AR 307: BUILDING SERVICES-II

ASSIGNMENT III

APRIL 1, 2021
AAKARSHIT JAIN
B.ARCH III YEAR (DAY)
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Q.1: Elaborate upon different hoisting mechanisms for the elevators mentioning the
various components and their operations. Provide detailed section and plans of lift
wells and machine rooms etc.

A.1.

HYDRAULIC ELEVATORS

Hydraulic elevators use the compression of fluids to generate movement. The elevator
cab is lifted by an electric motor that pumps oil into the cylinder to move the piston.
Hydraulic elevators also incorporate electrical valves to control the release of oil for a
gentle ride. The fluid needed to power a hydraulic elevator must be oil-based.
Vegetable oil or biodegradable oil can be used as environmentally friendly options.

A hydraulic elevator is power-driven by a piston that moves within a cylinder. The piston
movement can be done by pumping hydraulic oil to the cylinder. The piston lifts the lift
cab easily, and the oil can be controlled by an electrical valve.

The applications of hydraulic elevators involve in five to six-floor buildings. The

operating of these elevators can be done at speeds up to 200 ft or 61 meters for each
minute.

The machine room for hydraulic elevators is generally located at the lowest level
adjacent to the elevator shaft.

Hydraulic elevators have many two main types as follows:

A) Holed (Conventional) Hydraulic Elevators

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.

B) Hole-less Hydraulic Elevators

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.

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The lift car shall be driven by one of the following methods:

1. DIRECT ACTING

In case of direct acting system, the hydraulic ram shall be located either at the side, or
the back. Unless otherwise specified, direct acting underneath the lift car is not
acceptable.

The machine/ drive system will include the following components:

Plunger/piston/jack

The cylinder shall be constructed of steel pipe of a sufficient thickness and suitable
safety margin. The top of the cylinder shall be equipped with a cylinder head with an
internal guide ring and self-adjusting packing.

The plunger/Ram shall be constructed of a steel shaft of a proper diameter machined

true and smooth. The plunger shall be provided with a stop electrically welded to the
bottom to prevent the plunger from leaving the cylinder.

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:

The Tank.

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The tank shall have sufficient capacity to provide an adequate reserve to prevent the
entrance of air or other gas into the system. A sight glass tube shall be provided for
checking the oil level and the minimum level mark shall be clearly indicated. An oil level
monitoring device shall be provided, and if operated, shall maintain a visual and
audible signal in the control panel until the fault is rectified.

So, the main function of the tank is holding the liquid used in the system, this liquid is
usually oil based as it is non-compressible and self-lubricating

Motor/Pump.

The main function of the pump used in hydraulic elevator is constantly pushing Liquid
into the cylinder to lift the elevator, the pump is Submersible type with Variable Speed
Valve Levelling.

The pump and pump motor shall be mounted on one robust bedplate or within the
power unit assembly if it is suitably rigid.

An oil filter shall be fitted on the pump inlet. A stopcock shall be provided to enable the
filter to be cleaned or changed without significant loss of oil.

Valve.

The power unit control valve shall be a variable speed proportional valve type that
includes all hydraulic control valving inherently. A stopcock shall be provided between
the control valves and the cylinder(s), and also between the reservoir tank and the
pump if the pump is mounted outside the tank.

The main functions of the Valve are:

Let’s Liquid out of the system.

Keeps the pressure low when open.

Increases pressure when closed.

Actuator.

An actuator is the device that transfers fluid or electrical energy into mechanical energy.
The actuator could be piston because it moves up and down.

Note: In very old installations, a car is raised or lowered by a ram powered by water
pressure. Newer installations use oil pressure to power a ram. Some less modern
hydraulic elevators and hydraulic elevators that travel over six stories may use cables
and counterweights.

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Method of operation for Hydraulic Elevators: 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.

INDIRECT ACTING
(SUSPENDED)
HYDRAULIC SYSTEM IN
CASE OF USING ROPED
HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR

Suspended system

The car cage is

suspended from a wire
cable, and a jigger
consisting of a fixed cylinder, a sliding ram, and a set of two pulley blocks, which is
provided at the foot of the hole of the cage. One pulley block is movable while the
other one is fixed. The sliding ram end is connected to the movable pulley block. The
cage is suspended from the other end of the rope. The raising or lowering of the cage
of the lift is done by the jigger. This arrangement is used to increase the speed of the
lift by a 2:1 roping ratio.
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Where the car is suspended, the cylinders shall be solidly mounted on the building
structure and the head of the ram adequately guided or supported to carry the rope
pulley. A device shall be incorporated which will initiate the closing of the lowering valve
in the event of the car being prevented from descending by an obstruction. The device
may be either a low-pressure switch in the hydraulic line or a slack rope switch.

Method of operation for Hydraulic Elevators: 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.

THE ADVANTAGES OF HYDRAULIC ELEVATORS

For many types of buildings, hydraulic elevators offer the following advantages:

Quicker to install than other elevator types

Less expensive to install and maintain Ideal for transporting heavy loads

Occupy less space in a building

Option to have machine room-less configuration

THE DISADVANTAGES OF HYDRAULIC ELEVATORS

Even with the benefits, there are still a few factors that might not make hydraulic
systems the right choice for certain applications:

Only intended for low and mid-rise buildings

Can only travel up to 150 ft./min.

More power requirements than traction elevators

May be a bit noisier than other systems

TRACTION ELEVATORS
Traction elevators are one of the most commonly used types of elevators. They use a
rope and pulley system to raise and lower the elevator cab. The weight of their cab is
balanced by using a counterweight, which was first introduced in 1900. Nowadays,
some elevators are using steel belts in place of steel ropes. These steel belts are flat

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and extremely light because of the high friction coating, and carbon fibre core. Also,
these belts do not require oil or lubricant. All these qualities make traction elevators
energy efficient and best suited for high-rise applications.

Components of Traction Elevators

1. Cabin/ Car

This is the main part of Elevator which is designed for enclosed transport of passengers
& goods

2. Cable (Rope)

it is used to support the car (passing over the drive sheave to the counterweight) & pull
the car. Usually, number of lays depends on load & speed.

3. Elevator Machine

A traction machine is used on all traction elevator equipment types. A standard traction
machine consists of a motor, drive sheave, brake and machine bed plate. The traction
machine motor turns the drive sheave shaft to turn the drive sheave. As the sheave
turns the hoist ropes pass over the drive sheave and pull the car through the hoist way.

4. Controller

An Elevator controller is a system to control the elevators, either manual or automatic.

The controller usually tune down the voltage between 12V to 24V to the controlling
system, only the motor needs 3-phase power supply. The low voltage power supply is
for the controlling component and the fixtures to control the elevator

5. Drive unit

Everything that works under electricity must have a motor attached for the functioning &
driven by VVVF drives.

6. The counter weight

In practice, elevators work in a slightly different way from simple hoists. The elevator
car is balanced by a heavy counterweight that weighs roughly the same amount as the
car when it's loaded 40%-50% (in other words, the weight of the car itself plus 40–50
percent of the total weight it can carry). When the elevator goes up, the counterweight
goes down—and vice-versa, which helps us in four ways:

The counterweight makes it easier for the motor to raise and lower the car—just as
sitting on a see-saw makes it much easier to lift someone's weight compared to lifting
them in your arms. Thanks to the counterweight, the motor needs to use much less
force to move the car either up or down. Assuming the car and its contents weigh more
than the counterweight, all the motor has to lift is the difference in weight between the
two and supply a bit of extra force to overcome friction in the pulleys and so on.

Since less force is involved, there's less strain on the cables—which makes the elevator
a little bit safer.
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The counterweight reduces the amount of energy the motor needs to use. The
counterweight reduces the amount of breaking the elevator needs to use.

7. Hostway

The space enclosed by fireproof walls and elevator doors for the travel of one or more
elevators, dumbwaiters or material lifts. It includes the pit and terminates at the
underside of the overhead machinery space floor or grating, or at the underside of the
roof where the hoist way does not penetrate the roof.

8. Guide Rails

Steel T-shaped or formed sections with guiding surfaces installed vertically in a hoist
way to guide and direct the course of travel of an elevator car and elevator
counterweights.

9. Buffers

The buffer is an apparatus located at the bottom of elevator designed to protect

people. Buffers can stop a descending car by accumulating or dissipating the kinetic
energy of the car.

10. Speed governors

Most elevators have an entirely separate speed-regulating system called a governor,

which is a flywheel with mechanical arms built inside it. Normally the arms are held
inside the flywheel by springs, but if the lift moves too fast, they fly outward, pushing a
lever mechanism that trips one or more braking systems. First, they might cut power to
the lift motor. If that fails and the lift continues to accelerate, the arms will fly out even
further and trip a second mechanism, applying the brakes. Some governors are entirely
mechanical; others are electromagnetic; still others use a mixture of mechanical and
electronic components.

11. The safety brake

Everyone who's ever travelled in an elevator has had the same thought: what if the
cable holding this thing suddenly snaps? Rest assured, there's nothing to worry about.
If the cable snaps, a variety of safety systems prevent an elevator car from crashing to
the floor.

Each car ran between two vertical guide rails with sturdy metal teeth embedded all the
way up them. At the top of each car, there was a spring-loaded mechanism with hooks
attached. If the cable broke, the hooks sprung outward and jammed into the metal
teeth in the guide rails, locking the car safely in position.

12. Doors

As normal doors, elevator doors are also meant for entry and exit. Elevator door is of
two types: Manual doors and Automatic doors.

Manual doors: These types of doors are opened with the help of a person who wants to
enter the lift.
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Automatic doors: Automatic doors are the type

of doors which are automatically opened as it is
powered by a door operator and usually have a
full height photo-electric curtain to sense the
entry/exit of persons.

There are three main types of traction

elevators:

Geared Traction Elevators

Gearless Traction Elevators

Machine Room-Less Traction Elevators

Geared Traction Elevators

These traction elevators have a gearbox

which is attached to the electric motor and
turns the hoist sheave and moves the rope.
Geared traction elevators are driven by
either direct current (DC) or alternating
current (AC) and their maximum speed is
up to 500 ft. per minute. This speed limit is
lower than gearless traction elevators but
higher than many other types of elevators.
Moreover, these elevators are capable of
traveling to a maximum distance of 250 ft.
Geared traction elevators have fair installation and maintenance costs, and low energy
consumption. While their speed is slower than gearless elevators, geared elevators
offer advantages in terms of energy efficiency as they use less power to turn the pulley
(sheave). Furthermore, these elevators have the ability to lift loads up to 13600 kg.

Gearless Traction Elevators

These traction elevators have the wheel directly attached to the electric motor. Gearless
traction elevators have a very high travel speed i.e., up to 2000 ft. per minute and can
travel a great distance. Their maximum travel distance is almost 2000 ft. and thus they
are the best and the only choice for high-rise buildings. These elevators’ function using
a wire cable (hoisting ropes) which is attached to the elevator top and wrapped around
the sheave on one end. The other end of the cable is attached with a counterweight
that raises and lowers in the hoist way. The weight of the cab and counterweight
together press the cable which then turns the sheave and the elevator begins moving.
To keep the load on the electric motor minimum, the counterweight is matched with the

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weight of the elevator cab and half-load of the passengers. As the elevator cab moves
upwards, the counterweight begins to move downwards, and in this way, it balances
the elevator load. This significantly reduces the energy consumption as the motor only
bears the weight of half the cab load.

Machine Room-Less Traction Elevators

These traction elevators, as the name suggests, do

not have an overhead machine room. In other
traction elevators, the machine room is present over
the elevator shaft, whereas in these elevators it is
placed in the override space. When repair or
maintenance is required, the machine room is
opened from the top of the cab. Machine Room-
Less Traction Elevators have the ability to travel up to
a distance of 250 ft. and have a travel speed of up
to 500 ft. per minute. Moreover, their installation and
maintenance costs are somewhat comparable to
those of geared traction elevators. However, Machine
Room-Less Traction Elevators are more energy
efficient as compared to geared traction elevators.
These elevators are gaining popularity and becoming
a common choice for mid-rise application where the travel is around 250 ft. It is
because Machine Room-Less traction elevators traction elevators are highly energy
efficient, fairly priced, require less space for installation, and their durability and
reliability is comparable with gearless traction elevators. These types of elevators offer
more design freedom and help utilize the hoist way better.

ADVANTAGES OF
TRACTION ELEVATOR:

Higher speeds allow it to be

used in taller and more
modern 21st century
buildings.

Uses a counterweight to
offset the weight of the cab
and occupants. With this
design, the motor doesn’t have to move as much weight, making it much more
energy-efficient than hydraulic systems.

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Ability to install a magnetic synchronous motor, which would replace the main machine
room, provide a superior control mechanism, and make the entire system safer and
easier to maintain.

DISADVANTAGES OF TRACTION ELEVATOR:

Higher installation costs as there are more components to be installed compared to a

hydraulic system.

Difficult to maintain as the main controls for the elevator are located in the difficult to
access shaft headroom.

Crane is typically required as the building’s roof cannot be installed over the elevator’s
hoist way.

CLIMBING ELEVATORS

A climbing elevator is a self-ascending elevator with its own propulsion. The propulsion
can be done by an electric or a combustion engine. Climbing elevators are used in
guyed masts or towers, in order to make easy access to parts of these constructions,
such as flight safety lamps for maintenance.

Temporary climbing elevators are commonly used in the construction of new high-rise
buildings to move materials and personnel before the building's permanent elevator
system is installed, at which point the climbing elevators are dismantled.

climbing elevators have their own power and can successfully execute ascension
procedures individually.

Unlike other machines, a climbing system is not designed for passenger movement in
residential and commercial buildings, instead, high rise building and construction sites
like, towers. They are self-powered which means they ascend on their own and run-on
combustion engines or electricity.

This type of hoist system relies on permanent entrances, cars, controllers and other
basic features to facilitate the movement of workers at construction sites, their tools
and simple building materials. The system uses the hoist ways of the building as the
work progresses. due to their mobile machine room, each hoist way is divided into two
to give room for the placement of rails and other components. Since the system
assumes the form of work being conducted on the building, there is also greater
chances for customization at every stage.

The self-propulsion feature of climbing elevators, they can be used in all kinds of
weather including rain, wind or sunshine. In fact, the lifts can still operate efficiently
regardless of even the external structure of the building. It can be customized to
complement the profile of a particular building under construction as the work
continues. For example, the system’s mobile machine room is moved up based on the
number of floors. The elevator is installed within and also as part of the permanent
structure of the building.
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A climbing elevator is also quite fast and reliable when it comes to propulsion. As a
result of this, it is a great option that can significantly enhance productivity and quality
of services at less cost.

When the construction work is completed, it is much easier to switch to a permanent

elevator.

ADVANTAGES OF CLIMBING ELEVATORS

Reduced wait time

Efficiency in construction

Reduced construction and operational costs

PNEUMATIC ELEVATORS
A vacuum/pneumatic system is a type of lift hoist mechanism that comprises a smooth
vertical cylinder and car, which ascends and descends through air suction. the
operation of the elevator is mainly based on the ascension push achieved by the
difference between the atmospheric pressure above and below the lift car. the vacuum
that is required to set the car on an upward motion is generated by turbines serving as
exhaust fans located at the top of the machine.

The Pneumatic elevator consists of:

A regulating air valve which controls pneumatic depression and enabling the descent
motion and controlling the car speed.

As the shafts lower part is open there will be the free entry of atmospheric air

On each floor, there is self-sealing on the door due to the action of atmospheric
pressure.

The car has locking devices to stop the car.

A chute, which is a safe braking device, comes in to rescue in case of fall.

But, the 3 main components include:

1. Exterior Cylinder

This is a transparent self-supporting tube that is wrapped around a specially designed

aluminium structure. The cylinder tube's walls are created from sheets of curved
polycarbonate and compromise a modular, which can easily fit into each other. The
exterior cylinder is capped with a steel roof to ensure air tight closures with inlets and
suction valves.

2. Elevator or Lift Car

The car, which is also called cab by some people runs inside the cylinder on columns
or rails. for stability, these columns are also part of the self-supporting structure of the

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exterior cylinder. various kinds of materials can be used in making the surfaces of the
lift but panels of ply-carbonate are the most popular. the lift car is designed with a
system that is engaged to bring in to a halt whenever it gets to the required level of the
building. the system offers precise but smooth brakes and mechanically keeps the car
in lock.

3. Suction Assembly

also known as the Head Unit, suction assembly is situated on top of the tube or
cylinder, and encloses the valves, turbines and controls. the control chamber is a
metallic casing that houses a PVE controller board and other electric devices. the
suction assembly is built and fixed on either the tube holding the car or a separate one
at a distance from the elevator. the Head Unit can be framed using fibre glass or steel
based on the model of the elevator.

Working Principle

The Pneumatic elevator consists of a

vertical cylinder and coaxial car which
moves up and down due to the air
suction. The elevator working principle is
based on developing an ascending push
due to the difference in atmospheric
pressure between the topside and
underside of the car. When the system
receives the input so as the car has to
ascend, it uses powerful pumps to reduce
the air pressure above the elevator car.
During this, the pressure below the car
pushes the elevator car upwards. As long
as the pressure above the car is less than
the pressure below the car, the car should
be able to rise. When the car reaches its
destination, the vacuum will work to
equalize the pressure, and once the
equilibrium pressure reaches the elevator
car will stop. Once the car receives the
command to go down the pump reduces
the pressure below the car which results in
the car going down. An exhaust fan at the
top of the elevator helps the vacuum to lift the car. The fans or turbines at the top of
the elevators circular tube draws the air out of the tube and pull the elevator cab
upward.

ADVANTAGES OF PNEUMATIC ELEVATORS

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Easy to design, construct and install since they do not require machine rooms, hoist
ways and pit excavation.

These elevators usually require minimum space, which makes them a great option for
existing buildings as well as new ones.

Much safer during power failure as the moving car can automatically come down to the
lowest level of the building.

Q.2: Elaborate upon different uses of elevators.

A.2.

An elevator is a platform, either open or enclosed, used for moving people or freight
vertically, from one floor to another within a building. Elevators are a standard part of
any tall commercial or residential building. These days elevators are often a legal
requirement in new buildings with multiple floors. All elevators are required to have
communication connection to an outside 24-hour emergency service, automatic recall
capability in a fire emergency, and special access for fire fighters use in a fire.

Passenger Elevators are designed to move people between different floors of a

building, their capacity being related to available floor space.

Passenger elevators may be specialized for the service they perform, including:
Hospital emergency (Code blue), front and rear entrances, double Decker, and other
uses.

Express elevators are designed to move people from ground floor to a sky lobby
skipping several floors in between at a high speed.

Wheelchair, or platform lifts, a specialized type of elevator designed to move a

wheelchair 6 ft (1.8 m) or less, often can accommodate just one person in a
wheelchair at a time with a maximum load of 1000 lb (455 kg).

Freight Elevators are meant to carry heavy loads generally 2300 to 4500 kg. They
usually don't comply with fire service requirements and carrying passengers is generally
prohibited unless specified.

On aircraft carriers, elevators carry aircraft between the flight deck and the hangar deck
for operations or repairs. These elevators are designed for much greater capacity than
any other elevator.

A small freight elevator is often called a dumbwaiter, often used for the moving of
small items such as dishes in a 2-story kitchen or books in a multi-story rack
assembly. Passengers are never permitted on dumbwaiters.

A special type of elevator is the paternoster, a constantly moving chain of boxes,

generally used in industrial plants.

Grain Elevators are used to elevate grain for storage in large vertical silos

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Q3. Write short notes on

a. Express elevator
b. Round trip time (RTT)
c. Paternoster lifts.
d. Geared and gearless traction machines.
e. Handling capacity for the lifts.

A.3.

a. Express elevators – They do not service all floors, but instead only selected parts
of the building. Most notably they move passengers from the building lobby to
the top floor/sky lobby. Generally, an express elevator is one that stops at the
ground floor (UK) or first floor (US) or main floor (everywhere else), skips many
floors, and the first stop is an upper floor.

For example, a 50-story building with 3 elevators might have 1 elevator go to all floors,
1 elevator go to only floors 1 to 25, and the last elevator goes to 1 and 26 to 50.

b. Round trip time (RTT)

Round Trip Time (RTT) is the time which a lift car shall use to complete one cycle of
travel, i.e. from its opening of doors at the terminal floor, move and then back to the
terminal floor to open the doors again. Whilst depending on rated load, real time
demand, length of travel
and number of stops,
RTT between two and
three minutes are typical
values. RTT of express
lifts for one specific floor
is usually shorter. RTT is
not the same during
uppeak period, general
period, and downpeak
period.

Mathematically, RTT =
∑moving times +∑stop
times RTT = upward
moving times +
downward moving times
+∑stop times RTT = upward (acceleration, moving at contract speed + deceleration) +
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Downward (acceleration, moving at contract speed + deceleration) + ∑ (door operating

times + passenger transfer times)

Assumptions The calculation of round trip time relies on a number of assumptions:- 1)

The busiest traffic is the morning 5-minute uppeak 2) The traffic profile is ideal 3) All
floors are equally populated or present equal attraction 4) Interfloor heights are
assumed equal 5) The traffic supervisory system is assumed ideal 6) Passengers arrive
uniformly in time (rectangular probability function) 7) Lift car is 80% loaded for each
travel 8) Acceleration and deceleration are uniform (and possibly equal. In real lift,
acceleration > deceleration usually) 9) Lift car jerks up to rated acceleration (or
deceleration) instantly. (In practice, jerk is limited to 1.2m/s3 or below for the sake of
passenger comfort) 10) Heights between adjacent possible stops are equal 11) No
interference or floor call 12) Various lost times, such as passenger disturbance,
dispatch intervals, loading intervals, etc. are negligible, i.e. passenger transfer times
will be “brisk” and passengers do not misbehave.

Consider how a lift completes a trip in a building: 1. Lift opens doors and loads
passengers at the main terminal floor. 2. The lift closes door then accelerates, moves,
and decelerates to the 1st stop of car call. 3. The lift opens door for passengers to
alight, then closes door and repeat the steps for subsequent stops of car calls. 4. The
lift closes door at the highest stop of car call, then accelerates, moves, decelerates
back to the main terminal floor. The complete process is called a round trip. The time
taken is called the Round Trip Time, RTT.

c. paternoster lift is a
passenger elevator which consists of a chain
of open compartments (each usually designed
for two persons) that move slowly in a loop up
and down inside a building without stopping.
Passengers can step on or off at any floor
they like. The same technique is also used
for filing cabinets to store large amounts of
(paper) documents or for small spare
parts.[1] The much smaller belt manlift which
consists of an endless belt with steps and
rungs but no compartments is also sometimes
called a paternoster.
The name paternoster ("Our Father", the first
two words of the Lord's Prayer in Latin) was
originally applied to the device because the
elevator is in the form of a loop and is thus
similar to rosary beads used as an aid in
reciting prayers.[2]

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The construction of new paternosters was stopped in the mid-1970s out of concern for
safety, but public sentiment has kept many of the remaining examples open.[3] By far
most remaining paternosters are in Europe, with 230 examples in Germany, and 68 in
the Czech Republic. Only three have been identified outside Europe: one in Malaysia,
one in Sri Lanka, and another in Peru.

d. Geared and gearless traction machines.

As the technology
improved, although there
are some other and new
types of elevators, the most
common ones are still
geared and gearless
elevators. Some important
comparisons about these
two types are:

The Standing of the Wheel

The Need For The Machine

Room

Energy Consumption

Comfort

Capacity Issues

Maintenance

These are the main issues

that needed to be compared
to make a decision about
them. Of course, there are
so many other important
things to consider. But in
this article, we will try to
define what these issues
are:

The Standing of the Wheel

Both geared and gearless elevators are traction elevators which are the most common
ones on which the cabins are pulled up by means of rolling steel ropes that pass over a

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wheel attached to an electric motor above the elevator shaft. The main difference
between them is the standing of the wheel. On geared traction elevators, the wheel is
placed at the machine room which is above the elevator shaft, while on gearless
traction elevators the wheel is above the cabin and moves with the cabin.

The Need For The Machine Room

One of the most important differences between geared and gearless elevators is the
machine room. On geared elevators, the wheel and the electric motor have to be
placed in a machine room which is located above the elevator shaft. But because the
wheel is directly attached to the motor and the cabin, there is no necessity for the
machine room at the gearless elevators. That’s why gearless elevators are also called
Machine-Room-Less (MRL) elevators.

Machine rooms are mostly placed above the elevator shaft and must be considered
during the design of the building. The machine room needs to be well lighted and air-
conditioned. The machine rooms have a considerable size and need to be planned at
the architectural design of the building. So the machine rooms can be considered as a
waste of place, and a big disadvantage of geared elevators.

Energy Consumption

Gearless elevator motors can be smaller than geared elevator motors because they
don’t have gears. So gearless motors can be smaller up to ½ of a geared motor. This
makes the gearless motors more efficient on electricity usage. By making the motor
smaller, other components will be also smaller. This will help the efficiency issue and
make gearless motors more desirable.

Comfort

Gearless elevators have another advantage when compared to the geared ones about
comfort during accelerating, decelerate, and moving. Gearless traction elevators have
an excellent ability on leveling with floors. Gearless motors make less noise, smoother
on moving and stopping, and make fewer vibrations on the cabin while moving. These
make gearless elevators more comfortable than geared traction elevators.

Capacity Issues

Geared traction elevators can travel with up to 152 m per minute speed and a
maximum of nearly 75 m height, while gearless traction elevators can speed up to 610
m per minute with max 600 m travel distance. But, both geared and gearless lifts have
nearly the same load capacity which is enough for passenger travel. The necessities

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may differ according to the projects but it is obvious that gearless elevators are more
advantageous than geared ones about the speed and travel distance capabilities.

Maintenance

One of the main issues is, of course, the maintenance of both motors. Geared traction
elevators have bigger engine than gearless ones and that necessitates bigger combined
instruments that makes maintenance harder. Also, the geared motors necessitate
grease, which needs to be changed regularly, which makes the maintenance harder
and more expensive. These maintenance issues make gearless traction elevators (the
parts are smaller and there is no usage of oil in gearless ones) more advantageous and
desirable than the geared elevators.

e. HC (Handling Capacity): – The percentage of population an elevator group can

transport in five minutes

The handling capacity is calculated by the formula:

HC = (300 x Q x 100)/T x P
Where
HC = Handling capacity as the percentage of the peak population handled during 5
min.
Q = Average number of passengers carried in a car
T = waiting interval, and
P = Total population to be handled during peak morning period. (It is related to the area
by a particular bank of lifts)
The value of ‘Q’ depends on the dimensions of the car. It may be noted that the
capacity loaded always to its maximum capacity during each trip and, therefore, for
calculate the value of ‘Q’ is taken as 80% of the maximum carry capacity of the car.

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Ques 4. Give details about the planning and design considerations for lifts in the
buildings.

A.4.

To function efficiently and to provide access for the elderly and disabled, modern
offices and public buildings are provided with suitably designed lift installations.
Planning (as with all services) should commence early in the design programme.
Priority must be given to locating lifts centrally within a building to minimise horizontal
travel distance. Consideration must also be given to position, relative to entrances and
stairs. Where the building size justifies several passenger lifts, they should be grouped
together. In large buildings it is usual to provide a group of lifts near the main entrance
and single lifts at the ends of the building. The lift lobby must be wide enough to allow
pedestrian traffic to circulate and pass through the lift area without causing congestion.
For tall buildings in excess of 15 storeys, high speed express lifts may be used which
by-pass the lower floors.

Requirements:

• Necessary in all buildings over three storeys high.

• Essential in all buildings over a single storey if they are accessed by the elderly
or disabled. .
• Minimum standard † one lift per four storeys.
• Minimum walking distance to access a lift - 45 m.
• Floor space and lift car capacity can be estimated at 0.2 m2 per person.

1, Capacity

Knowing a building’s expected capacity and lift waiting times is essential before any
detailed planning can start. Considering factors such as the function of the building,
the inhabitants, and the inhabitants’ distribution within the building will be essential to
understand the impact on the number of cars required. Should fast service be required,
a lift car per 150 to 200 passengers may be needed. Should economy be the focus, a
lower number of lift cars per passenger quota will be required, such as one car per 250
to 300 passengers.

Building height will also influence how lifts are installed, with the possibility of more
than one lift core being needed. 30 floors or more may require banks of lifts with
multiple shafts at different levels, providing sky lobbies for passengers to get on lifts to
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higher floors. There is a growing need to cater for higher numbers of passengers and
taller buildings, and therefore to ensure that the right number of lifts is installed.

2. Peak times

In high-rise buildings, guaranteeing proper traffic flow management will provide

efficient lift usage. If possible, knowing exactly when passengers arrive and depart
each day and how often they leave the building in between those times will help to
accurately calculate how many lifts are needed.

3. Safety

With safety being the utmost concern for lift installation, it is vital to ensure lifts can
bear the weight of the passengers. This must always be tested for maximum capacity,
to prevent accidents after the installation. Lifts must also have fully functioning alarm
systems, should they break down and assistance be required.

The area in which the lift is to be installed must undergo safety checks before work
begins, particularly in older buildings to guarantee stability. It is also important to make
sure that any lift machinery can only be accessed by maintenance personnel and
workers.

4. Design

Depending on whether the passengers are residential, corporate, or both, the lift’s
design, how many are required, their location, size, and speed will vary. Practicality
and aesthetics must work together with safety, guaranteeing a pleasing design that
suits the building itself and its occupiers.

Additionally, whether the buildings are modern or listed, it is vital that lift systems are
installed to match the overall interior design and décor, which often translates to the
need for a close relationship between architects and interior designers.

Sources:

Building Services Design Management-Book by Jackie Portman

Building Services Handbook by Fred Hall and Roger Greeno

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