VERTICAL

TRANSPORTATION
 MODES

• Stairs
• Elevators
• Escalators
• Ramps
STAIRS, REQUIREMENTS
AND TYPES
 INTRODUCTION
• A Stair is a set of steps leading from one
floor to the other.
• It is provided to afford the means of ascent and
descent between various floors of a building.
• The room or enclosure of the building, in which
the stair is located is known as stair – case.
• The opening or space occupied by the stair is
known as a stairway.
• In a domestic building the stairs should be
centrally located to provide easy access to all
the rooms.
• In public buildings, stairs should be located near
the entrance.
 TECHNICAL TERMS
1. Step : It is a portion of stair which permits ascent or descent.
2. Tread : It is the upper horizontal portion of a step upon
which the foot is placed.
3. Rise : It is the vertical portion of a step providing a support
to the tread.
4. Flight : It is an unbroken series of steps between landings.
5. Landing : it is a level platform between the floors.
6. Rise : it is vertical distance b/w two successive tread faces.
7. Going : It is the horizontal distances b/w two successive
riser faces.
8. Nosing : It is the projecting part of the tread.
Stair
9. Scotia : It is a moulding provided under the nosing
10. Soffit : It is the underside of a stair.
11. Line of nosing's : It is an imaginary line parallel to
the strings and tangential to the nosing's.
12. Pitch or slope : it is the angle which the line of nosing of
the stair makes with the horizontal.
13. Strings : Sloping members which support the steps.
14. Newel post : Vertical member placed the end of the lights.
15. Baluster : Vertical member supporting the handrail.
16. Balustrade : Row of balusters surmounted by a hand rail
to provide protection for the users
17. Hand Rail : It is a rounded member wood or metal.
18. Head Room : It is the minimum clear vertical distance
b/w the tread and overhead structure.
19. Run : Total length of a Stair.
 REQUIREMENTS OF A
GOOD STAIR
1. Location : Located as to provide easy access to the occupants . Well
lighted and ventilated .
2. Width of Stair : In domestic buildings a 90 cm wide stair is
sufficient. In public building 1.5 to 1.8 m width may be required.
3. Length of flight : No. of steps not more than 12 and not less than 3.
4. Pitch of the stair : it should be limited to 30o to 45o .
5. Head Room : The clear distance b/w the tread and soffit of the
flight immediately above it should not be less than 2.1 to 2.3 m.
6. Balustrade : Open well stairs should always be provided with
balustrade, to provided safety to the users.
7. Step dimensions : The going should not be less than 25 cm though
30 cm going is quite comfortable. The rise should be b/w 10 cm to
15 cm.
8. Material construction : It should be such as to provide sufficient
strength and fire resistance.
 CLASSIFICATION OF
STAIRS
1. Straight Stairs
2. Turning stairs
(i)Quarter turn stairs
(ii)Half turn stairs (dog –legged and open well stairs)
(iii)Three – quarter turn stairs
(iv)Bifurcated stairs.
3. Turning stairs are of three types
(a) Newel stairs (b) well or open- newel stairs
(c )geometrical stairs.
 STRAIGHT STAIRS
1. In this stair runs straight
b/w the two floor.
2. It is used for small houses.
 QUARTER TURN STAITRS
• Which changes its direction either to the left or to the
right.
There are two types
(a) Newel quarter turn stairs
(b) Geometrical quarter turn stairs

Geometrical quarter turn stairs

Newel quarter turn stairs
 HALF TURN STAIRS
which is has its directions reversed or changed for 180o .
They are quite common. These are three types
(a) Dog –legged stairs : This name is given because of its
appearance in sectional elevation. In which newel posts are
provided at the beginning and end of each flight. These may
be of two forms. (i) half space landing, (ii) quarter space
landing.
(b) Open newel half turn stair : it has space or well b/w the outer
strings.
(c) Geometrical half turn stairs : in which the stringers and the
hand rails are continuous, without newel post.
 Dog –legged stairs
Geometrical half turn stairs
 4. THREE QUARTER TURN
STAIRS
1. A three quarter turn stairs has its direction changed
three times with its upper flight crossing the bottom one.
2. Type of stair is used when the length of the stair room
is limited and when the vertical distance b/w the two
floors is quite large.

5. BIFURCATED STAIRS
•It is used in public buildings other entrance hall .
• The stair has a wider flight at the bottom, which bifurcates
into two narrower flights.
• One turning to the left and other to the right at the landing.
 6. CONTINUOUS STAIRS
They neither have any landing not any intermediate newel
post.
They may following type
(i) Circular Stairs
(ii) Spiral stairs : They made by either of R.C.C. or
metal. They are provided where there are space
limitations. They are used as emergency stairs.
(iii) Helical Stair : They looks very fine. It structural
design and construction is very complicated.
(iv) It is made of R.C.C.
Bifurcated Stairs

Continuous Stairs
LIFTS
 HISTORY
• Otis commissioned the first public elevator in
1857
• Worked at a speed of 40 feet/min
• Company installed the first automatic electric
or push button elevator in 1894
 TERMINOLOGY

LIFT
 An appliance designed to transport persons or materials
between 2 or more levels in a vertical or substantially
vertical directions by means of a guided car or platform

LIFT CAR

 The load carrying unit with its floor or platform, car

frame, and enclosing body work
RATED LOAD
• Max load which the lift car is designed and
installed to carry safely at its rated speed
RATED SPEED
• Speed attained by the lift in the upward direction
with rated load in the car.
CONTRACT SPEED
• The mean of maximum speeds attained by lift car
in upward & downward directions with rated
load in the car
 Ideal Performance:
• minimum waiting time
• comfortable acceleration
• rapid transportation
• smooth/rapid slowing
• accurate leveling
• rapid loading/unloading
• quick/quiet door operation
• good visual travel direction/floor indicators
• easily operated controls
• comfortable lighting
• reliable emergency equipment
• smooth/safe operation of mechanical equipment
 THE BASIC DESIGN

• The basic design is a compartment that is

somehow lifted
• Two Types of Elevators:
• Hydraulic
• Rope-Geared
 THE HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR
• The car is moved up and
down using
“a fluid piston mounted
inside a cylinder”
• Consists of three parts:
• Tank
• Pump
• Valve
 WORKING OF HYRAULIC ELEVATORS

• The car is placed on a piston

• Fluid Pumping System
• A tank (off to the side) holds the fluid
• When the valve closes, the car is lifted
• When the valve opens, the car is lowered
• Two Disadvantages
• Must Have Enough Room
• Energy Inefficient
Hydraulic Elevator
car
plunger/piston/jack
elevator machine
controls
hoistway
rails
penthouse/headway
pit
 ROPE-GEARED ELEVATORS

• These are the most popular types of elevators.

• Rather than being pushed from below, these types of
elevators are moved using cables
• Cables attach to the car and through a sheave.
• The sheave is connected to an electric motor.
• Motor turns one way, elevator moves up. Motor turns
the other way, elevator moves down.
• The ropes are connected to a counterweight.
• The counterweight system serves as a means
for conserving energy
• Rails are used to guide the elevator
• Keep elevator and counterweights steady.
• Rope-geared elevators are much more
efficient and safer.
Traction Elevator
car
cables
elevator machine
controls
counterweight
hoistway
rails
penthouse
pit
 ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF LIFT

• Car to carry passengers

• Cable running over a pulley
• Balanced by the counter weight
• Rise & fall b/w steel guides in a shaft formed
in the building
• Pulley + control gear+ motor-housed in
machine room
• Pit
 MACHINE ROOM OF THE LIFT
• Motor, brake, gear & pulley
• Control machines ( speed governor, floor
selector ) mounted on wall or a framework
• Height not less than 1.98m
• Easily accessible with locking arrangement
• Good lighting during inspection
 LIFT WELL
• Enclosure structure separating from others
• Unobstructed space within a lift well enclosure
• Provided for vertical movement of a lift car & counter
weight
• Lift pit and space for top clearance
• 4 steel ropes to support car and counter weight
• 2 guides on each side in steel work for car
• 2 guides on each side in steel work for counter weight
• Inside should be smooth
 LIFT PIT
• Lift well extended down below the lowest
landing
• Buffer springs for lower speeds
• Oil loaded buffers for higher speeds
• Depth from 1-2.8m depending on speed
• Completely water tight
• Ladder to access lift pit
 LIFT LANDING DOOR AND LIFT CAR

Types of entrances
• Collapsible gate -car & landing
• Collapsible gate - car & swing door - landing
• Collapsible gate-car & sliding metal door –
landing
• Single sliding door – car & landing
• Centre opening sliding door- car & landing
 DESIGN
CONSIDERATIONS
 REQUIRES PROPER STUDY INTO…..

• The character of the building

• Extent & duration of peak periods
• Frequency of service required
• Type and method of control
• Type of landing doors
• The number of lifts, their capacity and speed
is governed by
• No: of floors served
• no: of passengers to be handled
• Floor area
• Floor height
• In large buildings, the provision of a battery of
lifts is advisable wherever feasible

• To cater for future traffic development, leaving

space for additional lift installation is to be
considered
 NO OF LIFTS AND CAPACITY

Quantity of service

Quality of service

Occupant load
 QUANTITY OF SERVICE

• Is a measure of the passenger handling capacity

of lifts during peak periods
• Measured in terms of the total number of
passengers handled during each 5 minutes peak
period of the day
 HANDLING CAPACITY
H= [300 Q/(T x P) ] x 100
H –handling capacity
Q- avg no: of persons in a car
T- waiting interval in sec
P- total population to be handled
Q- depends on car size & car is assumed to be
operating at 80% capacity
 ‘H’ FOR DIFFERENT OCCUPANCY

Passenger handling capacity (H) for different

occupancies, expressed in % of the estimated
population that has to be handled in the
building in the 5 min peak period, should be
approximately as follows

Class of occupancy H (%)

Diversified or mixed office 10-15
Single purpose office 15-25
Residential 5
 QUALITY OF SERVICE
• Generally measured by the passenger waiting
time at various floors
• Following grading factors is utilized
Acceptable interval (sec) Rating
20-25 Excellent
30-35 good
35-40 Fair
40-45 Poor
Over 45 Unsatisfactory

Residential buildings –up to 90 sec is permissible

 OCCUPANT LOAD

• No: of persons within any floor area

• Based on the actual no: of occupants, but in
no case less than those specified
Occupancy Load (person/m2)
Residential 12.5
Educational 4
Assembly 0.6-1.5
Mercantile 3-6
Business & industrial 10

Floating population may also be there to counterfeit the effect of late

coming persons.
 Round Trip Time
• Average time required by each lift in
• taking one full load of passenger from GF,
• discharging them in various upper floors &
• coming back to GF for taking fresh passengers

• Includes entry, door opening/ closing, stopping

• Waiting time T = RTT/N
RTT- round trip time
N - no: of lifts
• RTT α H x n,
where H-ht of floor & n- no: of floors
• HC α 1/T, T α RTT
• Reducing RTT of lift from 120 sec to 100 sec
increases its handling capacity by around 20 %
 CAR OR PLATFORM SHAPE

• To accommodate without undue crowding

• Allow easy access to and from the elevator
doors
• 2 square feet / person
• Narrow arrangement to be avoided
 DOOR ARRANGEMENT

Most efficient door-

• Opens & closes in min time
• Allow two persons to enter and leave
simultaneously
 GROUPING OF ELEVATORS
• Requires more than 1 elevators, they should be
grouped
• Single car installation-misses a flight, have to
wait for the car to return
• More cars = reduced waiting time
• Needed at the time of maintenance
• All elevators in a group should serve the same
floors, but with skip stops
 ZONING OF ELEVATORS

• Required in high -rise buildings

Adopted when
• No: of floors exceeds 16
• Travel time exceeds 120 – 150 sec
So a set of floors usually adjacent in a building can form a
zone & served by a group of elevators
- Skip stops
- Lift for serving odd floors/even floors
 ESCALATOR

• ESCALATOR - ELEVATOR + SCALA (steps)

• Large no of people-short vertical distance-no
waiting time
• Developed by Otis Elevator Company at Paris in
1900
Widely used in
• Multipurpose malls
• Underground railways & air terminals
 DESIGN FACTORS
• Speed – 0.5 and 0.65 m/s, upto 0.9 -1.0 m/s
on deep systems like subway
• Step width – 600, 800, 1000mm; min tread
400mm
• Inclination - usually angle 30
• 35 if <6m & speed < 0.5 m/s
 FEATURES

• Power driven stairs

• Continuous operation
• No operator required
• Form of inclined bridge spanning b/w floors
• 2 roller hauling chains travels over the guide
pulling the endless belt of steps
 CAPACITY

• Passengers/hr
• Speed and width of the escalator
• 3200-6400 person/hr depending on width
• Improved when riders walk over it
 HANDLING CAPACITY
• N = (3600 x P x V cos )/L
N - no of persons moved per hour
P - no of persons per step
V - escalator speed (m/s)
L - length of step (m)
 - angle of inclination
 REQUIREMENTS

• Ample space for people must be provided at the entry

and exit landings
• Access to the escalator must be attractive & in the path
of the heaviest expected traffic
• Service with zero interval- main attraction
• Should discharge in open space
• Disadvantage-inconvenient for wheeled vehicle & large
parcel
 Ramp
• A sloping surface joining two different levels,
as at the entrance or between floors of a
building.
• Any part of an accessible route with a slope
greater than 1:20 shall be considered a ramp
and shall comply with 4.8. The least possible
slope shall be used for any ramp. The
maximum slope of a ramp in new construction
shall be 1:12. The maximum rise for any run
shall be 30 in (760 mm).
How far can a ramp go before a landing?
• If the slope of a ramp is between 1:12 and
1:16, the maximum rise shall be (760 mm) and
the maximum horizontal run shall be (9 m). If
the slope of the ramp is between 1:16 and
1:20, the maximum rise shall be (760 mm) and
the maximum horizontal run shall be (12 m).
THANK YOU