Elevator Modernization at Marquette University's Schroeder Hall

College life can be hectic. Between mountains of homework, impossible class schedules, and part-time jobs, many students are lucky if they can find even a few spare minutes each day. The 650 college students living in Marquette University’s Schroeder Hall were no exception. When frequent elevator service issues began to have a negative impact on the students’ busy schedules, the university sought out a more energy efficient and reliable solution to keep student traffic flowing smoothly.

The 10-story Schroeder Hall residence hall building located in the heart of downtown Milwaukee was built in 1956. The brick building is one of only three structures on the university’s campus constructed specifically by the university to house students. The facility was initially opened as a men’s residence hall. However, it became co-ed by floor in 1973. It was named for Walter Schroeder, a Marquette benefactor who served seven years on the Board of Governors.

Despite the building having been well maintained, and even remodeled more than a decade ago, the facility’s aging elevator systems had remained relatively untouched over the years. Two DC geared motors served as the backbone of the system and were powered by antiquated motor-generator set controls.

In order to help the university achieve their goal of attaining higher efficiency while delivering a reliable and smoother ride, Magnetek provided two Quattro AC Cube Elevator Drives with integrated regeneration. This space-saving, all-in-one system is designed to deliver the clean power, reliability, and performance required for today’s green building solutions. By utilizing Quattro AC Elevator Drives, the building’s elevator system was able to achieve the highest levels of functionality, safety, and comfort, as well as:

• Improved operating efficiency of the Quattro AC drive reduces the peak power demand and overall energy consumption

• Near unity power factor and clean harmonics (IEEE 519 Standards)

• Improved ride quality

The innovative Magnetek Quattro drives used in the modernization project are designed to consume the lowest energy possible and their precise, accurate controls provide smooth acceleration and deceleration, resulting in both superior ride quality and reliability. The Quattro drive also includes an optional emergency power feature allowing the facility to operate the elevators at full speed even when operating on emergency power. Today, students living in Schroeder Hall can no longer use the excuse that they were late to class due to their hall’s sluggish elevators.