Modeling elevators

You can define elevators for vertical transportation of pedestrians. The modeling and simulation of elevators is based on the following elements:

Elevator

The elevator is a network object that in the 2D mode is defined and displayed as a rectangular network object (1) (Defining elevators). The rectangle contains a shaft and a cab (2). The elevator cab moves in the shaft. There is a distance of 30 cm (brown area) between the exterior wall of the shaft and the cab. The floor of the elevator has a thickness of 10 cm. The shaft is displayed based on the attribute Shaft display type of the elevator.

• Cab

The elevator cab holds passengers. The cab is part of the elevator, not a separate network object. You can use the following elevator attributes to define the display of the cab: Floor display type, Ceiling display type, Wall display type (Elevator attributes). The elevator attributes contain additional attributes for the cab, e.g. cab height or capacity. In the cab, a specific walking behavior prevails (Walking behavior of pedestrians when using elevators).

• Door

The door is part of the elevator. It is not a separate network object. You can define a door for each of the four cab walls (in the figure on bottom wall). The door is displayed as a thin line in the middle of the wall. The door is positioned automatically:

• within the first wall of the elevator, when in the Network editor, you create the rectangle for the elevator (Defining elevators).
• within the bottom wall of the elevator, when in the Network editor, on the shortcut menu, you click Add New Elevator. By default, the elevator is square.

You can define the display of the door through the Door display type attribute of the elevator (Elevator attributes). Width and horizontal position of the door within the elevator wall can be defined via the door attributes Width and Center offset (horizontal) (Elevator door attributes).

In the attribute Active levels (ActLvls), you can assign the elevator door the levels you want it to stop on and open the door (Elevator attributes). The door only opens on the levels you have selected.

During simulation, the animated door is opened and closed based on the elevator attribute Motion state. Shaft door and cab door are displayed as one single door.

Elevator group

An Elevator group consists of elevators that you can call (Defining an elevator group). Each elevator must be assigned to an Elevator group (Attributes of elevator groups). To do so, select the desired elevator group for the elevator attribute Elevator group (ElevGrp) (Elevator attributes).

All elevators of an elevator group must be able to stop on the same level. To enable this, in the attribute Active levels (ActLvls), you can assign the door of each elevator the levels you want it to stop on and open the door (Elevator attributes). Each level assigned must have a Waiting area.

Waiting area

Pedestrians need an area in which they can wait for the elevator. For this area, in the attribute Waiting area for elevator group, select the number of the elevator group with the elevators the pedestrians are waiting for (Attributes of areas). The waiting area can be an area the pedestrians use to enter or exit the elevator or another area they can reach via areas, ramps & stairs. This area must not contain a pedestrian input.

Walkable area

The door must be located at or within a walkable area, so that pedestrians can enter and exit the elevator cab. Otherwise, the simulation will not start. There must be a walkable area on each level the elevator can stop at and pedestrians are supposed to enter or exit the elevator cab.

Pedestrian routes and partial pedestrian routes

Pedestrians use an elevator when their pedestrian route or partial pedestrian route leads from an area on one level to an area on a different level or ends there and using the elevator gets them there quicker. Pedestrians also use an elevator that e.g. only connects levels 2 and 3, even though their route connects levels 1 and 4 without any intermediate points. Pedestrians must be able to reach the elevator and their destination via areas and/or walkable construction elements. For pedestrians to be able to enter and exit the elevator, in the elevator attribute Active levels (ActLvls), you must assign the elevator door the levels it is supposed to stop on and open the door (Elevator attributes). These levels must contain areas in which pedestrians can wait for the elevator, enter and exit it and reach their destination. Using intermediate points, you can influence the course of the pedestrian route or partial pedestrian route (Modeling the course of pedestrian routes using intermediate points).

If a route location of a pedestrian route or partial pedestrian route lies within a waiting area on a level where an elevator can stop, the pedestrian must use its elevator group, even if other elevator groups or ramps & stairs were available.

If a route location of a pedestrian route or partial pedestrian route lies on a ramp or stairs and for this route location you selected the attribute Ban elevator use, the pedestrian will not use the elevator until he has reached the next route location for which this attribute has not been selected (Attributes of pedestrian route locations). This means you can use this option to force pedestrians to use the stairs to reach multiple levels, without having them use the elevator in between. When doing so, you do not have to set a lot of intermediate points in the stairway.

Level

An elevator must service at least two levels. All elevators of an elevator group must be able to stop on the same level. To enable this, in the attribute Active levels (ActLvls), you can assign the door of the elevator the levels you want it to stop on and open the door (Elevator attributes). The door only opens on the levels you have selected.

An elevator stops at a level in the following cases:

• when pedestrians wish to alight: The pedestrian route or partial pedestrian route leads via an area on this level or ends there.
• when pedestrians wish to board: The pedestrian route or partial pedestrian route leads to an area on another level where this elevator stops and can open the door. A waiting area must be defined for the level the pedestrians are waiting on.