CHAPTER

4
BUILDING TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEM

BUILDING TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEM
System for conveying people in buildings
The mechanical transportation of people and goods
is an energy-using service that needs the
designers attention at the earliest stage of
building design.
System includes:
Elevators (lifts)
Escalators and
Walkalators (moving walk)

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
Elevator (Lifts)
- is a vertical transport equipment that
efficiently moves people or goods between
floors (levels, decks) of a building, vessel
or other structure

Two basic types:

Hydraulic-lifting platform is pushed
upward/downward by plunges
Traction-Electric lifts

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
Passenger lifts are provided for buildings of over
three (3) storey, or less if wheelchair movement
is needed.
Minimum standard is one lift for each four storey,
with a maximum walking distance of 45m
between workstation and lift lobby.
Prestige requirement require higher standards
(depends on the rent earning potential)

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
Peak demand for lift service is
assessed from the building size, Table 1: Design lift car speed
shape, height and population.
Floors
Car speed
25% of the population require
(m/s)
transportation during a 5 min
peak period.
4
0.75
Congestion at peak travel times 9
2
is minimized by arranging the
3
lifts lobbies in a cul-de-sac of (2 15
Over 15
5-7
lift doors on either side of a
walkway, rather than in a line
of four doors along one wall).
Construction specifications of
lifts are given in BS 5655: 1989
and BS Code of Practice
407:1972
Car speed for various travel
distance (see table 1)

Grouping of Lift in Cul-DeSac Arrangements

Example of
Elevator
Layout
Elevator layout has great
influences on building's
functionality.
The elevator must be
installed in such a way that it
is easy to use without
affecting the performances.

Elevator Car Types

Standard elevator car/cabin can be classified according to the number of
entrances and their locations as follows:
1. Normal Cabin
2. Open Through Cabin
3. Diagonal Cabin

Standard Car Size

To prevent overloading of the car by

persons, the available area of the car
shall be limited and related to the
nominal/rated load of the elevator.
The number of passengers shall be
obtained from the formula:

Number of passengers = rated load /75

Where 75 represent the average weight
of a person in Kg.

The value obtained for the number of

passengers shall be rounded to the
nearest whole number.

Car Dimension

The following definitions for the car

dimenstion are very important:
Car Width (CW): The horizontal
dimensions between the inner
surfaces of the car walls measured
parallel to the front entrance and at
1m above the car floor.
Car Height (CH): The inside vertical
distance between the entrance
threshold and the constructional roof
of the car. Light fittings and false
ceilings are accommodated within
this dimension.
Car Depth (CD): The horizontal
dimensions between the inner
surfaces of the car walls measured at
right angles to the car width and at
1m above the car floor.

Zoning the Elevator

Office buildings of more than 20

stories are zoned in order to decrease
transportation time and improve the
rental rates.
Zoning refers to dividing elevator
service into several zones, and assign
group of elevators for each zone.
Unlike office buildings, a single
elevator group is recommended for
hotels 40 stories or less to give
priority to the first-time users and
conveniences.
Using a single group elevators, make
less hassle for the passengers to
select an elevator based on their
destination floor, and is also more
flexible than zoning.

World Trade Centre BuildingFloor and Elevator

Arrangement

Local
elevators

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
_Hydraulic
Lifting platform is pushed upward/downward by
plunges (ram)
Liquid (oil/high pressure water) is forced into or
withdrawn to create movement.
A pump is used to control the liquid.
Suitable for moderate car speed and fairly short
travel (e.g. hospital)
Speed range between 0.12m/s and 1m/s with
maximum height 21m.
Machine room are usually located at the lowest
level.
Types: Direct acting (holed)
Suspended (hole less)

Hydraulic
Elevator

Hydraulic elevators
are supported by a
piston at the bottom
of the elevator that
pushes the elevator
up.
They are used for lowrise applications of 28 stories and travel at
a maximum speed of
200 feet per minute.
The machine room for
hydraulic elevators is
located at the lowest
level adjacent to the
elevator shaft.

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
_Hydraulic
Direct Acting or Holed Type

single cylinder that bored

into the ground with the cylinder
having a depth that reaches the
height of the plunger.
They have a sheave that extends
below the floor of the elevator
pit, which accepts the retracting
piston as the elevator descends.
Some configurations have a
telescoping piston that collapses
and requires a shallower hole
below the pit.
Max travel distance is
approximately 60 feet.

Direct Acting

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
_Hydraulic
Suspended or Hole less Type
They have a piston on either side of the cab.
It can be divided to 3 different types as follows:
a- Telescopic Hydraulic Elevators:
In this configuration, the telescoping pistons are fixed
at the base of the pit and do not require a sheave or
hole below the pit and has 2 or 3 pieces of telescoping
pistons. Telescoping pistons allow up to 50 feet of
travel distance.
b- Non-telescoping (single stage) Hydraulic
Elevators:
It has one piston and only allows about 20 feet of
travel distance.
c- Roped Hydraulic Elevators:
They use a combination of ropes and a piston to move
the elevator. Maximum travel distance is about 60
feet.

Suspended type

Hydraulic Power Unit

Hydraulic Power Unit

The power unit shall be generously rated and shall operate with
minimum noise and vibration.
The unit shall be mounted on vibration insulators above the
machine room floor.
A silencer unit shall be fitted in the hydraulic system to
minimize the transmission of pulsations from the pump to the
car and the elimination of airborne noise.
The hydraulic power unit consists of the following components:
1.
2.
3.
4.

The Tank.
Motor/Pump.
Valve.
Actuator.

Method of Operation

Method of Operation
1- For Direct Acting Type
The pump forces fluid from the tank into a pipe leading to the cylinder. When
the valve is opened, the pressurized fluid will take the path of least resistance
and return to the fluid reservoir. But when the valve is closed, the pressurized
fluid has nowhere to go except into the cylinder. As the fluid collects in the
cylinder, it pushes the piston up, lifting the elevator car.
When the car approaches the correct floor, the control system sends a signal
to the electric motor to gradually shut off the pump. With the pump off, there
is no more fluid flowing into the cylinder, but the fluid that is already in the
cylinder cannot escape (it can't flow backward through the pump, and the
valve is still closed). The piston rests on the fluid, and the car stays where it is.
To lower the car, the elevator control system sends a signal to the valve. The
valve is operated electrically by a basic solenoid switch (Actuator). When the
solenoid opens the valve, the fluid that has collected in the cylinder can flow
out into the fluid reservoir. The weight of the car and the cargo pushes down
on the piston, which drives the fluid into the reservoir. The car gradually
descends. To stop the car at a lower floor, the control system closes the valve
again.

Method of Operation
2- For Indirect Acting (Suspended) Hydraulic System
Type
Water or any hydraulic fluid at a high pressure is admitted
into the fixed cylinder of the jigger. This high pressure
hydraulic fluid pushes the sliding ram to move towards left
side as shown in the figure. When the sliding ram moves
towards the left side, the distance between the fixed and
movable pulleys increases and thus the cage is lifted up.
When the water or the hydraulic fluid under high pressure
inside the cylinder is released, then the distance between
the two pulleys decreases and thus the cage comes down.
Thus the suspended-type hydraulic lifts are more popular
than direct type lifts.

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
_Hydraulic
Advantages
Eliminating rooftop structure ( power pack at low
level)
Small machine room & can be located at some
distance
from the shaft
Load imposed on the shaft is far more less
----offering structural cost economies
No brake or gear necessary
No pulleys of driving sheave
No counterweight and a larger lift car can
sometime be used for a given well size
Extremely accurate floor levelling can be achieved
Acceleration and travel is very smooth
Simplification of shafts structural design

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
Principle

_Electric
components- lifting platform, lifting machinery,

counterweight cables.
Geared
location of gear between
motor & drive sheave
small motor provide gear
reduction ratio (efficient &
comfort)
employed for medium
speed & medium height
application
used in buildings with
greater height & greater
lifting capacity

Gearless
ascend (upward movement)
heights for gearless are
limited by technology
feasibility & cost limitation
the net ascent distance will
be limited by factors of
mechanical performance
capabilities
some commercially
available gearless elevators
can move up at rates more
than the speed suggested in
the table 2

Basic
Compone
nts
The standard
elevators will include
the following basic
components:
1. Car.
2. Hoist way.
3. Machine/drive
system.
4. Control system.
5. Safety system.

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
_Electric
Table 2: Electric Lift Specifications
HEIGHT OF ACENT
Ft(m)

NUMBER OF STOPS

SPEED Ft/min
(m/s)

LIFTING CAPACITY
Lbs (kg)

Geared

To 300 (90)

30

300-500
(1.5-2.5)

2000-4000
(900-1800)

Gearless

To 500-750+
(150-230+)

30-80

500-1200+
(2.5-6.0+)

2000-4000
(900-1800)

Gearless Mechine

It used in high rise applications whereby the drive motor and drive sheave
are connected in line on a common shaft, without any mechanical speed
reduction unit located between the drive motor and drive sheave.
Generally, Gearless machines are used for high speed lifts between 2.5 m/s
to 10 m/s and they can be also used for lower speeds for special
applications.
Their sizes and shapes vary with load, speed and manufacture but the
underlying principles and components are the same.

Gearless Components

Geared Machine
It used in low and mid rise
applications.
This design utilizes a
mechanical speed reduction
gear set to reduce the rpm of
the drive motor (input speed) to
suit the required speed of the
drive sheave and elevator
(output speed).
Generally, geared machines are
used for speeds between 0.1
m/s and 2.5 m/s and are
suitable for loads from 5 Kg up
to 50,000 Kg and above.
Their sizes and shapes vary with
load, speed and manufacture
but the underlying principles
and components are the same.

Geared Machine
Components

Types of geared machine

drive according to location
of installation
A- The drive
machine
located directly
over top its
hoistway or
shaft is
commonly
referred to as
Overhead
traction

Types of geared machine

drive according to location
of installation
B- The drive machine
located at a
basement is
commonly referred
to as basement
traction

Types of geared machine

drive according to location
of installation
C-The drive machine
located at the side of
the hoistway is
commonly referred to
as an offset
traction as in the
below image
Note: Basement and offset applications
require additional deflector sheaves to
properly lead suspension ropes off the drive
sheave and to the car top or counterweight.

Types of Electrical
Traction Drive Systems
Generally, the electrical traction drive can be grouped into
several categories based on the motor type and its control as
follows:
A- Geared traction control, which includes:
Single speed AC motor.
Two speed AC motor.
Variable voltage AC motor (VVAC).
Variable voltage, variable frequency AC motor (VVVFAC).
Variable voltage DC motor(VVDC).
B- Gearless traction drives, which include:
Variable voltage DC motor (VVDC).
Variable voltage, variable frequency AC motor(VVVFAC).

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
Principles of Operation
Single wrap traction
-geared machines or
-gearless (lower
speed)

_Electric
Roping Arrangements

Double-wrap traction
-the use of diversion puller
increases the risk of rope
slip
-Double-wrap pulley
reduces the frictional area
of rope with the diving
sheave
-used on high speed and
heavily loaded elevators.

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
_Electric
Size depends on the size & speed
of car, type of door
Pit must permits over travel &
water tight with proper drainage
Buffer sits to the base (spring /oil)
to reduce impact
Allowing air to escape below &
above moving car to prevent air
pressure building + smoke vent
with unobstructed openings
No other services should
accommodate shaft
Constructed of reinforced concrete /
brickwork ---sufficient strength to
carry load & superimposed loads
Fire resistant ---< one hour

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
_Electric

Lift Doors
Two sets of doors are required at
lift entrances;
1. Car doors fitted to the lift car
2. Landing doors fitted to the lift
shaft enclosure
(open metalwork enclosures are
no longer allowed)
Landing doors must be made of
solid incombustible materials
---reduce fire risk & ensure safety
of passengers
Landing doors must have no
means by which an authorized
person can open them from a
landing
Door may be of the following type
1. two-leaf side opening
2. Two leaf centre opening
3. Single-leaf side opening

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
Lift Design Consideration

Location Consideration
Number of Lift
Population
Round Trip Time
Flow Rate
Interval

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
Location Considerations

Location of building entrances ---should be located in the

central area, or if not, should be centralized
Grouping ---better group than spread, reduces installation cost
Staircase location ---demand of lift reduced if passengers pass
stairs first before lift
Departmental stores ---easily seen & accessible to encourage
visits to upper floors
Hospitals ---bed lifts required near operating theatres
Lobbies ---desirable & large enough to allow traffic visible from
entrance hall

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
Number of Lifts
The number & size of lifts must be related to
following:
1. Population of the building
2. Type of building occupancy
3. The starting & finishing times of population
4. Number of floor and heights
5. Position of building in relation to public
transport services.

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
Population
When clear figure is unobtainable
Estimation
1.Net floor area
2. Population density per sq meter.
Example: General office building population density of one person
per 10m of net floor volume

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
Round Trip Time and Flow Rate
Round Trip Time
The time in sec taken by a single lift to travel from the
ground floor to the top floor, including stops, and return to
the ground floor.
Flow rate
A percentage of the total population requiring lift service
during a 5 min peak period
Survey (10% -25%) will require lifts during 5 min peak
demand hour
If no info available ---assume 12% for speculative buildings
& 17% for unified buildings

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
Interval
Interval (s)
Expressed in seconds & represents the round trip of one car
dived by the number of cars in a common group system
Provides a criterion for measuring the quality of service
Average waiting time; theory half, practice

ELEVATORS (LIFTS)
Example (checking the lift performance)
A 15 storey office block has a net floor area above ground
level of 8000m. Assuming 17% of the total population using
the lift during 5 min peak time, starting times ad a population
density of one person per 10m of net floor area, calculate
the flow rate and from tables, find lift speed, number and
capacity of lift.
Check the quality of service form the table.

(1) Determine the Flow rate

Flow rate allowing 17% of population from total building occupants

8000m2/10m2 17/100 =136 persons during 5 min peak demand period
From Table 1: The nearest handling capacity is 137 persons for 24 passenger car
using 4 cars with speed of 2.50m/s.
(2) Determine the Travel distance and speed
Assuming floor-to-floor height is 3.3m, the lift travel = (15-1) storey x3.3m
height =46.2m travel distance.
From table 2, the nearest travel for offices is 45m which requires speed of 2.5m/s.
(speed ok!) (Ground floor is not included)

Table 1
Table 2

13
7

(3) Determine the number capacity of lift, Waiting time and minimum
number of lift.
From table 1, for 24-passenger cars may be installed having a
handling capacity of 137 and interval of 41s

Table 3

Table 4

Result for Quality of service

Refer table 1 (green box) interval=41s
From table 3
- interval 41s ---satisfactory for
offices
- calculate the waiting time :
(3/4 x interval= 31s)
From table 4
15 storeys/ 4 lift = 3.75 storey/lift~
near to 4 nos required
---satifactory

Commercia
l
Dumbwaite
r

ESCALATOR
Staircases that could move
upward or downward
operate continuously
during hours of occupancy
Mostly deployed in pairs
installed to a building to
support the lift services
For example; basement to
ground floor where traffic
is light; to avoid the need
for lift to serve low
demand

ESCALATOR
An escalator is a moving staircase a conveyor transport
device for carrying people between floors of a building.
Escalators are powered by constant-speed alternating current
motors and move at approximately 12 feet (0.300.61 m) per
second.
The maximum 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 steel steps
that move on a system of tracks in a continuous loop.
Direction of movement (up or down) can be permanently the
same, or be controlled by personnel according to the time of day,
or automatically be controlled by whoever arrives first, whether
at the bottom or at the top (the system is programmed so that
the direction is not reversed while a passenger is on the
escalator).

ESCALATOR
1. Bottom; step
return idler
sprockets, step
chain safety
switches & curves
sections of the
rack
2. Centre; carries
all straight track
sections which
connect the
upper & lower
curved sections
3. Top; driving
motor, driving
sprockets,
electrical
controller and
emergency breaks

bottom

top

centre

ESCALATOR-basic
component

TheEscalatorconsists of the following

components:
Landing Platforms.
Truss.
Tracks.
Steps.
Handrail.
Escalator Exterior (Balustrade).
Drive system.
Auto-Lubrication System.
Braking system.
Safety devices.
Electrical & Control Systems.

Landing Control Station

A control station at both upper and lower landings is provided which includes a key-actuated
directional starting safety switch and a key actuated stop switch.
The control station is located in the newel end skirt deck at the ends of the balustrades.
A Code compliant emergency stop station is provided at each end of the escalator. The
emergency stop is located in accordance with governing Code requirements and is covered by a
transparent cover and alarm.
Starting of the escalator in normal continuous operation mode shall only be possible using a
dedicated key switch at upper and lower ends. (Some units have key switches at one end only.)

ESCALATOR
Escalator vs Elevators
Travel between floors occur
much rapidly in lifts
traveling vertically in medium /
high-rise building are more
practical in elevators
Elevator assemblies occupy less
space
Enable movement by
wheelchair-bound, stretcher (in
case of an emergency)

Advantages

The benefits of escalators are many:

They have the capacity to move large numbers of people.
They can be placed in the same physical space as one
might install a staircase.
They have no waiting interval (except during very heavy
traffic).
They can be used to guide people toward main exits or
special exhibits
They may be weatherproofed for outdoor use.
They can help in controlling the traffic flow of people For
example, an escalator to an exit effectively discourages
most people from using it as an entrance, and may reduce
security concerns.

ESCALATOR
Capacity
Step width between 600mm ~ 1.2m
Carrying capacity depends on speed & width of thread
Ex ; 1m will allow 2 people to stand side by side,1.2m for air
terminals & railway stations to allow passenger to pass
easily when carrying luggage,2m for departmental store
with heavy traffic

ESCALATOR
Location
Easily seen area to
maximize usage
Example; in departmental
stores, escalators are
located to be possible to
see over a wide area of
the floors so as to
encourage sales
Arrangement
Many arrangements may
be used depending upon
the standard of service
required and cost

Multiple parallel

Crisscross layout
Parallel Layout

Spiral
Escalator

Dimension for Escalator

ANSI A17.1 sets the following
limitations on escalator steps
(Fig. 16.8):
i)Minimum depth of tread in
direction of travel :15 34
ii)Maximum rise between
treads :8 12
iii)Width of tread : 24- 40
iv)Maximum distance between
handrail centerlines: width
between balustrades plus 6 in
with not more than 3 in on
either side of the escalator
(see Fig. 16.8b)

ANSI : American National Standard Safety Code for Elevators, Dumbwaiters, Escalators and Moving Walks

ESCALATOR
Guidelines for design:
1.Estimating how many escalators may be
needed.
2. Placement locations for escalators.
3. Placement format for escalators
4. Sizing issues for placing escalators

WALKALATORS/MOVI
NG WALKWAY

A moving walkway
sometimes called
Travelator, Horizontal
Escalator
is a slow moving
conveyor mechanism that
transports people, across
a horizontal or inclined
plane, over a short to
medium distance.
Moving walkways can be
used by standing or
walking on them. They
are often installed in
pairs, one for each
direction.

WALKALATORS/MOVING
WALKWAY

Moving walkways, usually found in airports, are designed to

move people over long distances, usually between different
terminals. Moving walkways are similar to an escalator.
The only difference is that the steps lay flat, like a conveyor
belt. Passengers are able to move from gate to gate or from
one baggage area to the next.
Moving walkways, like elevators and escalators, offer a
smooth and convenient ride for people while providing
outstanding energy efficiency for commercial building
operators.

Types of Moving Walkway

Moving walkway can be classified by:
1.According To Inclination Angle
2.According To the Flat Moving
Surface
3.According To the Speed

Inclination Angle

a- Zero degrees inclination Horizontal Moving Walkways.

b- Up to 15 degrees inclination Inclined Moving Walkways.

An inclined moving walkway is used in airports and supermarkets to move
people to another floor with the convenience of an elevator (namely, that
people can take along their suitcase trolley or shopping cart, or baby
carriage) and the capacity of an escalator.

Flat Moving Surface

Moving BeltMoving Walkway
These are generally built with mesh metal
belts or rubber walking surfaces over
metal rollers.
The walking surface may have a solid feel
or a "bouncy" feel.

Pallet TypeMoving walkways

A continuous series of flat metal
plates mesh together to form a
walkway. Most have a metal
surface, though some models
have a rubber surface for extra
traction.

Speed
Moving walkways have two basic styles according to the flat moving
surface:
a- Slow- speed Standard type
The speed of these walkways is determined by the need for safety
upon entry and exit, which generally limits it to approximately half
normal walking speed, or 3040m/min. The slow speed of the
walkway causes impatience, and passengers often walk on the
walkway itself or on the adjacent floor rather use the slower walkway.
b- High-speed walkways
Required additional safety procedure (holding to the side rail and
shopping cart/baby carriage/suitcase is not allowed)
allowing for a large number of passengers, (up to 10,000 per hour),
whereas the transportation zone was narrower and fast moving.
Widely used in airports, tunnels

High Speed Walkway

On entering, there is a 10 m acceleration zone where the "ground" is a series of

metal rollers. Riders stand still with both feet on these rollers and use one hand to
hold the handrail and let it pull them so that they glide over the rollers. The idea is
to accelerate the riders so that they will be traveling fast enough to step onto the
moving walkway belt. Riders who try to walk on these rollers are at significant risk
of falling over.
At the exit, the same technique is used to decelerate the riders. Users step on to a
series of rollers which decelerate them slowly, rather than the abrupt halt which

Walkway Components

End of Chapter 4