Escalator

Advantages and disadvantages

Escalators provide quick, uninterrupted transport. It is safe and reliable. They are suitable
for public buildings of various types like shopping complexes, departmental stores,
multiplexes, bank buildings and such public spaces like railway stations, bus stands,
airports etc. Escalators are not very common in buildings as compared to lifts. Hence in
the time to come they still will remain a prestigious item in the buildings.
Escalators encourage movement of people. They keep crowds moving. They prevent
congestion in lobbies. They provide “Zero Interval Service” i.e. a person has to wait till
the lift arrives whereas the entry to escalator is always available.
Escalators are slow moving as compared to lifts. The commuter has to board and alight at
every level. People find it less convenient to board the escalator than to board a lift.
Hence they can not replace the lifts in buildings and are suitable for movement upto a few
levels only.
Design of escalators
The escalators are moving stairs hence they always must be provided in pairs of stairs,
one moving up and another moving down. The arrangements can be parallel or even
sometimes not parallel.
The equipment is manufactured in light and heavy duty.
The light duty equipment is suitable for places like commercial complexes, departmental
stores, airport etc where the movement of people is not in crowds. These are available in
step widths of 600 mm, 800mmand 1000mm. The angle of rise of steps can be 30 to 35O.
The total rise can be 1500 mm to 6000 mm by providing a single set of moving steps.
The heavy duty equipment is suitable for places like Railway Stations, Subways and foot
over bridges, large bus terminus where movement of people is in crowds. The step width
can be 800mm or 1000mm. The rise of Angle can be 30O to 35O. A single set of steps can
be used to negotiate a height of 2150mm to 6000mm without any support. The height can
be 10000mm with a single support.
The step nosing line drawn at the requisite angle provides the basis for design. A clear
obstruction less headroom of 2300 is required at above this nosing line.
There has to be a pit in the lower slab or plinth to accommodate the return steps.
Similarly there has to be a sunk in the lower slab to accommodate the motor, return steps
etc. The escalator may have 2 or 3 flat steps. These give the user time to get of the steps.
In floor plan the space occupied by the escalator shall be “lower step return + upper step
return + plan length of nosing line.” The plan width of escalator shall be step width +
twice the thickness of track return”
Mechanism of escalators: The entire system of escalator is supported over frame
spanning from floor to floor. Escalators work as moving stairs Hence it is necessary to
provide separate sets of steps moving up and moving down. The sets of steps are
accompanied by two sets of moving handrail on either side of the steps. The steps are
mounted on a chain belt that is pulled by an electrical motor unit fitted at the top end of
the escalator. The motor can also be operated with help of a movement sensor that
senses movement and start the working. This prevents unnecessary wastage of
electricity in lean hours of working. Each step has 4 small wheels that make its
movement easy over the rails. The step movement is regulated by the profile of rails that
make the steps move in the desired profile. The step starts its return journey thru’ the
cavity underneath after reaching the end of the escalator. The handrails also move over
the gears provided in the system. The handrail is a joint less continuous belt.