Vertical Transportation

• Stairs
• Elevators
• Escalators
• Ramps

BUILDING SERVICES LECTURE

Ar. Vinod Kumar , Asst. professor @ SMVDU
 Elevator
Terms:

Elevator has been used in buildings having more than 4 stories.

• Lift — An appliance designed to transport persons or materials between two or more levels in a vertical or substantially
vertical direction by means of a guided car or platform. The word ‘elevator’ is also synonymously used for ‘lift’.

• Lift Car — The load carrying unit with its floor or platform, car frame and enclosing bodywork.

• Lift Landing — That’ portion of a building or structure used for discharge of passengers or goods or both into or from a
lift car.

• Lift Machine — The part of the lift equipment comprising the motor and the control gear therewith, reduction gear (if
any), brake(s) and winding drum or sheave, by which the lift car is raised or lowered.

• Lift Pit — The space in the lift well below the level of the lowest lift landing served.

• Lift Well — The unobstructed space within an enclosure provided for the vertical movement of the lift car(s) and any
counterweight(s), including the lift pit and the space for top clearance.

• Lift Well Enclosure — Any structure which separates the lift well from its surroundings.

• Passenger Lift — A lift designed for the transport of passengers.

• Position and/or Direction Indicator — A device which indicates on the lift landing or in the lift car or both, the position
of car in the lift well or the direction or both in which the lift car is traveling.
 Rated Load (Lift) — The maximum load for which the lift car is designed and installed to carry safely at its rated speed.

Rated Speed (Lift) — The mean of the maximum speed attained by the lift car in the upward and downward direction with rated
load in the lift car.

Dumb Waiters — A lift with a car which moves in guides in a vertical direction; has a net floor area of 1 mz, total
inside height of 1.2 m, whether or not provided with fixed or removable shelves; has a capacity not exceeding 250
kg and is exclusively used for carrying materials and shall not carry any person.

Counterweight — A weight or series of weights to counter-balance the weight of the lift car and part of the rated load.
Guide Rails — The members used to guide the movement of a lift car or counterweight in a vertical direction.

Guide Rails Shoe — An attachment to the car frame or counterweight for the purpose of guiding the lift car
or counter weight frame.

Hoisting Beam — A beam, mounted immediately below the machine room ceiling, to which lifting tackle can be
fixed for raising or lowering parts of the lift machine.

Landing Zone — A space extending from a horizontal plane 400 mm below a lauding to a plane 400 mm above
the landing.

Levelling Zone — The limited distance above or below a lift landing within which the Ievelling device may cause
movement of the car towards the landing.
 Overview of Types of Elevators i. Geared Traction
Drive shaft is connected to the sheave by gears in a
Generally Two Categories (The systems are gear box. Geared traction systems are designed to
operate in the range of 100 to 500 fpm, which
distinguished primarily by their hoisting restricts their use to mid rise buildings.
mechanisms.)
ii. Gearless Traction
Gearless traction systems are designed to operate in
1. Traction (Electric) the range of 350 to 1200 fpm and typically installed
• Virtually limitless rise (high & mid rise) in high-rise buildings. Greater speeds are also
• High speeds, but high installation cost available.
2. Hydraulic
• Limited to heights of about 60 ft. (6 stories)
• Lower speeds
• Lower initial cost – higher power consumption
i. Holed Hydraulic
In-ground cylinder extends to a depth equal to
the rise of the elevator cab. Current codes
require double-bottom cylinders with leak
detection and containment.
ii. Holeless Hydraulic
Holeless hydraulic elevators use a telescoping
hydraulic piston as the driving machine,
eliminating the need for an in-ground cylinder.
Currently limited to a height of about 3 stories.
iii. Roped Hydraulic
Roped holeless hydraulic elevators use a
telescoping hydraulic piston and a hoist rope
and pulley system to increase speed and travel
heights.
Elevator Components & Descriptions Major Components

Machine rooms for traction elevators generally located directly above the
hoistway. Hydraulic elevator machine rooms typically located at the basement
or lowest level adjacent to the hoistway Machine Room

Hoist Machine
Can be geared traction machines in which the power from the motor is
transmitted to the drive sheave through reduction gears, or a gearless machine
Cabs
in which the hoist ropes pass over a traction drive sheave which is an integral
part of the armature. The grooved wheel of a traction-type hoisting machine
over which the hoist ropes pass, and by which motion is imparted to the car
and counterweight by the hoist ropes.

Hoist Motor Hoistway /Pits

Also called drive machines and used for
traction elevators. They are the power
units that apply the energy to the hoist
machines. Can be AC or DC.
Generator
Generators are electromechanical devices
that convert mechanical energy to electrical
energy (usually direct current). Governor
A mechanical speed control mechanism. Usually a
wire-rope driven centrifugal device used to stop and
hold the movement of its driving rope. This initiates
the activation of the car safety device. It opens a
switch which cuts off power to the drive motor and
brake if the car travels at a preset overspeed in the
down direction.
 Counterweights
Controllers A weight that counter-balances the
A device, or group of devices, which serve to weight of an elevator car plus
control, in a predetermined manner, the floor approximately 40% of the capacity load.
selection, drive speeds, car selection and general
operation of the elevators.

Disconnects
Top-of-Car Station
Switches to disconnect the power to
Controls on the top of the car used by an elevator
the controller and cab lights and
maintenance contractor to operate the car at
located in the machine room.
inspection speed. It provides a means of operating an
elevator from on top of the car at slow speed during
Roller guides or guide rails adjustment, inspection, maintenance and repair.
are steel T-section with machined
guiding surfaces installed vertically
in a hoistway to guide and direct the
course of travel of an elevator car
and elevator counterweights.

Door Interlocks
An electro-mechanical device that prevents operation of
an elevator unless the hoistway doors are in the closed
Buffers
and locked position; and prevents opening of a hoistway
A device designed to stop a descending car beyond its
door from the landing side unless the elevator is in the
normal limit of travel by storing or by absorbing and
landing zone and is either stopped or being stopped.
dissipating the kinetic energy of the car. Spring buffers are
used for elevators with speeds less than 200 fpm. Oil buffers
(for speeds greater than 200 fpm) use a combination of oil
and spring to cushion the elevator.
 • Cab Finishes • Cab Finishes
Elevator Cabs • Cab Controls Decorative features in a passenger elevator
• Safety Features including carpet or other flooring, wall
 Phones panels, door finishes, ceilings and lighting.
 Door Safety Edges
• Door Operators

• Cab Controls
A car-operating panel with a faceplate that is mounted
in a fixed (non-swing) panel or sidewall.

• Safety Features
 Phones
 Door Safety Edges
Two way communication devices in the cab required
by ADA and national elevator codes for safety.

A door protective and automatic door • Door Operators

reopening device, used with automatic The Door Operator monitors the speed and position of
power door operators. the car doors and compares performance against
standards. Deviations in kinetic energy during door travel
is corrected within milliseconds
 Preliminary Design or Design Consideration
• No. of lifts and handling capacity
• Traffic peak
 Number of floors to be served by the lift; Floor to
floor distance; • Capacity
 Population of each floor to be serve~ and Maximum The minimum size of car recommended for a
peak demand; this demand maybe unidirectional, as single purpose buildings is one suitable for a
in up and down peak periods, or a two-way traffic duty load of 884 kg. Generally, for large office
movement. buildings cars with capacities up to 2040 kg are
recommended according to the requirements.
• Preliminary Lift Planning
 population or the number of people who require lift • Speed
service
 handling capacity of the maximum flow rate required
by these people.
 interval or the quality of service required.

• Population
Average population density can vary from about one
person per 4 sq. m to one person per 20 sq. m
• Quality of service
• Quantity of service
• Layout
Preliminary Design of Elevator Example :

• The handling capacity is calculated by the

following formula:

H=(3OOXQX1OO/(TxP)

where
H = Handling capacity as the percentage of the
peak population handled during 5 min period,
Q = Average number of passengers carried in a car,
T = Waiting interval in seconds, and
P = Total population to be handled during peak
morning period. (It is related to the area served by a
particular bank of lifts).

•The waiting interval is calculated by the following

formula:
T= RTT/N
where
T = Waiting interval in seconds,
N = Number of lifts, and
RTT = Round trip time, that is, the average time required by
each lift in taking one full load of passengers from ground
floor, discharging them in various upper floors and coming
back to ground floor for taking fresh passengers for the next
trip
 LIFT ENQUIRY OR INVITATION TO TENDER

When enquiring for and ordering an electrical lift in accordance with this Section, the particulars given below shall be
furnished:

• PARTICULARS OF LIFTS
17. Lift Landing Entrance:
1. Type of lift (Passenger, goods, service or a) Number, size and type of doors or gates
dumbwaiter) . . . . . . or shutters (for goods lifts)
2. Number of lifts required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . b) Location of landing entrances in different
3. Load: number of persons . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..kg floors, if the car has more than one
4. Rated speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..m/s opening.
5. Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..m 18. Electric Supply:
6. Serving.. . . . . . . . . .. floors . . . . ..entrances . . . . Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .volts A.C./D.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. ..
7. Number of floors served . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8. Method of control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Cycles . . . . . . . . . . . ..wire system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9. Position of machine room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19. Whether neutral wire available for control
10. Sizes of lift well(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . circuit?
11. Position of counterweight . . . . . . . . . . . 20. Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..volts ac/dc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12. Internal size of lift car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cycles, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13. Construction, design and finish of car 21. Are premises subject to Lifts Act/Rules?
bodywork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22. Proposed date for commencement on
14. Car entrances: site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
a. Number, size and type of doors 23. Proposed date for completion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
b. Power or manual operation 24. Additional items, if required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...
15. Cat-light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25. Booklet giving complete details of maintenance
16. Call indicator . . . . . . . . . . .position indicator in schedule and circuit diagram where so
car . . . . . .. specified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 Escalator

Escalator — A power driven, inclined,

continuous stairway
used for raising or lowering passengers.
 Named Escalator by Charles
Seeberger in 1897 by combining the
latin word for steps “scala” and
elevator
 Charles Seeberger sold rights to Otis
Elevator Company in 1902 which is
currently the dominant player in the
industry.
 Most applications include department
stores, airports, shopping malls,
convention centers, hotels, and public
buildings
 One of the largest, most expensive
machines people use on a regular
basis, but also one of the simplest.
 Advantages of Escalators
Escalator Installation

It includes the escalator, the track, the trusses or It helps a large no. of people in moving from
girders, the balustrading, the step treads and one place to another at the same time and
landings and all chains, wires and machinery they reduce the need of elevator because
directly connected with the operation of the people would not have to wait for elevator and
escalator.
escalator can carry a large no. of people at the
same time.
• Features of escalator (Benefits)
 Escalators are required to provide continuous It is helpful for the people that have pain in
mass transport of people. their legs and joints i.e it provide comfort to
 Escalators in department stores rise at an the people
angle of between (30°-35°). The 35° escalator
is more economical, as it takes up less surface Escalators are effective when used as a mean
area. of guidance and circulation.
 Have the capacity to move large numbers of
people, and they can be placed in the same
physical space as one might install a staircase. Their speed can be adjustied which is helpful in
 Have no waiting interval (except during very managing the crowd.
heavy traffic)
 They can be used to guide people toward When turned off they can be used a staircase.
main exits or special exhibits, and may be
weatherproofed for outdoor use. Disadvantages of Escalators
 Escalator speeds vary from 90 – 180 ft per
Waste of energy when not in use.
minute, an escalator moving 145 ft per
minute can carry more that 10,000 people in
an hour Possible njuries when stopped suddenly

Source of fear for small children

• Design and layout consideration

Escalators, like moving walkways, are

often powered by constant-speed
alternating current motors and move
at approximately 1–2 feet (0.3–0.6 m)
per second. The typical angle of
inclination of an escalator to the
horizontal floor level is 30 degrees
with a standard rise up to about 60
feet (18 m). Modern escalators have
single-piece aluminum or stainless
steel steps that move on a system of
tracks in a continuous loop. A number
of factors affect escalator design,
including physical requirements,
location, traffic patterns, safety
considerations, and aesthetic
preferences. Foremost, physical
factors like the vertical and horizontal
distance to be spanned must be
considered.
 Components of escalators

• Landing platform: These two platforms house the curved sections of the tracks, as well as
the gears and motors that drive the stairs. The top platform contains the motor assembly
and the main drive gear, while the bottom holds the step return idler sprockets.

• Floor plate: It provides a place for the passengers to stand before they step onto the moving
stairs. This plate is flush with the finished floor and is either hinged or removable to allow
easy access to the machinery below.

• Truss: The truss is a hollow metal structure that bridges the lower and upper landings. It is
composed of two side sections joined together with cross braces across the bottom and
just below the top. The ends of the truss are attached to the top and bottom landing
platforms via steel or concrete supports. The truss carries all the straight track

• Steps: The steps themselves are solid, one piece, die-cast aluminum or steel. The steps
are linked by a continuous metal chain that forms a closed loop. The front and back edges
of the steps are each connected to two wheels. The rear wheels are set further apart to fit
into the back track and the front wheels have shorter axles to fit into the narrower front
track. These are basically moving platform on which escalator passengers ride.
 • Handrail: The handrail provides a convenient
handhold for passengers while they are riding the
escalator. In an escalator, the handrail is pulled
along its track by a chain that is connected to the
main drive gear by a series of pulleys. It is
constructed of four distinct sections. At the center of
the handrail is a "slider", also known as a "glider
ply", which is a layer of a cotton or synthetic textile.

• Deck board: These are used for preventing clothing

from getting caught and other such problems.

• Balustrade: The side of an escalator extending above

the Steps, which includes Skirt Guard, Interior
Panel, Deck Board and Moving Handrails.

• Tracks: The track system is built into the truss to guide

the step chain, which continuously pulls the steps
from the bottom platform and back to the top in an
endless loop. There are actually two tracks: one for
the front wheels of the steps (called the step-wheel
track) and one for the back wheels of the steps
(called the trailer-wheel track). The relative positions
of these tracks cause the steps to form a staircase as
they move out from under the combplate. This right
angle bends the steps into a shape resembling a
staircase.
 Working of escalators

The escalator machinery is hidden beneath its

steps in what is known as the truss and at the
top of the escalator, housed in the truss, is an
electric motor which runs the four gears that
all escalators have two drive gears on either
side at the top and two return gears on either
side at the bottom and the gears have chains
that loop around the gears and run down
each side of the escalator then they are
connected to each step, these chains help the
steps make their way up, or down, the
escalator where the handrails that riders use
for balance and safety on their ride up or
down escalators are powered by the same
system that powers the steps and finally at
the handrails are essentially long rubber loops
connected to the two drive gears at the top of
the escalator and powered by the same
electric motor that powers the steps.
Spiral type escalators: These are used to enhance the
architectural beauty and to save the space.
1 Inclined Angle : 30"
2 Rated Speed [m/sec] : 25
3 Number of Persons : 6300 per hour
4 Rated Speed (mtrs./sec.) :25 m/ min.
5 Vertical Rise ( m ) : 3500 ~ 6600

Criss-cross: They stacks the escalators that go in single

direction and reduces structural space requirement.
1 Step width: 600 / 800 / 1000
2 Power: 300V / 50 Hz / 3p
3 Handrails: Rubber /Stainless steel.
4 Step: stainless steel.
5 Landing plate: anti skid stainless steel.
6 Operation: Emergency stop button / Key switch /
Inspection operation.
7 Illumination: lighting under upper and lower
landing steps.
8 Indicator: Failure indicator on control cabinet.
 Types of escalators

Parallel: These type of escalator go up and down simultaneously.

1 Speed: 0.5m/s
2 Inclination: 30, 35
3 Step width: 800 / 1000
4 Power: 50 Hz / 3p
5 Handrails: Rubber /Stainless steel
6 Step: stainless steel
7 Landing plate: anti skid stainless steel.
8 Operation: Emergency stop button/ Key switch /
Inspection operation.
9 Illumination: lighting under upper and lower landing
steps.
10 Indicator: Failure indicator on control cabinet.

Multi parallel:
1 Speed: 0.5m/s
2 Inclinations: 30, 35
3 Step widths: 800 / 1000
4 Power: 50 Hz / 3p
5 Handrails: Rubber /Stainless steel
6 Step: stainless steel
7 Landing plate: anti skid stainless steel
8 Operation: Emergency stop button/ Key switch / Inspection
operation.
9 Illumination: lighting under upper and lower landing steps.
10 Indicator: Failure indicator on control cabinet.
Escalator operation and operating guidelines

 As the escalators operate at a constant speed,

serve only two levels and have a known
maximum capacity, the traffic study is rather
easy. Provided the population to be handled in
a given time is known, it is easy to predict the
rate at which the population can be handled.
 Regularly (at least monthly) apply a silicone
friction reducer on skirt panels
 Document any unusual noises or vibrations.
 Remove any debris
 Monitor for broken comb teeth
 Always remove the start-up key from the "on”
direction.
 If an escalator or moving walkway makes an
automatic emergency stop, perform a detailed
equipment check before returning to
operation.
 Do not permit overloading of passengers or
freight.
 Do not permit the use of an inoperative
escalator as a stairway
 Design Consideration
 For normal peak periods, the recommended handling capacities for
design purposes should be taken as 3200 to 6400 persons per hour
depending upon the width of the escalator.
 In accordance with a worldwide standard, the width of the step to be
used is 60 cm (for one person width)80 cm (for one- to two people
width) and 100 cm (for two people width).
 The theoretical capacity then is: 3 600x (rated speed in m/s x k)/O.4
 K = 1, 1.5 or 2 for 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 m step widths.
Escalator Arrangements
Crisscross Arrangement
Parallel Arrangement
Moving walks
For normal peak periods, the recommended handling capacities for design purposes should be taken as 3200 to
6400 persons per hour depending upon
the width of the escalator.
The number of persons that may be theoretically carried by the escalator in 1 h can be calculated as follows:

a) For determination of theoretical capacity it is assumed that one step with an average depth of 0.4
m can carry 1 person for a step width of 0.6 m, 1.5 persons for a step width of 0.8 m and 2 persons
for a step width of 1.0 m.

b) The theoretical capacity then is: 3 600x (rated speed in mh x k)/O.4

Where k= 1,1.5, or2 for0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 m step widths.

c) Some values calculated as per the above are:

Essential Requirements
 Your duty

To educate the public on the safe and proper use of elevators, escalators and moving walks

Thanks a loT ……