Hong Life CalculatorsUnderstanding the elevator capacity calculator — concept and principle
This calculator converts between the number of persons an elevator is rated for and its rated load in kilograms. In Korea, lifts are labelled by persons (for example a "15-person" lift, 15인승), while technical documents, tenders and European equipment are specified in kilograms. Facility managers and buyers use it to compare lifts or check a sign in a car.
How it is calculated
- From persons: rated load (kg) = persons × weight per person.
- From kilograms: persons = ⌊rated load ÷ weight per person⌋, always rounded down.
The calculator shows the result for the standard you pick and also both common standards side by side: 65 kg per person, used in Korean lift safety rules, and 75 kg per person, used in the European standard EN 81-20.
The principle
A lift is designed, tested and fitted with an overload device for its rated load, the mass it may carry safely in normal service. The person number is not measured separately; it is that load divided by an assumed average passenger mass. Different standards assume different averages, so the same lift can carry a different number on its sign depending on the rulebook. Rounding down is essential: a fraction of a person cannot ride, and rounding up would let the sign promise more than the rated load. EN 81-20 additionally limits rated load by the available car floor area, so that a large car cannot be overcrowded beyond its rated load.
Worked example
Defaults: 15 persons at 65 kg (Korea).
- Rated load = 15 × 65 = 975 kg.
- At 65 kg: ⌊975 ÷ 65⌋ = 15 persons.
- At 75 kg: 975 ÷ 75 = 13.0, so 13 persons.
The calculator shows a rated load of 975 kg, 15 persons under the Korean basis and 13 persons under EN 81-20, matching these steps.
How to read the result
The kilogram figure is the engineering limit; the person number is a label derived from it. When comparing a Korean lift with a European catalogue, compare kilograms, not persons. A 1,000 kg European lift, for instance, is rated for 13 persons (1,000 ÷ 75 = 13.3), while the same load would be 15 persons on a 65 kg basis. For goods, count the full mass of the load plus anyone riding with it, including trolleys and pallets.
Common mistakes
- Comparing person numbers from different standards as if they were the same.
- Rounding persons up instead of down.
- Assuming the overload sensor makes overloading harmless. Repeated overloading wears brakes, ropes and machinery.
Frequently asked questions
What is the rated load of a 15-person lift in Korea?
975 kg (15 × 65 kg).
How many persons can a 1,000 kg lift carry under EN 81-20?
13 persons.
Can more people ride if they are light, such as children?
The kilogram limit is what matters for safety, but the person number on the sign is the official limit and should not be exceeded.
Sources: EN 81-20, Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts — Lifts for the transport of persons and goods · Korean Elevator Safety Management Act (승강기 안전관리법) and the associated lift safety standards