BBSE2001 Utility Services
http://www.hku.hk/bse/bbse2001/
Transportation Systems in Buildings:
Principles and Planning
Dr. Sam C M Hui
Department of Mechanical Engineering
The University of Hong Kong
E-mail:
[email protected]Dec 2007
Contents
Basic Principles
Planning & Design Factors
System Types
Regulations and Codes
296 m (1993)
367 m (1990)
Landmark Tower,
Yokohama, Japan
(lift speed 750
m/min)
Bank of China
Building, Hong
Kong
374 m (1992)
415 m (2003)
Central Plaza,
Hong Kong
International
Finance Centre
Two (IFC-2),
Hong Kong
Tall buildings are not possible without lifts and escalators
Basic Principles
Terminology
Lifts [UK] = Elevators [US]
Escalators
Conveyors (or moving walkways)
Basic Principles
Origins
Hoists & lifting devices in Egypt (2600 BC) for
pyramid construction, in China, Greece and
Roman Emperor
Primitive elevators/lifts operated by human,
animal, or water wheel power
Power elevators, often steam-operated, were used
for conveying materials in factories, mines, and
warehouses
Hoists (early form of lift system)
Power elevator (steam)
Basic Principles
Escalator = Elevator + Scala (steps)
First escalator: designed by Jesse Reno in 1892
Basic Principles
Development of modern elevators/lifts
In 1853, Elisha G. Otis demonstrated a freight elevator
equipped with a safety device to prevent falling
He then established a company to manufacture hoists and elevators
In 1846, Sir William Armstrong introduced the hydraulic
crane, and in the early 1870s, hydraulic machines began to
replace the steam-powered elevator
In 1880, the first electric elevator was built by the German
inventor Werner von Siemens
See Elevator Museum for more info.
http://www.theelevatormuseum.org/
Basic Principles
Principles of operation
How Elevators Work
http://www.howstuffworks.com/elevator.htm
How Escalators Work
http://www.howstuffworks.com/escalator.htm
* Please find out how they work from these websites.
[Source: http://www.howstuffworks.com/]
[Source: http://www.howstuffworks.com/]
An electric
traction
passenger lift
[source: CIBSE
Guide D]
An hydraulic lift
[source: CIBSE
Guide D]
Power flow through a typical elevator
[Source: How an elevator works
http://web.mit.edu/2.972/www/reports/elevator/elevator.html]
Planning & Design Factors
Circulation/Movement of people in buildings
Mode (horizontal or vertical)
Movement type (natural or mechanically assisted)
Human behaviour (complex, unpredictable)
Design objectives
Free flow of people & goods
Safe operation, comfort & service
Occupy minimum space & require less costs
Aesthetics, disabled access, etc.
Planning & Design Factors
Efficiency of interior circulation depends on
Relative location of rooms
Relationship of major spaces with entrances &
people handling equipment
Importance of journey undertaken (e.g. hospital)
Separation of different traffic types (e.g.
clean/dirty)
The need to group some spaces together
Conflict of vertical & horizontal circulation modes
Planning & Design Factors
Circulation elements in buildings include:
Corridors
Portals (e.g. entrance, door, gate)
Stairways
Ramps
Lifts
Escalators
Moving walkways
* Try to identify them in a building
Physical or
architectural
elements
Mechanical or
engineering
elements
Typical floor plan of a commercial building
Can you find
out all the
circulation
elements?
[Source: Cheung Kong Holding Ltd.]
G/F plan of a commercial building
Can you find
out all the
circulation
elements?
[Source: Hongkong Land]
Planning & Design Factors
Human factors
Physical dimensions
Occupancy ellipse (assume male subject)
600 mm by 450 mm (0.21 m2)
Personal space (buffer zone)
Female: 0.5 m2 (0.8 m diameter circle)
Male: 0.8 m2 (1.0 m diameter circle)
Compared w/ size of an umbrella
Typical occupancy ellipse (male subject)
[Source: CIBSE Guide D]
Planning & Design Factors
Human factors
Density of occupation
Desirable: 0.4 person/m2
Comfortable: 1.0 person/m2
Dense: 2.0 person/m2
Crowding: 3.0 person/m2
Crowded: 4.0 person/m2
Planning & Design Factors
Human factors
Interpersonal distances
Public distance: > 7.5 m (far); 3.6-7.5 m (near)
Social distance: 2.1-3.6 m (far); 1.2-2.1 m (near)
Personal distance: 0.75-1.2 m (far); 0.45-0.75 m (near)
Intimate distance: < 0.45 m
[Source: CIBSE Guide D]
[Source:
Strakosch,
G. R., 1998.
The Vertical
Transportation
Handbook]
Planning & Design Factors
Major design concerns
Circulation efficiency
Location & arrangement (prevent bottlenecks)
Coordination with lobby, stairway & corridor
Fire & safety regulations
Quantity of service (e.g. handling capacity)
Quality of service (e.g. interval or waiting time)
Consideration by lift functions
Passenger, goods, firemen, shuttle, observation
Typical design of protected lift lobby
Fire door (one
hour rated)
(shall be free of smoke)
[Source: CIBSE Guide D]
Staircase
(escape route)
Planning & Design Factors
Consideration by building function
Offices (various classes)
Airports, railway stations
Shopping centres, department stores, car parks
Sports centres, concert halls
Hospitals, hotels, universities (institutional)
Residential, dormitory
Types of occupancy
Single or multiple tenants; nature of business
Planning & Design Factors
Planning of lifts
Shall commence early in the project
Consider the positions of entrances & staircases
With a number of passenger lifts, they should be
grouped together
Lift lobby must be wide enough
For tall buildings, express lifts may be required
[Source: Building Services Handbook]
[Source: Building Services Handbook]
Lift configuration of
World Trade Center
(New York)
[Source: http://www.howstuffworks.com/ and The Vertical Transportation Handbook]
Planning & Design Factors
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 30o
35o if rise < 6 m & speed < 0.5 m/s
Boarding and alighting areas
Safe boarding, 1.33 2.33 flat steps
Typical escalator design
[Source: Building Services Handbook]
Planning & Design Factors
Escalator typical applications
Low- to medium-rise buildings
Large no. of people e.g. airports, subway stations,
department stores, shopping malls
Escalator arrangements
Parallel
Multiple parallel
Cross-over or criss-cross
Walkaround
Escalator configurations
Parallel
Cross over
Walk round
[Source: CIBSE Guide D]
Planning & Design Factors
Escalator: handling capacity
N = (3600 x P x V x 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 incline
Ce = 60 V k s
(persons/minutes)
V = speed along the incline (m/s)
k = average density of people (people/step)
s = number of escalator steps per metre
Planning & Design Factors
Comparison of lifts and escalators
Lifts: for long distance travel over a large
number of floors; most effective for tall buildings
Escalators (or stairs): for travel over a small
number of floors (e.g. shopping centres, railway
stations); most effective for handling large people
flow
A building complex could use both lifts and
escalators to get the best results
Planning & Design Factors
Facilities for disabled persons -- Barrier-free
access for buildings, such as
Steps & stairs colour contrast at interface
Ramps max. gradient & minimum width
Handrails suitable dimensions
Lifts manoeuvring space
Lifting devices for wheelchair (e.g. at MTR
entrance)
System Types
Passenger lifts
Different requirements in various building types
Like commercial, hotels, hospitals, residential
Grouping of passenger lifts
Position & layout
Machine room/space
Hydraulic lifts: ideally at the lowest level
Electric traction lifts: directly above the lift well
Machine room-less lifts
[Source: Mitsubishi Elevator and Escalator, http://www.mitsubishi-elevator.com/]
System Types
Observation lifts
Glazed or partially glazed lift car within a glazed
or open-sided lift well
Also called wallclimber, scenic, glass, panoramic
or bubble lifts
Within an atrium or external to the building
Design considerations
Visual impact (attracting sightseers)
Lift speed & handling capacity
Space requirements & maintenance
[Source: CIBSE Guide D]
System Types
Lifts for the aged & disabled
Provision for wheelchair
Good lifts & service lifts
Car sizes, payloads, well dimensions
Dumbwaiter (e.g. in restaurants)
Stair lifts
Inclined lifts
Scissor lifts
[Source: CIBSE Guide D]
Inclined lift
[Source: CIBSE Guide D]
Scissor lifts
System Types
Passenger conveyors
Other names: travelators, autowalks, moving
walkway, moving pavement
Practical limit about 300 m distance
Useful in large airport terminals
Design factors
May be inclined up to about 15o
Speed between 0.6 to 1.3 m/s (combined with walking,
the overall pace is 2.5 m/s)
Materials must be flexible or elastic (e.g. reinforced
rubber or interlaced steel plates)
Moving walkway
[Source: Mitsubishi Elevator and Escalator, http://www.mitsubishi-elevator.com/]
Moving walkway
[Source: Mitsubishi Elevator and Escalator, http://www.mitsubishi-elevator.com/]
Inclined walkway
[Source: Mitsubishi Elevator and Escalator, http://www.mitsubishi-elevator.com/]
Regulations and Codes
Relevant ordinances and regulations
Lifts and Escalators (Safety) Ordinance (Chapter
327)
Building (Lifts) Regulations (Chapter 123)
Building (Escalators) Regulations (Chapter 123)
Factories and Industries Undertakings (Goods
Lifts) Regulations (Chapter 59)
Requirements of Firemans Lift (Fire Services
Department)
Regulations and Codes
Related standards and codes of practice
Code of Practice on the Design and Construction of Lifts
and Escalators
Code of Practice for Lift Works and Escalator Works
Relevant British Standards (e.g. BS 5655(EN81) and
BS5656(EN115))
Code of Practice for Safety at Work (Lift and Escalator)
Code of Practice on Building Works for Lifts and
Escalators
Circular letters from EMSD related to lifts and escalators
Regulations and Codes
Registration scheme (under the Lifts and Escalators
(Safety) Ordinance)
Registered Lift Engineer (RLE)
Registered Escalator Engineer (REE)
Registered Lift/Escalator Contractor (RLC/REC)
Requirements of RLE and REE
Relevant qualification & experience
Written examination
Interview (conducted by EMSD)
Further info:
http://www.emsd.gov.hk/emsd/eng/pps/le.shtml
