If we asked this question to several people, most would probably say that it's estimated by guesswork or based on the building's developer's budget. The truth is, determining how many elevators a building needs requires some calculations.
According to architect Yermys Peña, this determination involves an equation based on several parameters considered as variable assumptions. These assumptions depend on the building's use, the number of floors served, the number of apartments or units per floor, and the number of people who will be moving in each space every five minutes. "We call this process vertical traffic calculation," explains the expert.
Other factors taken into account, in her opinion, are:
- The travel height of the elevator.
- Building typology (to establish the optimal acceptable waiting time, for example: offices 45 s, housing 60 s, etc…)
- The duration of each trip.
- The number of passengers that can be transported on each trip.
- The time that elapses between stops. (floor 2, floor 3…)
- Elevator speed.
- The duration of passenger entry and exit.
As you can see, it's not a decision to be taken lightly; however, calculating correctly will prevent future stress for the building's users.
Source: Instagram yermyspena
