Escalators and moving walks: selection, price, installation
You can buy an escalator or moving walk from us: you sign the supply and installation contract with us, our team installs and services the Can - LIFTPORTAL (China) equipment, and we calculate the price for your building after a free site survey.
Shopping centres, railway stations, business centres and hypermarkets need these machines. We show our own project below: six escalators at Mens shopping centre. We travel all over Ukraine, and our bases are in Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv.
What to install: escalator, moving walk or lift
| Escalator | Moving walk | Lift | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Movement | steps at an angle of 30° or 35° | flat pallet band, inclination 0°, 6°, 10° or 12° | car moving vertically |
| Who it carries | the main flow of people between levels | shoppers with trolleys, passengers with suitcases | wheelchair users, goods |
| Where it is installed | shopping centre, business centre, metro, railway station | supermarket, airport, car park | next to an escalator in any of these buildings |
| Planning capacity | up to 6000 persons per hour with a 1000 mm step | the same table applies, but trolleys reduce the flow by about 80% | as many as the car holds per trip |
| Flight length for a 5 m rise | about 10 m at 30° | about 24 m at 12° | only the shaft footprint |
A large building usually needs a combination. At Mens shopping centre the escalators take the main flow, while the panoramic lift and the passenger and freight lift carry people who cannot use steps, as well as goods.
Step width and how many people an escalator carries
The figure of 9000 persons per hour holds only as a theoretical limit: two people on every step and not a single empty step. Nobody rides like that. For planning passenger flow, Table H.1 of DSTU EN 115-1:2019 gives 6000 for the same width and speed.
| Step width | Theoretical limit at 0.5 m/s | DSTU EN 115-1:2019, Table H.1, at 0.5 m/s |
|---|---|---|
| 600 mm | 4500 persons/h | 3600 persons/h |
| 800 mm | 6750 persons/h | 4800 persons/h |
| 1000 mm | 9000 persons/h | 6000 persons/h |
Use the right-hand column for your calculations. If that many people do not gather on your floor, a wider step will only add to the cost.
Angle and rise
The standard limits the escalator inclination to 30°. You can go up to 35° only with a rise of up to 6 m and a speed of up to 0.5 m/s: the truss becomes shorter and frees up floor space in the hall. Above 6 m, the angle stays at 30°. Under the same standard, a moving walk is no steeper than 12°.
The rise is usually from 3 to 10 m or more. The standard speed is 0.5 m/s.
Types of escalator arrangement
The arrangement is chosen to suit the layout of the hall. It determines how many escalators and floor openings are needed and where a person ends up after stepping off.
Single 
Scissor 
Parallel 
Criss-cross
Where our escalators are already running: Mens shopping centre
We installed six escalators at Mens shopping centre in Ivano-Frankivsk, 201h Halytska St., in 2021. The equipment on this project is Izamet, with balustrade cladding in matt stainless steel. Our panoramic lift and our passenger and freight lift, 1000 kg each, are installed there as well.
More photos on the project page: six escalators at Mens shopping centre.
Who makes Can - LIFTPORTAL escalators
The escalators and moving walks we supply under the Can - LIFTPORTAL brand are made by a factory in China. The commercial series is suitable for shopping centres, and the heavy-duty public transport series for metro and railway stations.
Who is responsible for what, and where these escalators are installed, is set out separately: how to buy a Can - LIFTPORTAL escalator. Photos of the factory and projects are collected in the brochure (PDF, 0.9 MB).
What affects the price of an escalator
We do not publish "from" prices, because escalators that are identical on paper cost different amounts in different buildings. The cost depends on:
- rise: a longer truss, more steps, more chain and handrail;
- step width: 600, 800 or 1000 mm;
- series: commercial or public transport;
- location: indoors or in the open air, where components need protection and drainage;
- floor opening: provided for in the design or cut into an existing floor;
- delivery and installation: a crane on a construction site or winches in a centre that is already operating;
- balustrade: glass or stainless steel, lighting.
Each point is explained here: what the price of an escalator depends on.
Escalator service and repair
We replace steps, handrails and chains, repair drives and adjust the safety system. We inspect once a month and check faster-wearing components more often. In a building that is in operation, we work at night or outside working hours and agree the schedule with the management in advance. The warranty terms are in the contract.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an escalator cost?
The price of an escalator is calculated for the specific building, so we have no "from" figure. To give you a price, we need the height between floors, the building stage, the flow of people and the installation location. The site survey and quote are free.
How does a moving walk differ from an escalator?
An escalator has steps and an inclination of 30° or 35°. A moving walk has a flat pallet band inclined at up to 12°, so people can ride it with a trolley or suitcase, but it needs much more length for the same rise.
What is the capacity of an escalator?
The theoretical limit with a 1000 mm step and a speed of 0.5 m/s is about 9000 persons per hour. For planning passenger flow, Table H.1 of DSTU EN 115-1:2019 gives 6000, 4800 for an 800 mm step and 3600 for a 600 mm step.
Who makes the escalators you supply?
We supply and install SJEC and Can - LIFTPORTAL (China) escalators and moving walks ourselves. The Mens shopping centre project uses Izamet (Bulgaria) equipment.
Can an escalator be installed in a building that is already in operation?
Yes, although installation is more complicated. In a finished centre there is often nowhere to put a crane, so we bring the truss in with winches, often at night, and if it will not fit through in one piece, we deliver it in sections. The opening has to be cut in the cast concrete slab, and sometimes the beams need strengthening as well.
Do you maintain escalators that you did not install?
Yes. First we carry out an inspection: the condition of the chain and steps, the documents, any outstanding inspection orders. Then we tell you what needs to be done for safe operation, and we sign a contract.
Last stop: your request
We'll prepare a quote for your building: 050 585-39-28, 063 283-31-48, 096 901-76-50. Lviv: 097 099-89-87. Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00.
The site survey and quote are free, and an engineer will contact you within one business day. Prefer not to call? Email us at portallift@gmail.com or fill in the form on this page.
Get a price for escalators
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