VERTICAL CIRCULATION

1
Introduction
A successful function of a multi- storey building requires
circulation of traffic both in normal use and in
emergencies.
the type of vertical circulation to be provided, number of
units needed, and their location, arrangement and design
the means of communication between the various floors is
afforded by various structures such as stairs, lifts, ramps ,
dumbwaiters and escalators.
Vertical circulation systems may be divided into two
classes. Class I systems are Intended for movement of
both people and goods and include ramps, stairs,
escalators, and elevators. Class II systems, including
dumbwaiters and vertical conveyors; in contrast, may not
be used for movement of people.
2
RAMPS
They are sloping surfaces used to provide an easy
connection between floors.
 They are especially useful when large number of people
or vehicles are to be moved from floor to floor. They are
usually provided at places such as garages, railway
stations, stadiums, town halls, office buildings and
exhibition halls. Sometimes they are provided in
especially to accommodate persons in wheelchairs. They
should be constructed with a non-slip surface.
Ramps have been built with slopes up to 15% (15 ft in
100 ft), but 8% is a preferred maximum.
3
Classification of ramps
Inside Ramps

Outside Ram

Powered Ramps

4
o They are used when it is necessary to move large number of
people from floor to floor.
o These stairs have continuous operation without the need for
operators.
o They have large capacity with low power consumption.
o These escalators are in the form of an inclined bridge
spanning between floors.
o Escalators should be installed where traffic is heaviest and
convenient for passengers.
o Escalators are generally installed in pair. One of them is used
for carrying up-going traffic and the other for traffic moving
down.
o The arrangement of escalators in each story can be either
parallel or crisscross. 5
 Escalators should be viewed as preferred
transportation systems whenever heavy traffic
volumes are expected between relatively few
floors.
6
 Escalators are used to connect airport terminals, parking
garages, sports facilities, shopping malls, and Numerous
mixed-use facilities.
 Although escalators generally are used in straight
sections spiral
 Its costs are expensive due to manufacturing
Complexities, they offer distinct advantages to both the
designer and user because of their unique semicircular
plan form.
 An escalator resembles a powered ramp in construction.
 The major Difference is that a powered ramp has a
continuous tread way for carrying passengers,
 whereas the tread way of an escalator consists of a series
of moving steps.
7
 The installation also includes a handrail on each side
of the steps that moves at the same speed as the
steps; balustrades, or guards, that enclose the steps
on each side and support the handrails; brakes;
control devices; and threshold plates at the entrance
to and the exit from the tread way.
 The purpose of the threshold plates is to facilitate
smooth passage of passengers between the tread way
and landing.

8
o Elevators are used in buildings having more than four
stories.
o They are used for providing vertical transportation of
passengers or freight. They can be either electric traction
elevators or hydraulic elevators.
o Electric traction elevators are used exclusively in tall
buildings.
o Hydraulic elevators are generally used for low-rise
freight service which rises up to about six stories.
o An elevator is a hoisting and lowering mechanism
equipped with a car or platform that moves along guides
in a shaft, or hoist way, in a substantially vertical
direction
9
 Passenger elevators :-are designed primarily to
carry persons.
 Hospital elevators :-are also passenger elevators
but employ special cars, suitable in size and shape
for transportation of patients in stretchers or
standard hospital beds.
 Freight elevators :-carry freight, which may be
accompanied only by an operator and persons
necessary for loading and unloading it.
 Elevators are not usually accepted as a means of
egress, because no cohesive strategy has been
established to assure proper operation of elevators
in an emergency.
10
 Most elevators are the roped electric or hydraulic type.
 For the roped electric elevator, the car is suspended from
wire ropes and counterbalanced by a counterweight that
mirrors the operation of the elevator.
 The electric elevator is moved via an electrically powered
machine that drives a hardened steel traction sheave over
which the wire ropes are suspended.
 Electric elevators are used exclusively in tall buildings and
many low buildings.
 Hydraulic elevator cars are raised and lowered by an oil
pumping system, which actuates a plunger or piston.
 They are frequently used for passenger elevators serving up
to four or five floors and for low-rise freight service.

11
 Hydraulic elevator are low performance compared to
electric-type elevators means that they cannot be
substituted on a one-for-one basis and provide
equivalent service.
Structural Considerations for Elevators.
 Elevators and related equipment, such as machinery,
signal systems, ropes, and guide rails, are generally
supplied and installed by the manufacturer.
Assignment One
write and define the Components of an electrical
traction elevator with the help of sketching and show
on proper places.

12
13
Dumbwaiters
They are used in buildings to transport small packages
or correspondence items between floors.
They can be either power controlled by push buttons
or manually operated by pulling on ropes.
dumbwaiters generally automatically handle a load
from 50 kg to 250 kg at speeds from 15 to 50 m per
minute.

14
 STAIRS
 A stair is a set of step leading from on floor to the
other. It is provided to afford the means of ascent
and descent between various floors of a building.
 The room or enclosure of the building in which
the stair is located is known as stair case. The
opening or space occupied by the stair is known
as stair way.

15
 Definitions:
 Tread- Horizontal portion of step up on which a foot is placed.
 Going -The horizontal distance b/n front edges of two
consecutive steps (b/n two successive riser face)
 Rise- The vertical distance b/n the upper surface of two
consecutive steps.
 Landing- It is the level plat form at the top or bottom of a
flight between the floors. It facilitates change of direction and
provides an opportunity for taking rest.
 .

16
 Flights- Continuous set of steps b/n floors or Landing.
 Run- Total length of stairs in a horizontal plane,
including landings.
 Soffit – It is the underside of a stair.
 Strings or stringers- sloping members which support
the steps in a stair which run along the slope of the
stair
 Newel post- vertical member placed at the ends of
flights to connect the ends of strings

17
 REQUIREMENTS OF STAIRS IN BUILDING.
 It should be so located as to provide easy access to the
occupants of the building.
 It should be well lighted and ventilated directly from
the exterior.
 It should be constructed out of sound material & crafts
man ship.
 Width of stair: It should be wide enough to carry the
user with out much crowed or inconvenience.

18
 Width of tread for public buildings is 1.5m- 1.8m and for
residential buildings 1.0m-1.4m
 Length of Flight- The maximum number of steps in a flight is
preferably 10-12 but should not be more than15. Minimum
number of stairs should not be less than 3
 Pitch of Stair- its ascent should relatively be easy. The angle of
stair way with the horizontal should not be more than 420or
less than 200. The preferred angle is 300 - 350. Apply 2R+G
=50-70cm rule. ( R = rise , G = going )
 Head room- It is the minimum clear vertical distance between
the tread and over head structure (i.e. ceiling etc)

19
 -The minimum width of landing should be
equal to the width of the stair.
 The rise should be between 10cm to 15
cm

20
Dimensions of a step
The following rules are used as a guide line to
obtain satisfactory proportion of steps in a stair.
 2* Rise + Going = 50 -70 [cm]
 Rise + Going = 40-45 [cm]
 Rise * Going = 400-450 [ cm2]

21
 Types of Stairs
 -Stairs can be classified in two broad categories
 Straight stairs
 Turning stairs
Straight stairs
 This stair runs straight between the two floors.
 Used for small houses where there are restrictions in
available width.
 The stair may consist of either one single flight or
more than one flight, usually two with a landing.

22
 Turning stairs can further be divided in to the
following categories.
 Quarter turn stairs
 Half turn stairs (dog- legged and open well stairs)
 Three quarter turn stairs
 Bifurcated stairs

23
Quarter turn stairs.
A quarter turn stair is the one which changes its
direction either to the left or to the right, the turn
being affected either by introducing a quarter
space landing.
Quarter turn stairs are of two types
Newel quarter turn stairs- have the
conspicuous newel posts at the beginning and end
of each flight
Geometrical quarter turn stairs - The stringer
as well as the hand rail is continuous, with no
newel post at the landing.
24