Traction drive elevator installations employ ropes of variable length as a mean of car and
counterweight suspension. The inertial and elastic characteristics of elevator suspension systems
depend on the rope construction and vary slowly during the elevator travel. The system suffers from
vibrations caused by various sources of excitation. This paper presents the analysis of the dynamic
response of the suspension system employing traditional steel wire ropes as well as ropes
constructed of aramid fibers. The equations describing the lateral response of the system subjected
to a boundary periodic excitation are solved numerically. The results show that the entire rope is
subjected to repetitive low frequency transient resonances. Consequently, the structural integrity of
the suspension ropes is compromised. The issue of active vibration control and the feasibility of the
integration of shape memory alloy elements within the suspension rope design are discussed