Building Utilities 2 - Vertical Transportation Systems: Elevators

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering vertical transportation systems, elevator classifications, hoist mechanisms, safety parameters, components, and traffic calculations.

Firmitas

The enduring architectural value representing survival and the capacity to protect.

Utilitas

The enduring architectural value representing the good life and the capacity to nurture.

Venustas

The enduring architectural value representing art and the capacity to transform.

Human Values (Contemporary Values)

Architectural design considerations encompassing functional, social, physical, physiological, and psychological needs of users.

Environmental Values (Contemporary Values)

Architectural design factors addressing site, climate, context, natural resources, and waste management.

Cultural Values (Contemporary Values)

Architectural considerations that reflect historical, institutional, political, and legal dimensions of a project.

Technological Values (Contemporary Values)

Architectural factors related to the selection and deployment of materials, engineered systems, and construction processes.

Temporal Values (Contemporary Values)

Design dimensions concerning growth, change, adaptability, and long-term permanence over time.

Economic Values (Contemporary Values)

Design factors addressing capital finance, construction costs, operations, ongoing maintenance, and energy consumption.

Aesthetic Values (Contemporary Values)

Visual and sensory architectural attributes comprising form, space, color, and symbolic meaning.

Safety Values (Contemporary Values)

Protective design criteria including structural stability, fire protection, chemical mitigation, personal security, and crime prevention.

Exterior Envelope (Skin)

The building element that forms the external thermal, moisture, and environmental boundary enclosing the superstructure.

Interior Partitions (Space Plan)

The interior building assemblies that divide internal volume into functional layouts and rooms.

Mechanical Systems (Services)

The engineered building services that deliver HVAC, plumbing, power, and vertical transportation equipment.

Elevator (Lift)

Vertical transport equipment powered by electric motors or hydraulic pumps to move people or goods efficiently between floors of a building or vessel.

Automatic Leveling

An elevator performance feature that guarantees smooth, precise alignment of the car platform with the landing floor sill at all stops.

Hydraulic Elevator (Push Elevators)

An elevator system powered by a hydraulic jack and pump reservoir assembly, typically serving low-rise installations and single-family residences.

Holed (Conventional) Hydraulic Elevator

A hydraulic elevator configuration where a cylinder extends into the ground below the pit floor to receive the retracting piston, allowing a maximum travel of approximately $60\,\text{ft}$.

Telescopic Hydraulic Elevator

A hole-less hydraulic elevator utilizing two or three telescoping piston stages fixed at the pit base, accommodating travel distances up to $50\,\text{ft}$.

Non-Telescoping (Single Stage) Hydraulic Elevator

A hole-less hydraulic elevator that uses a single-stage piston above ground, limiting maximum travel distance to approximately $20\,\text{ft}$.

Roped Hydraulic Elevator

A hydraulic elevator design combining a piston and wire ropes to hoist the car, providing a maximum travel distance of about $60\,\text{ft}$.

Traction Elevator (Pull Elevators)

An elevator system lifted by cables running over a drive sheave and balanced by a counterweight, with driving machinery typically located above the shaft.

Gearless Traction Machine

A traction elevator machine where the motor shaft connects directly to the driving sheave without gearing, serving speeds of $2.50\,\text{m/s}$ and above and rises over $76\,\text{m}$.

Geared Traction Machine

A traction machine incorporating a worm and gear between the driving motor and hoisting sheave, suitable for speeds up to $2.50\,\text{m/s}$ and rises up to $100\,\text{m}$.

Machine-Room-Less (MRL) Elevator

A traction elevator design where a compact permanent magnet machine is housed within the top override space and controls sit adjacent to the hoistway.

Permanent Magnet (PM) System Technology

Motor technology that reduced elevator drive motor sizes by up to four times, enabling the implementation of machine-room-less elevator configurations.

Climbing Elevator

A self-contained elevator that carries its own electric or combustion power drive on the car, frequently used in construction and work zones.

Pneumatic Elevator

A vacuum elevator that ascends using differential air pressure created by suction turbines and descends via controlled air release, requiring no excavated pit.

Low-Rise Elevator Application

Elevator applications for buildings of $1$ to $3$ stories, which typically employ hydraulic elevators due to their lower initial capital cost.

Mid-Rise Elevator Application

Elevator applications for buildings of $4$ to $11$ stories, which typically install geared traction elevators.

High-Rise Elevator Application

Elevator installations for buildings of $12+$ stories, which typically utilize high-speed gearless traction elevators.

Double-Deck Elevator

An elevator assembly with two vertically stacked passenger compartments in one hoistway, doubling handling capacity and saving floor core space.

Observation Elevator

An elevator with an exposed glass-walled cab installed on a building facade or atrium, with the traction lifting machine mounted behind the cab.

Incline Elevator

An elevator that travels along an angled plane, commonly used as passenger ski lifts or constructed with conveyor belts to load ship or aircraft cargo.

Slant Elevator

A traction cable-driven elevator where the cab travels on inclined rails along a slope and is counterbalanced by a counterweight or second car.

Platform Elevator

An open outdoor lift consisting of an unenclosed platform bounded by perimeter railings or gates and powered by pulleys, used on construction sites.

Freight Elevator

A rugged, heavy-duty elevator designed to handle substantial cargo loads, built with heavy-gauge steel cars and multi-layer wooden floors.

Class A Freight Elevator Loading

General freight loading by hand truck where no single item exceeds $25\%$ of rated car capacity, with rated load based on $50\,\text{psf}$ platform area.

Class B Freight Elevator Loading

Motor vehicle freight loading designed to transport automobiles or automobile trucks, rated at a design loading of $30\,\text{psf}$ platform area.

Class C1 Freight Elevator Loading

Industrial truck loading classification where the powered industrial truck is carried in the elevator along with the cargo payload at $50\,\text{psf}$.

Class C2 Freight Elevator Loading

Industrial truck loading classification where the industrial truck enters to deposit cargo but is not carried inside the elevator during transit at $50\,\text{psf}$.

Class C3 Freight Elevator Loading

Concentrated loading classification where industrial trucks are not used, but load increments exceed $25\%$ of the rated capacity at $50\,\text{psf}$.

Freight Elevator Speed Range

Operating speeds for freight elevators that generally range between $50\,\text{fpm}$ and $200\,\text{fpm}$ ($0.25\,\text{m/s}$ to $1.00\,\text{m/s}$).

Unit Multivoltage (UMV) System

A variable-voltage direct current power supply method using an elevator motor-generator (M-G) set for collective freight elevator control.

Variable-Voltage Variable-Frequency (VVVF)

An elevator drive control method providing adjustable AC voltage and frequency to achieve efficient motor control and smooth ride dynamics.

Handicap Elevator

A low-speed, limited-load residential or accessibility lift with maximum area of $18\,\text{sq ft}$, load of $1400\,\text{lbs}$, rise of $25\,\text{ft}$, and speed of $30\,\text{fpm}$.

Limited Use/Limited Application (LU/LA) Elevator

A special-use elevator category designed to provide barrier-free code accessibility within limited physical travel distances and capacities.

Pass Type Hoistway Doors

Vertically sliding hoistway doors required when floor heights are under $11\,\text{ft}-0\,\text{in}$ ($3353\,\text{mm}$) for $7\,\text{ft}-0\,\text{in}$ openings, having dimension $G = 6\frac{3}{4}\,\text{in}$.

Regular Type Counterbalanced Hoistway Doors

Vertically sliding counterbalanced freight hoistway doors having a sill projection dimension $G = 5\,\text{in}$ ($127\,\text{mm}$).

Arrangement (A) Elevator Layout

A standard elevator layout featuring a car with side-opening doors and the counterweight located along the rear shaft wall.

Arrangement (B) Elevator Layout

A standard elevator layout featuring a car with central-opening doors and the counterweight situated along the rear shaft wall.

Arrangement (C) Elevator Layout

A standard elevator layout featuring a car with side-opening doors and the counterweight positioned along one side wall of the hoistway.

Arrangement (D) Elevator Layout

A standard elevator layout featuring a car with central-opening doors and the counterweight placed along one side wall of the hoistway.

Elevator Car (Cab)

A cage fabricated of fire-resistant materials mounted inside a structural steel frame, guided vertically by guide shoes along side rails.

Hoisting Cables (Ropes)

Parallel steel wire ropes of $\frac{1}{2}\,\text{in}$ or $\frac{5}{8}\,\text{in}$ diameter ($4$ to $8$ cables in parallel) that suspend the car and counterweight in traction systems.

Cross-Head

The uppermost horizontal structural beam of the elevator car sling frame to which the hoisting cables are anchored.

Elevator Machine

The primary mechanical drive unit consisting of a structural base, driving motor, traction sheave, mechanical brakes, and auxiliary gear components.

Motor-Generator (M-G) Set

An electrical apparatus that generates direct current energy to drive an individual elevator hoisting motor when handling building traffic.

Drive (Motion) Control

The control subsystem governing velocity, acceleration, deceleration, electrical braking, car leveling, position tracking, and door movements.

Operating Control

The control subsystem managing car door motions and the processing of in-car signals, landing call buttons, and visual indicators.

Supervisory Control

The master control logic governing group dispatching, scheduling, and traffic coordination across multiple elevator cars in a bank.

Counterweight

A stack of steel plates in a frame equal to empty car weight plus $40\%$ of rated live load, providing traction grip and reducing lifting power needs.

Compensation Cables

Cables suspended beneath the car and counterweight to counterbalance the shifting weight of the hoisting ropes during high-rise travel.

Hoistway (Shaft)

The fire-rated vertical passageway enclosing elevator travel, housing guide rails, landing entrances, counterweights, and electrical wiring.

Elevator Machine Room

A dedicated room located directly above or adjacent to the hoistway that houses the hoisting machine, control cabinets, and power generator sets.

Guide Rails

T-shaped steel tracks fastened vertically along the hoistway walls to guide and stabilize the vertical movement of the car and counterweights.

Elevator Pit

The recessed space at the bottom of the hoistway below the lowest terminal floor that houses car buffers, counterweight buffers, and tension frames.

Single-Wrap Traction

A roping configuration where cables make a single pass over the drive sheave to connect to the car and counterweight, utilizing a deflector sheave.

Deflector Sheave

An idler pulley sheave used to redirect and separate the hoisting ropes to align properly over the counterweight in a single-wrap traction machine.

Double-Wrap 1:1 Roping

A high-speed traction roping scheme where ropes make two full wraps over the drive sheave and secondary sheave to maximize frictional traction grip.

2:1 Roping Arrangement

A roping layout providing a mechanical advantage of $2$, where ropes travel twice as fast as the car, allowing compact, high-speed driving machines.

Underslung Roping Arrangement

A roping system where cables pass beneath pulleys on the car platform, allowing the machine room to be sited in the basement for speeds up to $2.00\,\text{m/s}$.

Piston Effect

Air displacement and pressure resistance caused by fast elevator cars in enclosed shafts, mitigated by installing steel I-beams between shared shafts.

Kinetic Energy Limit for Automatic Doors

Safety code limitation establishing that the kinetic energy of an automatic power-closing elevator door must not exceed $7\,\text{ft-lbs}$.

Closing Pressure Limit for Automatic Doors

Safety standard restricting the maximum closing force exerted by an automatic power-operated elevator door to $30\,\text{lbs}$.

Center-Opening Door

An elevator door configuration whose two panels open simultaneously in opposite directions from center, yielding rapid transfer and the fastest closing time.

Two-Speed Door

An elevator door design where two unequal-speed panels travel across one side to open or close wide entrances within restricted hoistway widths.

Safety Edge Device

A mechanical or sensor strip on the car door edge that immediately triggers both car and hoistway doors to reverse and reopen upon meeting an obstruction.

Single Automatic Operation

An early automated control mode providing a single call button per floor, giving one passenger exclusive use of the car until the trip is finished.

Collective Control

An obsolete control system that stops the car at every registered call regardless of direction, causing slow and frustrating travel.

Selective Collective Operation

Standard elevator dispatch logic that collects and answers all calls in one travel direction before reversing, parking at a home landing when idle.

Group Automatic Operation

A supervisory microprocessor control system that dynamically coordinates the dispatching of multiple elevator cars across large buildings.

Position Marker Sensors

Car-mounted magnetic or photoelectric sensors that track car position and velocity by counting rail holes or reading magnetic pulses.

Infrared Sensor

A sensing device across the elevator entrance that detects passengers entering or leaving the cab to regulate door hold-open cycles.

Overload Device (Weight Sensor)

A car-mounted load-weighing sensor that monitors payload and alerts the control system if design capacity has been exceeded.

Primary Velocity Transducer (PVT)

An encoder sensor attached to the drive machine that continuously monitors and measures the rotational velocity of the traction drive sheave.

Hall Buttons

External pushbuttons located at each elevator landing corridor that prospective passengers press to register an 'Up' or 'Down' summon request.

Floor Request Buttons

Pushbuttons located on the in-cab operating panel that passengers press to select their intended destination floors.

Destination Floor Reservation System (DFRS)

A destination dispatch system where passengers key in destination floors at lobby registration panels before boarding an assigned elevator car.

Independent Service Mode ('Car Preference')

A key-switch setting that isolates an elevator from hall calls, enabling manual car panel control for dedicated tasks such as goods transport.

Fireman's Service Phase II Key Switch

An in-car operational key switch that places the elevator into manual emergency control for certified firefighting personnel.

Door Opening Device (Actuator)

A powered mechanism mounted on top of the elevator cab that simultaneously operates both the interior cab door and exterior hoistway doors.

Load Bell

An audible warning bell inside the elevator cab that sounds when the car payload exceeds safe structural design limits.

Relay-Based Controller

An electromechanical controller using magnetic relays, suitable for single lifts up to $1\,\text{m/s}$ in low-rise buildings up to $3$ stories.

Solid-State Logic Controller

An electronic controller employing transistors and integrated circuit boards, suitable for duplex groups up to $2\,\text{m/s}$ and up to $12$ stories.

Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)

A computer-based microprocessor controller that provides reliable, flexible logic for all elevator types and group sizes across speeds from $0.5\,\text{m/s}$ to $10\,\text{m/s}$.

Elevator Interval (Lobby Dispatch Time)

The average duration in seconds between consecutive elevator car departures from the ground floor lobby terminal.

Average Lobby Waiting Time

The average time spent by a passenger in the lobby before boarding, calculated according to the relationship: $\text{waiting time} = 0.6 \times \text{interval}$.

Handling Capacity (HC)

The maximum passenger volume an elevator system can transport within a five-minute peak period.

Round-Trip Time (RT)

The total average time in seconds required for an elevator to depart the ground terminal, make stops, and return to the lower landing.