Escalator dimensions calculator

Escalator horizontal run, incline length and overall length from rise, angle and end lengths, with angle, speed and step width checked against ASME A17.1/CSA B44 or EN 115-1.

Still needs a trade check. Treat each point below as unconfirmed, not as code, until it is checked against a licensed copy of the cited edition:

ASME: the 30 degree angle, the 0.5 m/s (100 ft/min) speed and the 560 to 1020 mm (22 to 40 in) step width were confirmed in the public text of A17.1-2016; the 2019 edition cited here still needs a trade check.
EN 115-1: the 30 and 35 degree angles and the 0.75 and 0.5 m/s speeds match public manufacturer and training summaries; the 580 to 1100 mm width and the subclause numbers 5.2.2, 5.2.3 and 5.3.1 were not found in a public source and still need a trade check.
The upper and lower end lengths are maker allowances, not code values.

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Result

Overall length in plan: 495.9 in (41 ft 3.9 in)
Horizontal run of the incline: 306.9 in (25 ft 6.9 in)
Length along the incline: 354.4 in (29 ft 6.4 in)
Within the code limits checked: yes

Not engineering advice; a licensed professional checks every result. Not a substitute for a licensed engineer, the manufacturer's data or the authority having jurisdiction; confirm the code edition your jurisdiction has adopted. First build: the code limits used here await a trade check against a licensed copy of the cited edition. Terms of use and estimate disclaimer.

Drawing

Side profile: lower end, incline and upper end.

Working

Horizontal run of the inclined section
$L_h = \dfrac{H}{\tan\alpha}$
L_h = 4500 ÷ tan 30° ≈ 7794.229 mm
= 7795 mm (rounded up)
Length along the incline
$L_i = \dfrac{H}{\sin\alpha}$
L_i = 4500 ÷ sin 30° ≈ 9000 mm
= 9000 mm (rounded up)
Overall length in plan (incline plus both ends)
$L = L_h + E_u + E_l$
L = 7794.22863405995 + 2600 + 2200 ≈ 12594.229 mm
= 12595 mm (rounded up)

Working is shown in the units each formula is written in; the result figures above follow the unit switch. A numeric input is taken to 15 significant digits before it is used (1033.2293579541322 kg is used as 1033.22935795413 kg); every echo of it shows that value, and a computed figure substituted into the working is quoted to 15 significant digits as well.

Code checks

PASS
Angle at most 30°
ASME A17.1-2019/CSA B44-19, 6.1.3.1. 30° at 4500 mm rise and 0.5 m/s
PASS
Speed at most 100 ft/min at this angle
ASME A17.1-2019/CSA B44-19, 6.1.4.1. 98.4251968503937 ft/min
PASS
Step width from 22 in to 40 in
ASME A17.1-2019/CSA B44-19, 6.1.3.5.2. 39.3700787401575 in

Notes

ASME A17.1-2019/CSA B44-19 prints each limit in both systems and the figures are not exact equivalents; the speed and width are checked against the US figures, which is the system you work in.
The end lengths cover the landing plates, the flat steps and the drive and return stations. They vary by maker, speed and rise: replace the defaults with the chosen manufacturer's figures.
Geometry is exact for the inclined section; overall width depends on the balustrade and is not computed here.
A17.1 6.1.3.1 limits the designed angle to 30 degrees and lets field conditions add up to 1 degree on site. This check reads the angle you enter as the designed angle.

Method

Geometry

An escalator's inclined section is a right triangle with the rise as its height. The horizontal run is the rise divided by the tangent of the angle, and the length along the incline is the rise divided by the sine. At 30 degrees the run is about 1.73 times the rise and the incline is exactly twice the rise.

The truss also extends past each end of the incline for the landing plate, the flat steps where passengers board and leave, and the drive or return station. Those end lengths depend on the maker, the rise and the speed, so they are inputs. The overall length in plan is the run plus both ends.

Code limits checked

ASME A17.1/CSA B44 keeps escalators to 30 degrees or less, a rated speed of 0.5 m/s (100 ft/min) or less and a step width from 560 mm (22 in) to 1020 mm (40 in). It prints each figure in both systems, and they are not exact equivalents, so the speed and width are checked against the figures printed in the unit system you work in. EN 115-1 also sets 30 degrees, but allows up to 35 degrees where the rise is 6 m or less and the speed is 0.5 m/s or less; its speed limit is 0.75 m/s at up to 30 degrees and 0.5 m/s above that, and its nominal width runs from 580 mm to 1100 mm.

Formulas

Horizontal run

L_h = H / tan(alpha)

L_h = \dfrac{H}{\tan\alpha}

Incline length

L_i = H / sin(alpha)

L_i = \dfrac{H}{\sin\alpha}

Overall length

L = L_h + upper end + lower end

L = L_h + E_u + E_l

Code basis: clause and edition

Standard	Edition	Clause	What it covers
ASME A17.1/CSA B44	2019	6.1.3.1, 6.1.3.5.2 and 6.1.4.1	Escalator angle of inclination, step width and rated speed
EN 115-1	2017	5.2.2, 5.2.3 and 5.3.1	Escalator inclination, nominal speed and nominal width

Rules are restated in our own words and computed for your inputs; no table or text from a standard is reproduced. The adopted edition varies by jurisdiction, so confirm the one your authority having jurisdiction enforces.

Inputs

Input	Unit	Range	Default
Code `standard`	choice	asme, en	asme
Rise `rise`	millimetres (mm)	1000 to 15000	4500
Angle of inclination `angle`	degrees	20 to 40	30
Step width `stepWidth`	millimetres (mm)	400 to 1300	1000
Rated speed `speed`	metres per second (m/s)	0.2 to 1	0.5
Upper end length `upperEnd`	millimetres (mm)	1000 to 6000	2600
Lower end length `lowerEnd`	millimetres (mm)	1000 to 6000	2200
System the code limits are checked in `units`	choice	si, us	si

Worked examples

Each example below is a test the calculator must pass before it ships. The expected values were worked out by a separate implementation.

Example	Expected result (each in its declared unit)
4.5 m rise at 30 degrees, ASME	horizontalRun: 7794.3 mm, inclineLength: 9000 mm, overallLength: 12594.3 mm, withinLimits: yes
5 m rise at 35 degrees, EN 115-1 (steep angle permitted)	horizontalRun: 7140.8 mm, inclineLength: 8717.3 mm, overallLength: 11940.8 mm, withinLimits: yes
Same 35 degree escalator under ASME (angle fails)	horizontalRun: 7140.8 mm, inclineLength: 8717.3 mm, overallLength: 11940.8 mm, withinLimits: no
ASME at its printed US limits, checked in US units: 100 ft/min and a 22 in step	horizontalRun: 7794.3 mm, inclineLength: 9000 mm, overallLength: 12594.3 mm, withinLimits: yes
The same escalator checked against the SI figures (0.5 m/s, 560 mm): outside the limits	horizontalRun: 7794.3 mm, inclineLength: 9000 mm, overallLength: 12594.3 mm, withinLimits: no
ASME at its printed SI limits, checked in SI: 0.5 m/s and a 560 mm step	horizontalRun: 7794.3 mm, inclineLength: 9000 mm, overallLength: 12594.3 mm, withinLimits: yes

For AI agents

This calculator is also the MCP tool escalator_dimensions at https://elevatorcalc.com/api/mcp, using the same function as this page. See how to connect, the llms.txt file, or the JSON catalogue.