Acceleration
- Guided
- Advanced
- Calc
- DES
Rated acceleration for the kinematic flight profile.
Where: Guided → Lift (advanced) · Advanced → Lift Group
Affects
- Flight times (especially short flights)
- RTT
- Interval
- HC%
- DES
Lift traffic analysis guide
Field-by-field manual for elevator and lift traffic tools: what each input means, what it moves, and how the ISO 8100-32 analytical check relates to DES.
Best on a laptop or desktop — the Advanced workspace is designed for a wider screen. Mobile works for review; full setup is easier on desktop.
Start here
These knobs move the analytical check the most. Tune them first, then refine doors, delays, and DES mix.
- 1Total FloorsNumber of landings including the entrance floor. Sets travel distance and how many floors carry population.
- 2Building PopulationTotal occupants used as the denominator for HC% and to scale absolute arrival load from demand %.
- 3Elevator CarsNumber of cars in the group. Interval = RTT ÷ cars.
- 4Car CapacityRated passengers per car. Calc uses capacity × car loading; DES boards up to full rated capacity.
- 5Rated SpeedContract speed used in jerk-limited flight-time kinematics.
- 6Up-Peak DemandDesign up-peak arrival rate (% of population per 5 min). Single source of truth for the analytical HC check and for DES intensity.
Ready to try values? Open the simulator
How results are produced
Two related engines share your building and lift inputs but answer different questions.
Analytical check (calc)
Up-peak only: derives probable stops (S) and highest reversal (H), builds round-trip time (RTT) from flights, doors, transfer and delays, then interval = RTT ÷ cars and handling capacity from passengers per trip. AWT is taken as half the interval.
Pass/fail uses ISO 8100-32 Table 2 (from building type) plus your design demand.
DES simulation
Generates individual passengers from demand and traffic mix, dispatches the group, and measures waits, ATT, left-behind and saturation. Results vary by seed unless you set one.
Pro feature. Use Pure up-peak when comparing against the calculation.
Gotchas that flip the verdict
- Car loading affects calc only; DES boards up to full rated capacity — see Car Loading Factor.
- Up-peak demand is one value for both the HC check and DES intensity — see Up-Peak Demand.
- Traffic mix ≠ 100% incoming will not match the analytical up-peak model — see Traffic mix template.
- Building type resets demand and transfer defaults when you change it.
Exported reports include fuller methodology notes (Appendix D). This Guide stays focused on fields and relationships — configure a project to generate a report.
A–Z field index
Search by name, alias, or KPI (e.g. RTT, car loading, demand).
A
Address
- Guided
- Advanced
Optional site address printed in report authorship.
Where: Guided → Project · Advanced → Project
Affects
- Report authorship section
Does not affect
- Traffic calculations
- DES
Waiting time plus in-car travel time, i.e. door-to-door time.
Where: Results → Check / KPI dashboard; PDF glossary
Affects
- DES door-to-door performance reporting
Does not affect
- ISO Table 2 HC/interval pass criteria (those use HC and INT)
Average Waiting Time (AWT)
- KPI
- Calc
- DES
Mean time from arriving at the landing to boarding a car.
Where: Results → Check / KPI dashboard; PDF glossary
Affects
- CIBSE service-band rating on the dashboard
- DES measured waits
Defaults & traps
- In the analytical check, AWT ≈ INT / 2 (full lobby assumption).
- DES reports measured AWT from landing arrival to boarding.
B
Building Population
- Guided
- Advanced
- Calc
- DES
- Free limit
Total occupants used as the denominator for HC% and to scale absolute arrival load from demand %.
Where: Guided → Building · Advanced → Building
Affects
- HC%
- Absolute passengers / 5 min
- DES arrival intensity
- Free-tier population cap
Does not affect
- Interval (INT) directly — INT comes from RTT / cars
Defaults & traps
- Raise population without raising capacity/cars and HC% falls even if RTT is unchanged.
Building Type
- Guided
- Advanced
- Calc
Selects ISO 8100-32 Table 2 handling-capacity and interval targets for the analytical check.
Where: Guided → Building · Advanced → Building
Affects
- HC% and interval pass/fail targets
- Default up-peak demand
- Default transfer time
- Population estimator fields
Does not affect
- Physical kinematics (speed, accel) until you change them
Defaults & traps
- Changing building type resets demand and transfer to type defaults — re-check those fields after switching.
C
Car Capacity
- Guided
- Advanced
- Calc
- DES
Rated passengers per car. Calc uses capacity × car loading; DES boards up to full rated capacity.
Where: Guided → Lift · Advanced → Lift Group
Affects
- Passengers per trip (calc)
- HC%
- DES car fill / left-behind risk
Car Loading Factor
- Guided
- Advanced
- Calc
Fraction of rated capacity assumed per trip in the up-peak calculation (CIBSE often 0.8).
Where: Guided → Lift (advanced settings) · Advanced → Lift Group
Affects
- Calculated passengers per round trip
- Calculated HC%
Does not affect
- DES physical capacity (simulation always uses full rated capacity as the boarding limit)
Defaults & traps
- A common calc-vs-DES mismatch: loading 0.8 in calc vs full cars in DES.
- ISO worked examples sometimes state design car load as 1.0 — set the factor to match your method note.
Custom per-floor population
- Advanced
- Calc
- DES
When enabled, each floor’s population can differ. Used for probable stops (S), highest reversal (H), and DES destinations.
Where: Advanced → Building
Affects
- H
- S
- RTT
- HC%
- DES destination distribution
Does not affect
- Guided workflow (Advanced only)
Defaults & traps
- Entrance floor (0) stays at 0 population for up-peak.
D
Passenger-by-passenger simulation of the lift group over a period of time.
Where: Guided → Simulation · Advanced → DES tab · PDF Appendix
Affects
- Measured waits, ATT, left-behind, saturation series
Does not affect
- Does not replace the analytical check — use both for submittal
Defaults & traps
- Pro feature. Pure up-peak mix is the fair comparison against the calculation.
- ISO benchmark study steps demand above design to show saturation margin.
Door Close Time
- Guided
- Advanced
- Calc
- DES
Time to close doors at a stop; part of the door cycle in RTT.
Where: Guided → Lift (advanced) · Advanced → Lift Group
Affects
- Door cycle
- RTT
- Interval
- HC%
- DES dwell
Door Open Time
- Guided
- Advanced
- Calc
- DES
Time to open doors at a stop; part of the door cycle in RTT.
Where: Guided → Lift (advanced) · Advanced → Lift Group
Affects
- Door cycle
- RTT
- Interval
- HC%
- DES dwell
E
Elevator Cars
- Guided
- Advanced
- Calc
- DES
- Free limit
Number of cars in the group. Interval = RTT ÷ cars.
Where: Guided → Lift · Advanced → Lift Group
Affects
- Interval
- HC%
- AWT (as INT/2 in calc)
- DES dispatch capacity
- Free-tier car cap
Does not affect
- Single-car RTT (RTT is per car before dividing by cars)
Defaults & traps
- Adding a car cuts interval roughly in proportion if RTT is unchanged.
F
Floor Height
- Guided
- Advanced
- Calc
- DES
Typical floor-to-floor height in metres used for flight-time kinematics.
Where: Guided → Building · Advanced → Building
Affects
- Flight times
- RTT
- Interval
- HC%
- DES trip times
H
Handling Capacity (HC)
- KPI
- Calc
Passengers the group can carry in 5 min, as a percentage of the building population.
Where: Results → Check / KPI dashboard; PDF glossary
Affects
- Pass/fail vs Table 2 min HC and vs design demand
Defaults & traps
- HC is % of building population served in 5 minutes.
- Must clear both the Table 2 minimum and your up-peak demand %.
Highest Reversal Floor (H)
- KPI
- Calc
Highest floor a car is expected to reach before returning to the entrance.
Where: Results → Check / KPI dashboard; PDF glossary
Affects
- Flight distance to reversal
- RTT
Defaults & traps
- Depends on floors and how population is distributed above the entrance.
I
Incoming (%)
- DES
- Advanced
- Guided
Share of DES trips entering at the main terminal (up-peak style). Must sum to 100% with outgoing and interfloor.
Where: Advanced → DES tab (templates also set this)
Affects
- DES origin/destination pattern
- Waiting-time distributions
Does not affect
- Analytical calc mix (calc assumes 100% incoming)
Interfloor (%)
- DES
- Advanced
- Guided
Share of DES trips between upper floors (not via the main entrance).
Where: Advanced → DES tab
Affects
- DES car routing load
- ATT / waits away from lobby
Does not affect
- Analytical up-peak calc
Interval (INT)
- KPI
- Calc
Average time between car departures from the entrance: RTT divided by the number of cars.
Where: Results → Check / KPI dashboard; PDF glossary
Affects
- Pass/fail vs ISO Table 2 max interval
- Calculated AWT
Defaults & traps
- INT = RTT ÷ number of cars.
J
Jerk
- Guided
- Advanced
- Calc
- DES
Jerk limit of the kinematic profile; shapes how quickly accel ramps.
Where: Guided → Lift (advanced) · Advanced → Lift Group
Affects
- Flight times
- RTT
- Interval
- HC%
- DES
L
Levelling Delay
- Guided
- Advanced
- Calc
- DES
CIBSE levelling delay included in RTT at stops.
Where: Guided → Lift (advanced) · Advanced → Lift Group
Affects
- RTT
- Interval
- HC%
- DES
Load an example / Preset
- Guided
- Advanced
Fills building type, floors, population, cars, capacity, speed and demand from a starter template.
Where: Guided → Building · Advanced → Building
Affects
- Most building and lift fields
- Up-peak demand
- ISO Table 2 criteria
Does not affect
- Project name / address unless you set them
Defaults & traps
- Use a preset to learn the app quickly, then edit fields for your project.
O
Outgoing (%)
- DES
- Advanced
- Guided
Share of DES trips leaving the building toward the main terminal.
Where: Advanced → DES tab
Affects
- DES traffic pattern
- Lobby vs upper-floor waits
Does not affect
- Analytical up-peak calc
P
Population Estimator
- Guided
- Advanced
Optional ISO §6.3-style estimate from area, hotel rooms, or dwellings. Apply writes Building Population.
Where: Guided → Building · Advanced → Building (estimator toggle)
Affects
- Building Population (when you click Apply)
Does not affect
- Results until Apply is used
Defaults & traps
- Office: net area / floor × area / person × occupied floors.
- Hotel / residential fields appear based on building type.
Probable Stops (S)
- KPI
- Calc
Expected number of stops a car makes on one up-peak round trip.
Where: Results → Check / KPI dashboard; PDF glossary
Affects
- Number of stop cycles in RTT
- Door and transfer time totals
Defaults & traps
- Higher S → longer RTT → worse interval and HC%.
Project / Job #
- Guided
- Advanced
Optional job reference for the report and your records.
Where: Guided → Project · Advanced → Project
Affects
- Report authorship section
Does not affect
- Traffic calculations
- DES
Project Name
- Guided
- Advanced
Name shown on cloud saves and in the exported report cover.
Where: Guided → Project · Advanced → Project
Affects
- Report title
- Cloud project label
Does not affect
- RTT
- HC%
- DES results
Q
Quick run duration
- DES
- Advanced
- Guided
Length of a quick DES check run in minutes.
Where: Guided → Simulation · Advanced → DES tab
Affects
- Quick-run sample size / observed waits
Does not affect
- ISO benchmark study (fixed duration + saturation series)
R
Random Seed
- DES
- Advanced
- Guided
Optional seed so DES passenger arrivals and choices repeat across runs.
Where: Advanced → DES tab
Affects
- DES reproducibility
Does not affect
- Analytical calculation (deterministic)
Defaults & traps
- Leave empty for a non-reproducible run.
Rated Speed
- Guided
- Advanced
- Calc
- DES
Contract speed used in jerk-limited flight-time kinematics.
Where: Guided → Lift · Advanced → Lift Group
Affects
- Flight times
- RTT
- Interval
- HC%
- DES trip times
Does not affect
- Demand %
- Population
Defaults & traps
- Short hops may never reach rated speed — accel and jerk still matter.
Round Trip Time (RTT)
- KPI
- Calc
Average time for one car to leave the entrance, serve its passengers and return.
Where: Results → Check / KPI dashboard; PDF glossary
Affects
- Interval (INT = RTT / cars)
- HC%
- AWT (calc uses INT/2)
Defaults & traps
- Built from flight times, doors, passenger transfer, start and levelling delays, using H and S.
S
Saturation
- KPI
- DES
The demand at which the group can no longer clear the traffic offered to it.
Where: DES results / ISO benchmark study · PDF Appendix B
Affects
- Whether the group clears offered demand in the benchmark series
Defaults & traps
- A run saturates when passengers are left behind or delivered throughput falls >5% short of offered traffic.
Start Delay
- Guided
- Advanced
- Calc
- DES
CIBSE start delay added into round-trip time once per stop cycle.
Where: Guided → Lift (advanced) · Advanced → Lift Group
Affects
- RTT
- Interval
- HC%
- DES door-to-move timing
T
Total Floors
- Guided
- Advanced
- Calc
- DES
- Free limit
Number of landings including the entrance floor. Sets travel distance and how many floors carry population.
Where: Guided → Building · Advanced → Building
Affects
- Flight times
- H and S
- RTT
- Interval
- HC%
- DES travel times
- Free-tier floor cap
Defaults & traps
- Floor 0 is the entrance; population above the entrance drives up-peak destinations.
Traffic mix template
- DES
- Advanced
- Guided
Applies incoming / outgoing / interfloor percentages (and batch size) for a named traffic pattern.
Where: Guided → Simulation · Advanced → DES tab
Affects
- Incoming / Outgoing / Interfloor %
- DES results vs calc comparison
Does not affect
- Analytical up-peak calc (always pure incoming assumptions)
Defaults & traps
- Use Pure up-peak when comparing DES to the calculation method.
- Non–100% incoming mixes will not match the analytical up-peak model.
Transfer Time
- Advanced
- Calc
- DES
Seconds allowed per passenger for transfer in the RTT door/passenger model.
Where: Advanced → Traffic Demand
Affects
- Passenger transfer component of RTT
- Interval
- HC%
- DES boarding/alighting
Defaults & traps
- Also reset when building type changes to type defaults.
U
Up-Peak Demand
- Advanced
- Calc
- DES
Design up-peak arrival rate (% of population per 5 min). Single source of truth for the analytical HC check and for DES intensity.
Where: Advanced → Traffic Demand (shown read-only on DES / Guided Simulation)
Affects
- Whether calculated HC meets design demand
- DES passenger arrival rate
- Saturation study baseline
Does not affect
- ISO Table 2 minimum HC target (that comes from building type)
Defaults & traps
- Guided mode does not edit this directly — change building type (resets default) or switch to Advanced.
- Building-type change overwrites this field with the type default.