Attributes of ramps and stairs, moving walkways and escalators

The window Ramps & Stairs opens when a ramp, stairway, escalator or moving walkway is inserted, if automatic opening of the Edit dialog after object creation is selected (Right-click behavior and action after creating an object).

Into the window, you enter attribute values for the network object. For network objects which have already been defined, you can call the window using the following functions:

  • ►  In the list of network objects of the network object type, double-click the row with the desired network object.
  • ►  In the Network editor, select the network object of your choice. Then, on its shortcut menu, click Edit.

The network object may have additional attributes. In the network objects list of the network object type, you can show all attributes and attribute values. You can open the list via the following functions:

In the network objects list of the network object type, you can edit attributes and attribute values of a network object (Selecting cells in lists), (Using lists).

The objects of this object type may have relations to other objects. This is why the attributes list is shown as part of a coupled list (on the left). On the Lists toolbar, in the Relations box, you can show and edit the coupled list with the attributes of the desired relation on the right (see below Showing and editing dependent objects as relation) and (Using coupled lists).

Note: In lists, you can use the  Attribute selection icon to show and hide attribute values (Selecting attributes and subattributes for columns of a list).

If the pedestrian should be navigated by the dynamic potential instead of the static potential when using ramps or stairways, you can select the Use dynamic potential option (Dynamic potential).

1.  Make the desired changes:

Element Description

No.

Unique identification of the construction element (ramp, stairway, moving walkway or escalator)

Type

Select the desired construction element type. The functions that are irrelevant for the selected type will be enabled and displayed in gray on the tabs Installation, Design, Width & Balustrade, Movement, Display and Behavior.

  • Ramp: Define the attributes of the ramp in the Installation tab.
  • Moving walkway: Define the attributes of the moving walkway in the tabs Installation, Design, Width & Balustrade and Movement.
  • Stairway: Two levels must be defined. Define the attributes of the stairway in the tabs Installation and Design.
  • Escalator: Two levels must be defined. Define the attributes of the escalator in the tabs Installation, Design, Width & Balustrade and Movement.

You can model the length, headroom, ceiling opening and other attributes of the construction element (Modeling length, headroom and ceiling opening). You can define these attributes in the tabs Installation, Design, Width & Balustrade and Movement.

Name

Name of the construction element

Start level

Level, on which you can begin the definition of the construction element. A ramp, stairway, moving walkway or escalator can be located within a level, or the two levels Level (start) and Level (end) can be linked together. You can end the definition of a level when the construction element for the modeling of multistory buildings begins on one level and ends on another (Defining levels).

End level

Level, on which you can end the definition of the construction element.

Display type

Display type for color display of the construction element (Defining display types)

Length

Length2D: Length [m] of the construction element for the definition of the construction element in the Network Editor

Length3D accounts for z-offset of the link [m].

Width

Width of the construction element [m]

Height

Height of the construction element from the height of the level and the offset [m]

2.  Select the desired tab.

3.  Make the desired changes:

Design tab

You can edit the attributes on the tab if Stairway, Escalator or Moving walkway is selected as attribute Type of the construction element.

For a stairway, the start level and end level must not be identical.

Element

 Description

Define stairway by

  • Total steps (TreadsDefBy): Number of steps defined, height of the steps
  • Rise: Height of steps defined, length of the steps
  • Going: Length of steps defined, height of the steps

Landing platforms

Horizontal, flat, immovable area in front of and behind the construction element:

  • Column Entry Row Length (EntryLandLen): Area in front of the construction element
  • Column Exit Row Length (ExitLandLen): Area behind the construction element
  • Horiz. Runout area (EntryRunLen), (ExitRunLen), Horizontal runout area: Length from Entry and Exit, so that the steps continue horizontally with any slope in order to avoid accidents in the transition to and from the walking areas.
  • Display type (LandingDisplType): Select display types for the landing platforms (Defining display types)

In the wireframe view, triangles mark the landing platforms Entry and Exit preceding and following the construction element in the direction of movement:

The Horiz. Runout area is not displayed.

Geometry

  • Shape: select course
  • The length and width of the construction element are displayed in the network editor. If the construction element is a stairway, the length and width are displayed for each of the maximum three flights of stairs, Flight 1, Flight 2, Flight 3. For the maximum three flights, only the boxes Length and Width are activated for entering values that are useful for the geometry of the selected shape of the stairway. The other boxes are grayed out.
  • Segments: Type, Length and Width of the segments of the stairway depending on the selected Shape.
 

Straight

The top and bottom of the stairway are on the same line. The stairway consists of one flight of stairs and has no landing:

Straight with landing

The top and bottom of the stairway are on the same line. It consists of two flights of stairs. The flights of stairs are connected by a flat landing:

Straight with 2 landings

The top and bottom of the stairway are on the same line. The stairway consists of three flights of stairs. The flights of stairs are each connected by a flat landing:

Straight with 3 landings

The top and bottom of the stairway are on the same line. The stairway consists of four flights of stairs. The flights of stairs are each connected by a flat landing:

Angle with quarter landing (90°)

The stairway consists of two flights of stairs. They are connected by a flat landing. The bottom of the second flight of stairs is at an angle of 90° to the first flight of stairs:

U with half landing (180°)

The stairway consists of two flights of stairs. They are connected by a flat landing. The bottom of the second flight of stairs is at an angle of 180° to the first flight of stairs:

U with 2 quarter landings (180°)

The stairway consists of three flights of stairs. They connect two flat landings. The bottom of the third flight of stairs is at an angle of 180° to the first flight of stairs:

Width & Balustrade tab

Display and measurement of the handrail and the balustrade.

Element

 Description

Usable width

Width (UsableWid), pedestrians can walk on. Base for the socket width. Value range 600 to 1,200 mm. Alternatively, a warning opens at the start of the simulation.

Handrail

Balustrade

Socket

Width and display type of handrail (HandrWid), (HandrDisplType), balustrade (BalustrWid), (BalustrDisplType), and socket (SocketWid), (SocketDisplType).

The socket width must be greater than the width of the balustrade and the handrail.

Socket width = (Total width - usable width) / 2

Show balustrade (3D)

ShowBalustr:  If this option is selected, the balustrade is shown in 3D mode. The balustrade does not move.

Movement tab

The movement of the construction element has an influence on the result of the simulation.

Element

 Description

Treads

  • Direction of travel (MovDir): Movement direction, in which the moving walkway or escalator is moving forward. Forward = Direction in the definition.
  • Speed (OpSpeed): of the moving walkway or escalator. Default 0.50 m/s

Pedestrians - moving

  • Classes: Moving pedestrians of a pedestrian class. Pedestrians of other pedestrian classes are not moving. All pedestrian types also include pedestrian types, which are not allocated a pedestrian class.
  • Walking percentage (WalkPerc): Share of the pedestrians who are moving on a moving walkway or escalator

Pedestrians - standing

Standing location: Side in the direction of travel, on which the pedestrians are located

Installation tab

Area over and under the construction element.

Element

 Description

Ceiling opening

  • Headroom (OpenHeadr): head clearance
  • Length (OpenLen): length of the ceiling opening

Ramp foot

Headroom: up to the height of the headroom

  • Length (FootLen) Length of the ramp foot

Ramp foot visible

FootVisible:

 If this option is selected, the ramp foot is shown full in 3D mode.

 If this option is not selected, the ramp foot is shown in 3D mode (not filled).

Display tab

Element Description

z-offset (start)

Start z-offset (StartZOffset): Offset > 0.000 of the Level (start) along the Z axis to the given edge for the 3D graphics mode of the construction element. This is the floor on which the pedestrians walk (A in the figure below)

  • If Thickness > offset, the floor rises in 3D from below 0
  • If Thickness < offset, the floor seems to float in 3D

z-offset (end)

End z-offset (EndZOffset): Offset > 0.000 of the Level (end) along the Z axis to the given edge for the 3D graphics mode of the construction element.

  • If Thickness > offset, the floor rises in 3D from below 0
  • If Thickness < offset, the floor seems to float in 3D

For a Stairway or Escalator, the Z-offset (start) and Z-offset (end) must be different. The value of the z-coordinates are calculated from the height of the respective Level and the corresponding Offset.

Thickness

Thickness of the construction element for 3D representation Not relevant for the simulation.

The thickness > 0 for the construction element reduces the clearance shown in 3D under the construction element because the thickness of the construction element is not considered when the length of the opening or the ramp foot of the clearance is calculated.

Behavior tab

The following rule applies to the area behavior types: If no area behavior type is selected or no walking behavior is allocated to the area behavior type, the walking behavior allocated to the pedestrian type will be used.

You can optionally select one of the following area behavior types:

Element Description

Flat

Select an area behavior type (optionally) (AreaBehavType) It is used to model occasional changes to speed or other parameters on a flat construction element, e.g. a moving walkway (Modeling area-based walking behavior)

Downwards

Optionally, select an area behavior type (AreaBehavType). Is used to model occasional changes to speed or other parameters on a ramp, stairway or escalator going downwards. It can be used to model the walking behavior of elderly people or wheelchair users (Modeling area-based walking behavior).

Upwards

Optionally, select an area behavior type (AreaBehavType). Is used to model occasional changes to speed or other parameters on a ramp, stairway or escalator going upwards. It can be used to model the walking behavior of elderly people or wheelchair users (Modeling area-based walking behavior).

Desired speed factor

Factor for changing the desired speed of all pedestrians on the construction element, standard value 100 %, value range 10 % to 300 %.

The desired speed factor allows you to reduce the desired speed on the construction element when pedestrians move slower compared to their original desired speed, for example when the speed on a stairway is only 50% of the speed on a horizontal surface.

The desired speed factor allows you to increase the desired speed on the construction element when pedestrians move faster compared their original desired speed, for example when they are moving down a ramp with a gradient.

In addition to the reduced speed caused by the uphill slope, the desired speed factor will have an impact on the speed on the ramp.

Cell size

Edge length of a grid mesh which is used for the calculation of distances to the destination area with the static or dynamic potential (Defining global model parameters). Default value 0.15 m. Avoid values > object radius.

Obstacle distance

Distance up to which the nearby walls have a bearing on the distance potential (Defining global model parameters). Default 0.5 m.

Dynamic potential

UseDynPot: If this option is selected, routing takes place along the path with the lowest estimated travel time that pedestrians can take within a single level. The option enables the input boxes for the parameters of the dynamic potential (Dynamic potential), (Defining the Dynamic Potential for a static pedestrian route). The dynamic potential on ramps & stairs, moving walks and escalators increases the stability of bi-directional pedestrian flows.

Dynamic potential attributes (Dynamic potential attributes):

  • Impact
  • Calculation interval
  • g (basic force)
  • h (direction impact)
Showing and editing dependent objects as relation

The attribute and attribute values of this network object type are shown in the list on the left, which consists of two coupled lists.

1.  In the list on the left, click the desired entry.

The list on the right contains attributes and attribute values of network objects, and/or base data allocated to the network object selected in the list on the left (Using coupled lists):

The attributes are described further above.

2.  On the list toolbar, in the Relations list, click the desired entry.

3.  Enter the desired data.

The data is allocated.

Superordinate topic:

Modeling construction elements

Information on editing:

Importing walkable areas and obstacles from AutoCAD

Importing Building Information Model files

Defining construction elements as rectangles

Defining construction elements as polygons

Defining construction elements as circles

Editing construction elements in the Network Editor

Modeling length, headroom and ceiling opening

Defining levels