Elevator Weight Capacity Calculator
Maximum occupancy from car area and weight rating.
About this calculator
Maximum Occupancy is the LESSER of two independent limits: Max Occupancy by Weight (Rated Load divided by Avg. Person Weight) and Max Occupancy by Area (Platform Area divided by 2.3 sq ft/person, a crush-load density). At this calculator's default car dimensions and rated load, the area limit governs (13 people) rather than the weight limit (20 people), so changing Rated Load or Avg. Person Weight has no visible effect on Maximum Occupancy until one of them moves enough to make the weight limit the smaller of the two -- it is a genuine regime switch, not a rounding artifact.
Comfortable Occupancy is a completely separate, purely area-based figure (Platform Area divided by 5.0 sq ft/person, a roomier density than the crush-load figure) and has NO arithmetic relationship to Rated Load whatsoever -- it is not "80% of rated load" or any other fraction of the weight-based limit, despite how that might read at a glance. Car Weight has no effect on Maximum Occupancy, Comfortable Occupancy, Platform Area, or Rated Load at all; it only feeds Total System Load, which exists purely for rope and structural sizing reference. Car Width and Car Depth carry identical, symmetric influence on both occupancy figures, since platform area is their product.
Inputs
Results
Maximum occupancy
13
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter Car Width and Car Depth in inches to confirm the cab footprint.
- Input Rated Load (lbs) and Average Person Weight (lbs) — ASME A17.1 uses 150 lbs per person.
- Enter Car Weight (lbs) for counterweight sizing reference.
- Review Maximum Occupancy (the lesser of the weight-based and area-based limits) and Comfortable Occupancy (a separate, purely area-based figure — platform area divided by 5 sq ft/person — with no arithmetic relationship to rated load).
- Post the Maximum Occupancy in the elevator cab as required by code.
How the result changes with Car width (inches)
| Car width (inches) | Maximum occupancy |
|---|---|
| 40 | 6 |
| 60 | 9 |
| 120 | 19 |
What each input means
- Car width (inches)
- Interior width of the elevator car platform.
- Car depth (inches)
- Interior depth of the elevator car platform.
- Rated load (lb)
- Elevator rated load capacity in pounds.
- Avg. person weight (lb)
- Average passenger weight (ASME standard: 150 lb, realistic: 175-185 lb).
- Car weight (lb)
- Weight of the empty car (for total system load calculation).
What each result means
- Maximum occupancy
- Maximum number of passengers (limited by weight or area).
- Comfortable occupancy
- Comfortable passenger count (~5 sq ft per person).
- Platform area (sq ft)
- Interior floor area of the elevator car.
- Platform area (m²)
- Interior floor area in square metres.
- Rated load (kg)
- Rated load capacity in kilograms.
- Total system load (kg)
- Car weight + rated load for rope/structural sizing.
- ASME max load for area (lb)
- Maximum rated load allowed by ASME A17.1 for this platform area.
- Load vs. area compliant
- 1 = rated load within ASME limit for platform area, 0 = exceeds.
- Loading density (lb/ft²)
- Rated load per square foot of platform area.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersCar width (inches) = 80, Car depth (inches) = 54, Rated load (lb) = 3500, Avg. person weight (lb) = 175 = 5 input(s) provided
- Calculate Maximum occupancyMaximum occupancy13 = 13
- Calculate Comfortable occupancyComfortable occupancy6 = 6
- Calculate Platform areaPlatform area = (carWidthIn * carDepthIn) / 14430 = 30
Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators. Built by Paul Gunder, a software engineer, not a licensed financial, medical, or legal professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Comfortable Occupancy not simply 80% of Maximum Occupancy?
Because the two figures come from entirely different calculations. Comfortable Occupancy is Platform Area divided by 5.0 sq ft/person -- a purely area-based figure with no arithmetic tie to Rated Load at all. Maximum Occupancy, by contrast, is the lesser of a weight-based limit (Rated Load divided by Avg. Person Weight) and a tighter area-based crush-load limit (Platform Area divided by 2.3 sq ft/person). There is no fixed percentage relationship between the two.
Why doesn't increasing Rated Load raise Maximum Occupancy?
Because Maximum Occupancy is governed by whichever of the weight limit or the area limit is smaller, and at this calculator's default car dimensions the area limit already governs (13 people, versus a 20-person weight limit at the default rated load). Raising Rated Load only raises the weight limit, which has no effect on the displayed Maximum Occupancy until the weight limit drops below the area limit -- meaning Rated Load would need to fall, not rise, for that input to start mattering here.
Does a heavier empty car reduce how many passengers it can carry?
No -- Car Weight has zero effect on Maximum Occupancy, Comfortable Occupancy, Platform Area, or Rated Load. It only feeds Total System Load (car weight plus rated load), which exists solely as a reference figure for rope and structural sizing, not for occupancy limits.
Do car width and car depth affect occupancy the same way?
Yes -- Platform Area is simply Car Width multiplied by Car Depth, so the two inputs have identical, symmetric influence on both Maximum Occupancy and Comfortable Occupancy. A given percentage increase in either one raises platform area, and therefore both occupancy figures, by roughly the same amount.
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