. City crews believe that there was an eight-tenths of a second delay in the braking system and are now checking to see if weight might have been a factor as well. The city says the escalator brakes should have been set at 400 to 600 foot-pounds of torque, according to the brake manufacturer's recommendation. The city's tests showed one brake was set at 200 foot-pounds of torque and the other at 220 pounds.
The Rockies have disputed Kone's statement that overloading contributed to the accident and said that Kone never warned that it was a possibility.
Investigators say it will take several other tests to determine exactly what caused the escalator to fail.
On Tuesday morning, crews began putting weights on one escalator to see how it reacts under pressure. The inspectors plan to load 22,500 pounds in increments to test the brakes. Kone Inc., the company that makes and maintains the escalators, has objected to the test, saying it will damage the broken escalator.
Another escalator company helped the city conduct Tuesday's tests, putting weights on an escalator that was similar to the one that failed.
"It's an identical model. We'll test that first. We're assuming it's going to hold the weight. Then tomorrow we're going to take all those weights to the failed escalator and place them there," said Julius Zsako with the Denver Community Planning and Development Department.
All of the escalators at Coors Field have been shut down since the July 2 accident, when the three-story escalator near Gate C suddenly began to accelerate and hundreds of people were sent speeding and tumbling to the bottom.
Kone Inc. said the accident was caused by overloading and misconnected wiring in the braking system. The company said the combination caused the escalator to speed up beyond what the brakes could handle after a sold-out Colorado Rockies game and fireworks show.
City inspectors, however, think that Kone's explanation is inadequate. City crews believe that there was an eight-tenths of a second delay in the braking system and are now checking to see if weight might have been a factor as well. The city says the escalator brakes should have been set at 400 to 600 foot-pounds of torque, according to the brake manufacturer's recommendation. The city's tests showed one brake was set at 200 foot-pounds of torque and the other at 220 pounds.
The Rockies have disputed Kone's statement that overloading contributed to the accident and said that Kone never warned that it was a possibility.
Investigators say it will take several other tests to determine exactly what caused the escalator to fail.
Previous Stories:
- July 31, 2003: City Blasts Company's Report, Escalators Remain Shut Down
- July 24, 2003: Testing On Coors Field Escalator Begins
- July 23, 2003: Coors Escalator Firm Doesn't Want To Recreate Accident
- July 11, 2003: With Consultant Hired, Escalator Investigation Continues
- July 9, 2003: Escalator Investigation Suspended
- July 7, 2003: Investigators Return To Coors Field
- July 3, 2003: Inspectors Look Into Cause Of Escalator Accident
- July 3, 2003: Escalator Accident At Coors Field Injures Dozens
Copyright 2003 by TheDenverChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
