Elevator group sizing is not only a question of how many cars fit in a building. A useful traffic study connects building demand, elevator group assumptions, capacity metrics, passenger-experience metrics, and documented alternatives.
Where this workflow fits
Use this workflow when a project needs a practical comparison of elevator alternatives rather than a standalone definition of capacity.
Early design checks
Estimate whether an elevator group concept has enough capacity before the study becomes too detailed.
Alternative comparison
Compare car count, passenger capacity, rated speed, door timing, service zones, and traffic assumptions in a consistent project workflow.
Modernization studies
Review existing or proposed configurations and compare how changes affect capacity metrics and passenger outcomes.
Report-ready studies
Keep assumptions, runs, charts, and summary metrics together for traceable elevator traffic reports.
From building assumptions to elevator groups
VT Planner starts from the building model: floors, entrances, basements, population, traffic patterns, and demand assumptions. Those assumptions provide the context for comparing elevator groups rather than treating car count, rated speed, or capacity as isolated inputs.
Elevator setups can represent named alternatives or parameter sweeps. That makes it possible to compare car count, passenger capacity, speed, door timing, service zones, and transfer assumptions within the same project.
Compare alternatives with calculation and simulation
Calculation is useful for fast capacity checks and for reviewing metrics such as RTT, interval, and handling capacity. Those metrics help explain the mechanics behind a group, especially in early sizing work.
Simulation adds context when the decision depends on passenger arrivals, queues, traffic patterns, zoning, dispatch behavior, near-capacity operation, or run-to-run variation. In those cases, waiting time, journey time, queues, and percentiles should be reviewed alongside capacity metrics.
A sizing workflow built around comparable assumptions
Model building demand
Define floors, entrances, basements, population, traffic patterns, and demand assumptions before comparing elevator groups.
Configure elevator alternatives
Use saved elevator setups, fixed setups, or parameter sweeps to test car count, capacity, speed, doors, transfer timing, and service zones.
Run calculation or simulation
Use calculation for fast capacity and interval checks, then use simulation or multi-run simulation when passenger experience and variability matter.
Compare results and export
Review run history, calculation metrics, simulation metrics, charts, percentiles, assumptions, and PDF report outputs.
Metrics to review together
Capacity metrics and passenger-experience metrics answer different questions. Handling capacity can help explain throughput, but it should be reviewed with waiting time, journey time, queues, and percentile behavior before comparing close alternatives.
Capacity metrics
Passenger-experience metrics
Alternative inputs
Results and reports for elevator traffic studies
VT Planner keeps completed runs, alternatives, charts, assumptions, and report outputs connected to the project. This helps teams review why an alternative was tested, what assumptions were used, and how the result compares with other configurations.
Use the sample report to see how inputs and outputs can be documented for a completed elevator traffic study.
Related capacity planning resources
Connect elevator group sizing with VT Planner documentation, metric definitions, simulation context, and report examples.
Elevator group sizing FAQ
What is elevator group sizing?
Elevator group sizing is the process of comparing elevator group assumptions such as car count, capacity, speed, service zones, and demand to understand whether a configuration can support the expected traffic.
Can VT Planner compare different elevator group alternatives?
Yes. VT Planner supports saved elevator setups, fixed setups, parameter sweeps, calculation runs, simulation runs, multi-run simulation, run history, and report outputs for comparing alternatives under explicit assumptions.
When should I use calculation instead of simulation?
Calculation is useful for fast capacity and interval checks. Simulation becomes more useful when traffic patterns, queues, dispatch behavior, zoning, near-capacity operation, or passenger-experience metrics affect the decision.
Can I export a report for a selected alternative?
Yes. VT Planner can generate PDF reports for completed runs, including assumptions, metrics, charts, and result context.
Does this replace professional engineering judgment?
No. VT Planner provides traffic-analysis and simulation support for comparing assumptions and alternatives, but results should be reviewed by qualified professionals in the context of the project.
Want to compare elevator group alternatives with traceable assumptions and report-ready outputs?
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