[linksnapzz]

A few years ago, UCSD finished building a new parking garage next to the building I worked in. It wasn't open for more than a month or two before both elevators had to be taken out of service. I spoke to the technicians on the top deck-there were cables being taken out of both shafts...apparently, the new elevators used synthetic (polyaramid?) core rope; whereas the CA regs specified steel wire rope only. Took like two weeks to get everything replaced, and I'm pretty sure they couldn't reuse the stuff they took out....

[mrguyorama]

So CA regs had an extremely clear specification and the builders didn't follow it?

Why not? Never mind that steel cables have been standard in elevators for literally a hundred years, have never had any systemic problems, and aren't expensive.

[linksnapzz]

I guess. It may have been a county thing; but it was the first time I'd ever heard of elevator cables being made out of anything but wire rope.