The enclosed vertical passage through which the elevator car and counterweight travel.
Full Definition
The elevator shaft (hoistway) is the enclosed vertical structure — bounded by walls, floor, and ceiling — that contains the car, counterweight, guide rails, traveling cables, compensation chains or ropes, and all associated hoistway wiring within a defined envelope. EN 81-20 clause 5.2 governs shaft construction: the shaft shall be enclosed on all sides to form a fire-rated enclosure (minimum EI 30 or as required by the building fire compartmentation strategy), preventing access except through landing doors, car roof, and pit access door. Minimum internal shaft dimensions are derived from car platform size plus the required safety clearances: car-to-wall clearance, car-to-counterweight clearance, and the top and bottom runby. The shaft structure must be capable of supporting the guide rail bracket reaction loads, the buffer reaction forces, and any diverter sheave forces without exceeding the structural capacity of the building. Openings in the shaft for ventilation, lighting conduit entry, or inspection shall be protected against the ingress of water and vermin and shall not compromise fire compartmentation. Shaft surveys are conducted at the design stage using a plumb line and laser distance measurement to establish the as-built envelope from which installation drawings and equipment procurement are derived.
