The effect of the building population and the number of floors on the vertical transportation design of low and medium rise buildings

Abstract

The design of vertical transportation systems for buildings involves the selection of the number, speed and capacity of the lifts required. It also involves the selection of the most appropriate configuration in terms of zoning, group control algorithm and the use or otherwise of double deckers. Interval is the classical performance criterion for vertical transportation design, while modern passenger centric performance criteria are now based on passenger waiting time and travelling time. Both types of performance parameters are used in this work. This work identifies the two most influential demand factors that affect the design output for vertical transportation systems in low and medium rise buildings. These are the total building population and the number of floors served above the main terminal. These are then used to develop general guidelines to find the most optimum configuration for every pair of such parameters. This is then transformed into the form of a 2D chart that can visually aid the designer into using the best configuration for a building. Practical applications: The importance of this article arises from the fact that it justifies the widely held view that single deck lifts in one group are limited to 20 floors and that the direct travel from ground approach is limited to around 60 floors (after which sky lobbies are needed). It shows that the two most important parameters that affect the design of a vertical transportation system are the total building population and the number of floors above the lobby. The two dimensional chart included within the article as Figure 3 allows the system designer to immediately assess the most suitable vertical transportation zoning arrangement for the building, the preferred number of zones and the preference for using single decker or double decker lifts.