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Raising a new Generation of Leaders

6. VERTICAL MOVEMENT IN BUILDINGS

-Mechanical Conveyors & Others
ARC417 LECTURE ON 11TH January, 2024

ARC417 LECTURE NO.6 ALPHA 2023/2024 SESSION

Course Lecturers: Dr O.D. Babalola & Arc H. Essien
 6. VERTICAL MOVEMENT IN BUILDINGS
Outline
■ 6.1 Introduction
■ 6.2 Methods Used in Vertical Movement
■ 6.2.1 Stairs
■ 6.2.2 Ramps
■ 6.2.3 Elevators
■ 6.2.4 Escalators
■ 6.2.5 Chutes
■ 6.2.6 Vertical conveyors
■ 6.2.7 Dumbwaiters
■ 6.2.8 Pneumatic tube systems

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 6.1 Introduction
■ In Architecture, Movement is defined as the change of position of
people and/or goods between interior spaces of buildings.
Although angular movement is possible but the resultant will still be
either vertical or horizontal.

• Vertical movement is upward or downward component of an angular motion

or displacement; or simple upward or downward motion or displacement.
• movement can be horizontal, vertical or inclined.

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 6.1 Introduction Contd.
■ Vertical circulation of traffic in a multi-storey building is key to successful
functioning of the design, both in normal use and in emergencies.
■ In fact, location of elevators or stairs strongly influences the floor plan.

■ So in the design of a building, much thought should be given to:

• type of vertical circulation to be provided,
• number of units required,
• their location,
• arrangement, and
• design.

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 6.1 Introduction Contd.
■ Emphatically, Vertical Movement refers to the flow,
circulation, upward and downward movement of
people and goods or objects in a multi-storey building.

■ The vertical movement of traffic in a multi-storey building is

very essential for effective functioning of the building
design.
■ It is also important to note that alternative exits most often
needs to be provided in buildings.
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6.1 Introduction Contd.

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 6.2 Methods Used in Vertical Movement
■ To transport mainly people vertically;
• Stairs
• Ramps
• Elevators
• Escalators

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6.2 Methods Used in Vertical Movement Contd.
■ To transport goods or objects;
• Chutes
• Vertical conveyors
• Dumbwaiters
• Pneumatic tube systems, etc.

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 6.2.1 Stairs

■ A staircase is a construction designed to bridge

a large vertical distance by dividing it into
smaller vertical distances, called steps.

• Stairs may be straight, round, or may consist of two or

more straight pieces connected at angles. It is a series of
steps or flights of steps for passing from one level to
another. Less space is required for stairs than for ramps,
because steeper slopes can be used.
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 6.2.1 Stairs Contd.
• These are the primary components that allow for
vertical movement in buildings. All multi-storey
buildings must have stairs to access the upper floor(s).
■ A stair is a series of steps each elevated a
measured distance leading from one level to
another. There are different types of stairs:

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 6.2.1 Stairs Contd.
Types of Stairs
Mainly Regular & Geometrical types:
• Straight flight stairs
• Half Return Stairs
• Quarter turn Stairs
• Double return Stairs
• Scissor(s) Stairs
• Circular Stairs
• Curved/Elliptical Stairs
• Spiral Stairs
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6.2.1 Stairs Contd.

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6.2.1 Stairs Contd.

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 6.2.2 Ramps
■ Ramps are sloped pathways used both inside and
outside buildings to provide ease of access and
manoeuvrability.

• Ramps are provided to assist wheelchair users, people with mobility

issues and people with prams, bicycles and other wheeled items.
• The gradient, slope or steepness of a ramp is the angular relationship
between the rise and the run, often expressed as a ratio.
• A ramp that has too steep a slope will prove difficult for people to use
and could even be unsafe.
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 6.2.2 Ramps Contd.
■ A ramp is a sloping surface joining two different
levels, as at the entrance to a building or between
floors of a building.
• They are used both inside an outside to provide ease of
access and maneuverability.
• Types Of Ramps:
 External Ramps
 Internal Ramps
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 6.2.2 Ramps Contd.
■ Design Considerations for Ramps
■ There are many standards such as:
- U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board
(ATBCB), & The Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines
(ADA AG);
- British Guidelines and
- Nigerian Standards, among others
In any country, always look for the national ‘standard’ or her ‘inclination’.
■ But we need to get ourselves familiarized with American, British and
Nigerian Standards; as well as compare them.
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 6.2.2 Ramps Contd.
■ Design Considerations for Ramps Contd.
There are a wide variety of issues that must be addressed in the
construction of a ramp. These considerations include:
• 1. General: An exterior location is preferred for ramps as
indoor ramps take a great deal of space. Ideally the entrance
to a ramp should be immediately adjacent the stairs.
• 2. Width: the width varies according to use, configuration
and slope, the minimum width should be 0.9m

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 6.2.2 Ramps Contd.
■ Design Considerations for Ramps Contd.
3. Landings:
Ramps should be provided with landings for resting, manoeuvring and
avoiding excess speed.
Landings should be provided at every 10m, at every change of direction
and at the top and bottom of every ramp.
The landing should have a minimum length of ‘1.2m or preferably
1.525m’.
4. Handrail: a protective handrail at least 0.4m high must be placed
along the full length of the ramp. For ramps more than 3.0m wide, an
intermediate handrail could be installed.
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 6.2.2 Ramps Contd.
■ Design Considerations for Ramps Contd.

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 6.2.2 Ramps Contd.

■ Design Considerations for Ramps Contd.

5. Surface: the ramp surface should be hard and non-slip.
Carpets should be avoided.
6. Ramps:
Mechanical ramps can be used in large public buildings but
are not recommended for persons with physical impairment.
If the ramp is to be used by a wheelchair confined person,
the slope should not exceed 1:12; the maximum width should
be 1.0m to avoid slipping
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 6.2.2 Ramps Contd.
■ Design Considerations for Ramps Contd.

Sidewalk Ramp and Curb Ramp

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 6.2.2 Ramps Contd.

■ Design Considerations for Ramps Contd.

7. Configuration: Ramps can have the following
common configurations;
• Straight run
• 90 degree turn
• Switch back or 180 degree turn.

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 6.2.2 Ramps Contd.
■ Design Considerations for Ramps Contd.
8. (ii)Other design considerations include:
• The appropriate slope, length and width
• The distance between landings
• Identifying the primary user
• Surface material
• The entryway that is most suitable for a ramp
• The position of handrails and barriers
• Placement of existing door handles and door swing direction
• Cost of instalment
• Compliance with building regulations
• Alternative means of access
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 6.2.2 Ramps Contd.
■ Design Considerations for Ramps Contd.

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 6.2.3 Elevators
• An elevator (North America) or lift (Commonwealth) is a type of cable-
assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that
vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or decks of a
building, vessel, or other structure.
• An elevator (US) or lift (UK) is a type of vertical transportation that moves
people or goods between floors (levels, decks) of a building, vessel, or other
structure.
• An elevator is a moving platform or cage for carrying passengers or goods
from one level to another in a building.
• Elevators are generally powered by electric motors that either drive traction
cables or counterweight systems like a hoist, or pump hydraulic fluid to raise
a cylindrical piston like a jack.
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 6.2.3 Elevators Contd.
• In agriculture and manufacturing, an elevator is any type of conveyor device
used to lift materials in a continuous stream into bins or silos.
• Several types exist, such as the chain and bucket elevator, grain
auger screw conveyor using the principle of Archimedes' screw, or the
chain and paddles or forks of hay elevators.
• Languages other than English, such as Japanese, may refer to elevators
by loanwords based on either elevator or lift. Due to wheelchair access laws,
elevators are often a legal requirement in new multistory buildings, especially
where wheelchair ramps are not possible.
• Some elevators can also travel horizontally in addition to the usual vertical
motion.

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 6.2.3 Elevators Contd.
• Outside of Typical Elevators

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 6.2.3 Elevators

There are three main types of elevators commonly used

however, there are variations of each type:
(i) Hydraulic;
(ii) Traction with a machine room; and
(iii) Machine room-less traction
.

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 6.2.3 Elevators Contd.
Types of elevators (Contd.):
(i) Hydraulic Elevators
• - Generally for heights of up to 18.3m depending on type (see details below)
• o Hole-less Hydraulic Elevators have a piston on either side of the
cab. 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. Telescoping
pistons allow up to 50 feet (15.25m) of travel distance.

• o Non-telescoping Hydraulic Elevators have pistons which only

allow about 20 feet (6.10m) of travel distance. They generally require a
sheave or hole below the pit.
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 6.2.3 Elevators Contd.
Types of elevators (Contd.):
(i) Hydraulic Elevators
• - Generally for heights of up to 18.3m depending on type (see details below)
• o Conventional Hydraulic Elevators 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 (18.30m).
• o Roped Hydraulic Elevators use a combination of ropes and a piston
to move the elevator. Maximum travel distance is about 60 feet
(18.30m).
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 6.2.3 Elevators Contd.
Types of elevators (Contd.):
(ii) Traction with a Machine Room
• Geared and Gearless Traction Elevators with Machine Room
- Generally for great heights
o Traction elevators are lifted by ropes, which pass over a
wheel attached to an electric motor above the elevator shaft.
o Geared Traction Elevators have a gearbox that is attached
to the motor, which drives the wheel that moves the ropes.
o Gearless Traction Elevators have the wheel attached
directly to the motor.
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 6.2.3 Elevators Contd.
Types of elevators (Contd.):
(iii) Machine Room-Less(MRL) traction elevators
- Generally for great heights
• Machine-Room-Less Elevators are traction elevators that do
not have a dedicated machine room above the elevator
shaft.

Note: UltraRope making possible continuous

travel heights of 500 to1000m.
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 6.2.3 Elevators Contd.
Types of elevators (Contd.):
(iii) Machine Room-Less(MRL) traction elevators
Plate on Kone MRL Elevator

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 6.2.3 Elevators Contd.
Types of elevators (Contd.):
(ii) Machine Room-Less(MRL) traction elevators
• Machine-Room-Less Elevators
UltraRope is a new carbon-fibre cable for lift shafts that
revolutionises our skylines, and our journeys through space.
Steel is tough but it is also heavy, and enough of it for a 500m lift
shaft weighs more than 20 Tons (20,000kg)- weight that must be
borne by the same rope.

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 6.2.3 Elevators Contd.
Types of elevators (Contd.):
(ii) Machine Room-Less(MRL) traction elevators
UltraRope has made kilometer-high elevators possible
• As architects continue to design tall buildings, a certain limitation of
elevators became more of a problem – using traditional steel lifting cables,
they could not go farther than 500 meters (1,640 ft) in one vertical run. Any
higher, and the weight of all the cable required is simply too much.
• Before the new development, in the world's few buildings that are over 500
meters tall, passengers had to transfer from one elevator line to another, part
way up.
• Thanks to a new lightweight material known as UltraRope, with which
elevators could now travel up to one kilometer (3,281 ft) continuously.
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 6.2.3 Elevators Contd.
Types of elevators (Contd.):
(ii) Machine Room-Less(MRL) traction elevators
Figure of UltraRope making one
kilometer-high elevators possible

• ..
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 6.2.3 Elevators Contd.
Types of elevators (Contd.):
(ii) Machine Room-Less(MRL) traction elevators
UltraRope could make kilometer-high elevators possible
UltraRope was created by Finnish elevator manufacturer Kone, and was
unveiled this Monday, June 17, 2013 in London.
Instead of having the same cross-sectional shape as cable, it is more ribbon- or
tape-like in form.
It is composed of a carbon fiber core, covered in a high-friction plastic coating.
An individual elevator car is lifted and lowered by multiple reels of UltraRope,
that run into a hoisting machine at the top of the shaft.

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 6.2.3 Elevators Contd.
Types of elevators (Contd.):
(ii) Machine Room-Less(MRL) traction elevators
- Generally for great heights
UltraRope
• According to Kone, on an elevator traveling 500 meters, UltraRope would
reduce the total moving mass by up to 60 percent as compared to steel cables.
That percentage would increase with the distance traveled.

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 6.2.3 Elevators Contd.
Types of elevators (Contd.):
(ii) Machine Room-Less(MRL) traction elevators
- Generally for great heights
UltraRope
• This also means that even in buildings standing 500 meters or shorter, where
steel cable could still be used, the use of UltraRope would result in substantial
energy savings. For that same hypothetical 500-meter elevator, a 15 percent
reduction in energy consumption would be realized. Increase the height to 800
meters (2,625 ft), and the claimed energy savings rise to 45 percent.

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 6.2.3 Elevators Contd.
(ii) Machine Room-Less(MRL) traction elevators
Comparison of UltraRope and Steel
• UltraRope has higher strength to weight ratio than steel, the former being 5
to 7 times former. UltraRope provides similar strength to conventional steel
ropes; however, it weighs only a 5th to a 7th of the equivalent steel rope. Hence
It can also be said that similar weight of UltraRope is about 5 to 7 times as
strong as steel.
• Due to its carbon fiber core, UltraRope also has an exceptionally longer
lifetime (up to twice as long) as the solid structure does not densify and
stretch. For conventional steel ropes, they need to be replaced or shortened
every 7-10 years depending on usage.

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 6.2.3 Elevators Contd.
(ii) Machine Room-Less(MRL) traction elevators
Comparison of UltraRope and Steel Contd.
• UltraRope does not require any lubrication
• UltraRope is less sensitive to building sway- something that can cause
elevators to shut down.
• Even though the initial installation cost of UltraRope may be higher than steel,
the long-term total cost ( of installation and associated machinery, operation
and maintenance) would be significantly less than steel cables.
• The associated machinery in UltraRope cost wise also compares to that of
steel cables.

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 6.2.3 Elevators Contd.
-Lift Car Passenger Capacity
Capacity Inside Dimensions Normal Maximum
(Kg) Width x Depth Passenger Load Passenger
in Per Trip Capacity
mm
900 1600 x 1400 10 12
1200 2000 x 1400 13 16
1500 2000 x 1700 16 20
1800 2000 x 1900 20 24

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 6.2.4 Escalators
• These are called moving staircases or moving stairways.
They can be used in tall buildings, which are not functional
without a means of accessing the top floors with ease.
• Each is a continuously moving stairway on an endless loop
for carrying passengers up or down.

• “Escalator”= “Elevator” + “Scala” (steps).

• The first escalator was designed by Jesse Reno in 1892

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6.2.4 Escalators Contd.

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 6.2.4 Escalators Contd.
Escalators-Design Requirements
Circulation/Movement of people in building
• • Mode (horizontal or vertical)
• • Movement type (natural or mechanically assisted)
• • Human behavior (complex, unpredictable)
Design objectives
• • Free flow of people & goods free flow of people & goods
• • Safe operation, comfort & service
• • Occupy minimum space & require less costs
• • Aesthetics
• • disabled access
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 6.2.4 Escalators Contd.
Escalators-Design Requirements
• Escalator – typical design
Speed:
• 0.5 and 0.65 m/s, up to 0.9-1.0 m/s on deep systems like subway
Step widths:
• 600; 800 & 1000 mm; min. step or tread length = 400 mm
Inclination Usually at angle 30degrees:
• usually at angle 30 or 35degrees if rise < 6 m, & speed < 0.5 m/s
Boarding and alighting areas :
• Safe boarding: 1.33 Safe boarding,
Above 1.33 – 2.33 flat steps= 2.33 flat steps
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 6.2.4 Escalators Contd.
Typical applications of escalators
• • Low rise, High rise, Skyscrapers
• • For Large no. of people e.g. airports, subway stations,
department stores, shopping malls
Escalator arrangements
• • Parallel
• • Multiple parallel
• • Cross-over or crisscross
• • Walk around
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Escalators

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 6.2.5 Chutes

A chute · an inclined channel, as a trough, tube, or

shaft, for conveying water, grain, coal, etc., to a lower
level. · a waterfall or steep descent, as in a river.
A chute is a vertical or inclined plane, channel, or
passage through which objects are moved by means of
gravity.

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 6.2.5 Chutes contd.

Construction chutes are used to remove rubble and

similar demolition materials safely from taller
buildings.
These temporary structures typically consist
of a chain of cylindrical or conical plastic tubes, each
fitted into the top of the one below and tied together,
usually with chains.

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 6.2.5 Chutes contd.

Construction debris chutes/Construction chutes

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 6.2.6 Vertical conveyors

Vertical conveyors move objects from one elevation to another,

raising and/or lowering a load to different levels in the supply line.

They are distinct from elevators in that vertical conveyors possess

their own national safety code (ANSI/ASME B20.1 Safety
Standards for Conveyors) and are not built with the same standards
of passenger elevators.

Vertical conveyors often lie in between two horizontal conveyors

and can keep movement continuous through vertical offsets.
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 6.2.6 Vertical conveyors contd.

• Vertical conveyor
moving boxes
in a supply line.

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 6.2.6 Vertical conveyors contd.

Basic reciprocating
vertical conveyor

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 6.2.6 Vertical conveyors

Scissor lift conveyor

with roller conveyor
on the table

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 6.2.7 Dumbwaiters

A dumbwaiter is a small freight elevator or lift

intended to carry food.
Dumbwaiters found within modern structures,
including both commercial, public and private
buildings, are often connected between multiple floors.
When installed in restaurants, schools, hospitals,
retirement homes or in private homes, the lifts
generally terminate in a kitchen.
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 6.2.7 Dumbwaiters

A dumbwaiter

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 6.2.8 Pneumatic tube systems

Pneumatic tubes (or capsule pipelines, also known

as pneumatic tube transport or PTT) are systems
that propel cylindrical containers through networks
of tubes by compressed air or by partial vacuum.

They are used for transporting solid objects, as

opposed to conventional pipelines, which transport
fluids.
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 6.2.8 Pneumatic tube systems

A pneumatic tube
system in Washington,
D.C. in 1943

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 6.2.8 Pneumatic tube systems

Pneumatic tube
systems in hospital

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