LIFTS/ELEVATORS

TYPES
 BROAD CATEGORISATION

LIFTS

TRACTION + MACHINE
TRACTION- HYDRAULIC
HYDRAULIC ROOM LESS
ELECTRIC , CABLE
LIFTED

GEARED GEARLESS
 TRACTION ELEVATORS GEARED & GEARLESS
Geared traction machines are driven by AC or DC electric motors.
Geared machines use worm gears to control mechanical movement of elevator
cars by "rolling" steel hoist ropes over a drive sheave which is attached to a
gearbox driven by a high speed motor.
These machines are generally the best option for basement or overhead traction
use for speeds up to 500 ft/min (2.5 m/s).
In order to allow accurate speed control of the motor, to allow accurate levelling
and for passenger comfort, a DC hoist motor powered by an AC or DC motor-
generator set was the preferred solution in high-traffic elevator installations for
many decades.
Contemporary cheaper installations, such as those in residential buildings and low-
traffic commercial applications generally use a single or two speed AC hoist
machine. The older MG-based installations are gradually being replaced in older
buildings due to their poor energy efficiency.
Gearless traction machines are having low speed motors (low RPM), high torque
electric motors powered either by AC or DC. Gearless traction elevators can reach
speeds of up to 2,000 ft/min (10 m/s), or even higher. It works totally on electricity.
 SAFETY OF CABLE-BORNE ELEVATORS

Cable-borne elevators are extremely safe. Their safety

record is unsurpassed by any other vehicle system. An
elevator cab is typically borne by six or eight hoist cables,
each of which is capable on its own of supporting the full
load of the elevator plus twenty-five percent more weight.
In addition, there is a device which detects whether the
elevator is descending faster than its maximum designed
speed; if this happens, the device causes copper brake
shoes to clamp down along the vertical rails in the shaft,
stopping the elevator quickly, but not so abruptly as to
cause injury. This device is called the governor, and was
invented by Elisha Graves Otis.
In addition, a hydraulic buffer is installed at the bottom of
the shaft to somewhat cushion any impact.
STRUCTURE OF AN ELECTRIC
LIFT
 HYDRAULIC LIFTS
Cable-lifted elevators operate differently from hydraulic
elevators, which are lifted from the bottom rather than pulled
from the top by cables.
The hydraulic system consists of a - fluid reservoir (tank), a
pump, and a valve between the tank and the hydraulic
cylinder, or shaft, which is what raises and lowers the car.
Hydraulic elevator systems lift a car using a hydraulic ram, a
fluid-driven piston mounted inside a cylinder.

In addition to the safety concerns for older hydraulic

elevators, there is risk of leakage of hydraulic oil and causing
potential environmental contamination. This has led to the
introduction of PVC liners (casings) around hydraulic
cylinders.
Hydraulic elevators

Conventional hydraulic elevators. They use an underground cylinder, are quite common for low
level buildings with 25 floors (sometimes but seldom up to 68 floors), and have speeds of up
to 200 feet/minute (1 meter/second).

The low mechanical complexity of hydraulic elevators in comparison to traction elevators makes
them ideal for low rise, low traffic installations.

They are less energy efficient as the pump works against gravity to push the car and its
passengers upwards; this energy is lost when the car descends on its own weight.
The high current draw of the pump when starting up also places higher demands on a
buildings electrical system.
There are also environmental concerns should either the lifting cylinder leak fluid into the
ground.
STRUCTURE OF A HYDRAULIC
LIFT
 Machine room-less (MRL) elevators
Machine room-less elevators are designed so that most of the components
fit within the shaft containing the elevator car; and a small cabinet houses
the elevator controller.

Benefits
creates more usable space
use less energy (70-80% less than hydraulic elevators)
uses no oil
all components are above ground similar to roped hydraulic type elevators
slightly lower cost than other elevators
can operate at faster speeds than hydraulics but not normal traction units

Detriments
Equipment can be harder to service and maintain.
No code has been approved for the installation of Residential elevator
Equipment
 New Elevator Technology: The Machine Room-Less Elevator
An energy-efficient, space-saving and high-performance elevator
 ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF TRADITIONAL
TRACTION ELEVATOR

The advantages of the traditional traction elevator

include:
Fast speeds and efficient performance
Quiet, smooth ride
Available for high-rise applications
The drawbacks of the traditional traction elevator
include:
Higher installation cost
Significant structural loads at the top of the hoistway
Elevator machine room required
 Machine Room-Less Elevator
Development of the MRL gearless traction machine came about as a result
of technological innovations that significantly reduced the size of electric
motors used with traction systems.
small permanent-magnet synchronous motors combined with a variable
voltage, variable frequency (VVVF) drive were now instead used. The
change reduced the size, weight, heat output and energy consumption of
traditional traction systems by up to one-half.
The technology was incorporated into elevators with the result that,
because of the reduced size of the new motor, a machine room above or
adjacent to the elevator hoistway was not required
This new technology created numerous environmental benefits. Not only
did the new design lead to a reduced use of both oil and energy for
starting and running the elevator-plus the avoidance of potential ground
contamination-it also led to more efficient and safe installation techniques
and use of valuable interior space.
Used in low to mid-rise buildings.
 MRL
When it was first introduced, there was a slow acceptance rate because of code
requirements, since national and local building codes did not address elevators
without machine rooms.

Perhaps the most significant feature of MRLs is that they offer architects and
designers a lot more design freedom. Less space has to be dedicated to essentials like
elevators and their machine rooms, so that more space is left over for productive uses.
In addition, building designers have more freedom to create an aesthetically pleasing
and operationally efficient building.

In one configuration, the machine is located in the overhead space above the
hoistway. The second configuration features a rail-mounted machine within the
hoistway.

Experts explain that the basic reason why MRLs are specified rather than traditional
traction elevators in Green Buildings is the energy savings of MRLs. Since the building
is expected to achieve LEED certification, it is very important to have systems that
promote energy savings.
 Building Cost Savings

The elimination of the machine room leads to lower

construction costs.

In addition, the new MRL elevator technology uses smaller

motors, which, in turn, downsizes the necessary power
supply. This further lowers construction costs (and energy
costs in building operations) and allows more space within
the building for other purposes.

However, space is required for an integral or adjacent

controller closet. The integral control closet is typically
near the top landing next to the door opening or in a
remote location.
A. Integral control space at top landing (typically standard).
B. Remote control space or room located remote from the hoist way.
C. Integral control space located at alternative floor.
 Advantages Drawbacks

Saves space May require case-by-case approval by

local code authorities in absence of
national elevator safety code

No machine room required Core dimensions vary according to

manufacturer
Flexible placement of control closet Still relatively new in India.

Reduced motor size and weight Design of interior cab governed by

limitations on cab weight

Reduces energy consumption Installation requirements vary accor

ding to manufacturer

Reduces heat output

Eliminates oil
Reduces project management interface

Basic configuration
of an MRL elevator
 The Machine is highly visible
mounted behind glass in the MRL.

Moving parts could be seen by the public, but not by elevator passengers.
In keeping with the style of the renovated space, it was decided on a "retro high-tech" look.
He enclosed the two front and back walls of the elevator in masonry, and encased the two side
walls in glass so that the track and since there was a small amount of space at the top of the
hoistway, they crowned the elevator by terminating the concrete walls there and adding four walls
above in steel and glass. The elevator has become its own showpiece: With lights inside the
hoistway, people standing on the second level can enjoy watching the moving machinery.
 MRL Installation Advantages
The costs of MRL installation in terms of both contractor
time and materials are less than those associated with
traditional elevators for the following reasons:
MRL installations require fewer construction materials and
less work time: No well holes to be drilled; no pits to be
waterproofed; no requirement for a structural machine-
room slab.
Some MRL installations do not require a crane to hoist
machine or to hoist a structural machine-room slab as
required for traction elevators.
This increases safety and lessens the project- management
challenges inherent in some elevator designs.
Installation procedures for MRL technology are highly
visible and therefore offer more control over the work
environment.
RECOMMENDED DIMENSIONS OF PASSENGER LIFTS
 FREIGHT / GOODS ELEVATOR

A freight elevator, or goods lift, is an elevator designed

to carry goods, rather than passengers.
Freight elevators are generally required to display a
written notice in the car that the use by passengers is
prohibited (though not necessarily illegal).
Freight elevators are typically larger and capable of
carrying heavier loads than a passenger elevator,
generally from 2,300 to 4,500 kg.
Freight elevators may have manually operated doors,
and often have rugged interior finishes to prevent
damage while loading and unloading.
Although hydraulic freight elevators exist, electric
elevators are more energy efficient for the work of
freight lifting
DIMENSIONS OF GOODS LIFT
 DUMB WAITERS & STAGE LIFTS
Dumbwaiters are small freight elevators that are intended to
carry food rather than passengers. They often link kitchens
with rooms on other floors.
Stage and orchestra lifts are specialized lifts, typically
powered by hydraulics, that are used to lift entire sections of
a theatre stage. In this case, the orchestra lift is powerful
enough to raise an entire orchestra, or an entire cast of
performers (including live elephants) up to stage level from
below.
RECOMMENDED DIMENSIONS OF DUMB WAITER
DIMENSIONS OF HOSPITAL LIFT
 PASSENGER ELEVATORS
Passenger elevators capacity is related to the available floor space.

Generally passenger elevators are available in capacities from (4502,700

kg) in(230 kg) increments.

Generally passenger elevators in buildings eight floors or less are hydraulic

or electric, which can reach speeds up to 200 ft/min (1.0 m/s) hydraulic
and up to 500 ft/min electric.

In buildings up to ten floors, electric and gearless elevators are likely to

have speeds up to 500 ft/min (2.5 m/s), and above ten floors speeds begin
at 500 ft/min (2.5 m/s) up to 2000 ft/min (10 m/s).

An express elevator does not serve all floors. For example, it moves
between the ground floor and a sky lobby or it moves from the ground
floor or a sky lobby to a range of floors, skipping floors in between.
G
 AUTOMATIC CONTROL SYSTEM
Automatic elevators began to appear as early as the 1930s.
These electromechanical systems used relay logic circuits of increasing complexity to control
the speed, position and door operation of an elevator or bank of elevators.
The Otis Autotronic system of the early 1950s brought the earliest predictive systems which
could anticipate traffic patterns within a building to deploy elevator movement in the most
efficient manner.
Relay-controlled elevator systems remained common until right up until the 1980s.
Now they have been replaced with solid-state microprocessor based controls which are now
the industry standard.
Some skyscraper buildings and other types of installation feature a destination operating
panel where a passenger registers their floor calls before entering the car. The system lets
them know which car to wait for, instead of everyone boarding the next car.
In this way, travel time is reduced as the elevator makes fewer stops for individual
passengers, and the computer distributes adjacent stops to different cars in the bank.
Although travel time is reduced passenger waiting times may be longer.
The system was first pioneered by Schindler Elevator in 1992 as the Miconic 10.
Manufacturers of such systems claim that average travelling time can be reduced by 30%.
 VERTICAL TRANSPORTATION IN VERY TALL BUILDINGS
A mid rise building is one where there may be 8-10 floors and the lift becomes
essential, in order for occupants to use the building. A high rise building might be
one which contains 15-16 floors.
A building could be called very tall, once shuttle lifts serving sky lobbies are
required. Fortune (1997) defines a tall building as a `skyscraper', ie: A high rise
building with more than one zone of elevators. and a very tall building as a `Mega
High Rise building', ie: A building with one or more sky lobbies and in excess of 75
floors.
As a general rule, about 60 floors can be served from a main terminal lobby at
ground level, by up to four groups of lifts (a practical limit). If double deck lifts are
used, this permits up to 80 floors to be served from a main terminal lobby.
Buildings with more than 80 floors require sky lobbies with shuttle lifts to serve
them. This permits buildings of 120/160 floors with one sky lobby and buildings of
180/240 floors with two sky lobbies with single/double deck lifts. The maximum
practical number of lifts that can be grouped together is eight cars with four facing
four.
The traffic design of such & even taller buildings employs many techniques such as
stacked zones, shuttle lifts and sky lobbies, transfer floors, double deck lifts and
top/down service.
 ZONING
In modern high rise buildings each lift is not usually required to service
every level, as this would imply a large number of stops during each trip.
The solution is to limit the number of floors served by the lifts. A
rule of thumb is to serve a maximum of 15-16 floors with a lift, or a group
of lifts. This introduces the concept of zoning. Zoning is where a building
is divided so that a lift or group of lifts is constrained to only serve a
designated set of floors.
Two forms of zoning used : interleaved and stacked.
An interleaved zone is where the whole building is served by lifts, which are arranged to serve
either the even floors or the odd floors. This has been a common practice in public housing and
has been used in some office buildings. So for example in a 16 floor residential building one lift
may serve: G,1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15, whilst another lift serves: G,2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16.
The effect is to reduce the number of stops a lift makes because there are fewer floors to be
served. This also reduces the capital costs because there are fewer openings and landing doors
to install. The service to passengers, however, is poorer than with a duplex serving all floors,
because there is only one lift to take them to their floor. Tenants tend to solve this by calling
both cars at the main terminal and if it is the `wrong' one, walking a flight of stairs to their floor
(if they are able). Thus cars are unnecessarily brought to the main terminal. Interleaved zoning
is not recommended , as per many experts.

A stacked zone building is where a tall building is divided into horizontal layers, in effect,
stacking several buildings on top of each other, with a common `footprint' in order to save
ground space. It is a recommended practice for office and institutional buildings.
Each zone can be treated differently with regard to shared or separate lobby arrangements,
grade of service, etc. The floors served are usually adjacent, although some buildings may have
split subzones, where the occupants of each subzone are associated with each other and can be
expected to generate some inter-floor movements. The number of floors in a zone, the number
of lifts serving a zone and the length of the express jump all affect the service times.
 INTERLEAVED ZONING
Lift stops at alternative floors.
One lift stops at all odd floors, the other stops
at all even floors.
Advantages: Load on each lift is reduced.
People also reach faster.
Disadvantage: People often dont realize the
correct lift and call both lifts wasting energy.
 STACKED ZONING
Certain floors with same footprint are stacked
together and a lift provided for them.
Buildings are divided into lower, mid & high
zones and separate lifts are provided for each.
More efficient & lesser energy consumption.
Disadvantages: People need to often change
lifts midway increasing journey time,
intermediate mechanical rooms.
Shuttle Lifts (with sky lobbies)

Many tall buildings are divided into several zones: low zone, mid zone, high zone, etc.
with service direct from the main terminal floor, situated at ground level. These are
called `local' zones.

This becomes impractical with very tall buildings and shuttle lifts are employed to take
passengers from the ground level main lobby to a `sky lobby'. This could be 200 m as
in Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Firefighting Lifts

A wide range of regulations apply across the world, but the most comprehensive is Firefighters
lifts. All regulations apply at the discretion of the local Fire Authorities. Generally fire fighting lifts
are required in buildings, which have occupiable space more than 18 m above and/or 9 m below
the fire access level for every 900 m 2 of building footprint or part thereof.

They must serve all occupiable levels, have at least a 630 kg rated load and be capable of
reaching the highest (or lowest) level served in less that 60 s. They must not be used for the
transportation of goods and must be unobstructed at all times.
Fire-fighting lifts are often single lifts situated around the floor plate.

Their size is often the lowest possible permitted (630 kg), and their speed is often the
lowest possible to reach the highest floor served in 60 s.

The handling capacity is therefore low and as usually only a single lift is present at each
location.

Fire fighting lifts should not generally be considered as part of the vertical transportation
provision, but they do provide a useful addition to the vertical transportation services of a
building.

For instance in a building with a large floor plate, occupants may be much nearer to a
fire fighting lift than the main group and may use it in preference, despite its poorer
performance.
4.15 Fire Lifts
4.15.1 Where applicable, fire lifts shall be provided
with a minimum capacity for 8 passengers and fully
automated with emergency switch on ground level. In
general, buildings 15 m in height or above shall be
provided with fire lifts.
4.15.2 In case of fire, only fireman shall operate the fire
lift. In normal course, it may be used by other persons.
4.15.3 Each fire lift shall be equipped with suitable
inter-communication equipment for communicating
with the control room on the ground floor of the
building.
4.15.4 The number and location of fire lifts in a
building shall be decided after taking into consideration
various factors like building population, floor area,
compartmentation, etc.
The main requirements for fire-fighting lifts are:

Buildings more than 18 m high and/or 9 m deep from main access level require FF lifts
One FF lift for every 900 m 2 of occupiable space
Must have a protected lobby with protected stairs
FF lifts must serve all habitable levels
Capture switch at main floor
2nd protected power supply
Communication system
Attendant control
Escape hatch

Evacuation Lifts:

For Evacuation Lifts Code of practice for the means of escape for disabled people applies. In
general, the requirements for an evacuation lift are the same as those for a fire-fighting lift, except
that the operation and communication arrangements are different. However, although a fire fighting
lift can be used as an evacuation lift, an evacuation lift cannot be used as a fire-fighting lift.
Evacuation lifts are provided to facilitate the egress of persons with impaired mobility in the event of
a fire or other incident. The evacuation is always supervised and persons are not to attempt self
rescue.
 ESCALATORS
An escalator is a moving staircase a conveyor
transport device for carrying people between floors
of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven
chain of individual, linked steps that move up or
down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain
horizontal.
Escalators are used around the world to move
pedestrian traffic in places where elevators would be
impractical. Principal areas of usage include
department stores, shopping malls, airports, transit
systems, convention centres, hotels, arenas,
stadiums and public buildings.
 ESCALATORS - LAYOUT TYPES
Escalators, like moving walkways, are powered by constant-speed alternating
current motors and move at approximately 12 feet (0.300.61 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 aluminium or steel steps that move on a system of tracks in a continuous
loop.
"Crisscross" layout
"Multiple parallel" layout
"Parallel" layout
Escalators have three typical configuration options:
parallel (up and down escalators "side by side or separated by a distance", seen
often in metro stations and multilevel motion picture theatres),
crisscross (minimizes structural space requirements by "stacking" escalators that
go in one direction, frequently used in department stores or shopping centres),
and
multiple parallel (two or more escalators together that travel in one direction next
to one or two escalators in the same bank that travel in the other direction)
 DESIGN AND LAYOUT CONSIDERATIONS
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. These factors will determine the
pitch of the escalator and its actual length.

The ability of the building infrastructure to support the heavy

components is also a critical physical concern. Location is important
because escalators should be situated where they can be easily
seen by the general public.

In department stores, customers should be able to view the

merchandise easily.
Furthermore, up and down escalator traffic should be physically
separated and should not lead into confined spaces.
 Considerationscont.
In this regard, escalators help in controlling 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.
Similarly, escalators often are used as the exit of airport security
checkpoints. Such an egress point would generally be staffed to
prevent its use as an entrance, as well.
It is preferred that staircases be located adjacent to the escalator
if the escalator is the primary means of transport between
floors.
It may also be necessary to provide an elevator lift adjacent to
an escalator for wheelchairs and disabled persons.
Finally, consideration should be given to the aesthetics of the
escalator.
 BASIC COMPONENTS OF AN ESCALATOR
Landing platforms
These two platforms house the curved sections of the tracks, as well as the gears and motors
that drive the stairs.

Truss
The truss is a hollow metal structure that bridges the lower and upper landings

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.
Steps
The steps themselves are solid, one piece, die-cast aluminum or steel. Yellow demarcation
lines may be added to clearly indicate their edges. In most escalator models manufactured
after 1950, both the riser and the tread of each step is cleated (given a ribbed appearance).
Handrail
The handrail provides a convenient handhold for passengers while they are riding the
escalator.
 ESCALATORS-HANDLING CAPACITY
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.
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:
3 600 x (rated speed in m/s x k)/0.4
Where,
k= 1,1.5, or 2 for 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 metres step widths.
Some values calculated as per the last slide are:
exposed drive gears (center) for steps and handrail Escalator truss connects to the landing
drive (left). platform.