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Floor numbering is the numbering scheme used for a building's floors.

Numeric floor numbering schemes

North American scheme

In this scheme, the "first" floor is the floor at the ground level and the floor above it is the "second" floor. On some buildings, floors below ground floor are usually marked as basement (B) but some buildings also marked these floors as minus (-), for example; minus one (-1), minus two (-2) and so on. In few cases, the floors below ground floor are marked as lower ground (LG) or sub basement (SB) though this is uncommon.

This scheme is used in some part of the United States and Canada, some Latin American countries, Russia and former Soviet Union countries, China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau), South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Philippines, and parts of Indonesia.

USSR Variant

Buildings in countries that were formerly part of the USSR (including those in Europe such as Estonia) often use the North American scheme, but call the storey immediately below the ground floor "0".

European scheme

In this scheme, the "first storey" or "first floor" is the level above ground level. The floor at ground level is usually called "0" or substituted by the first letter of the local language's word for ground (i.e. "G" in Britain or "E" for Erdgeschoss in Germany)

This scheme is used in the United Kingdom, most European countries, Mexico, Cambodia and former British colonies.

There is a set standard as per EN81-70 for the ground floor button to be protrude a different amount & have green coloration to indicate that this is the floor with the quickest route to the outside of the building. This is not always the case, for example in lifts which don't go to the ground floor. The similar term also apply for the "Design Manual: Barrier Free Access 2008 (設計手冊:暢通無阻的通道 2008, BFA 2008)" standard by Buildings Department in Hong Kong, China. A "star" () is often included in the ground floor button to indicate a main entrance level.

Common non-numeric or mixed floor numbering systems

These are some common non-numeric or mixed floor numberings used in buildings as well as elevators.

Minus (-)

Floor numbers starting with Minus (-) are used to depict floors below ground floor [1]. Sometimes minus is used as a substitution to basement (B), lower ground (LG) or sub basement (SB). Minus is also commonly used in buildings with destination dispatch elevators.

"Additional" (A) levels

Floor numbers ending with A are usually used to depict an extra floor or split levels, such as 3A being an additional third floor. It is also used to depict an apartment floor. Sometimes, it can be used to omit unlucky floor numbers.

"Basement" (B)

B also known as basement, usually used to depict floors below ground floor. It is widely used in most buildings. An additional basement below is often marked as LB (lower basement) or SB (sub-basement) while above is UB (upper basement)[2].

UB may also means an extra "basement" floor above the basement floor.

Meaning of basement in foreign countries by their native language:

  • K: Keller (German), Kelder (Dutch/Estonian), Kælder (Danish), Kjeller (Norwegian), Källare (Swedish), Kellari (Finnish)
  • TK: German - Tief-Keller (Deeper basement) Sub-basement
  • T: Tiefgeschoss (German "Deep floor")
  • S (Spain): Sótano
  • SS (France): Sous-sol (Portuguese): Subssolo
  • P: Porão (Portugese), Piwnica (Polish)
  • U (Germany): Untergeschoss ("Underfloor")
  • П: Подземный (Russian), Падвал (Belarussian), Підвал (Ukrainian)
  • М (Bulgaria): Мазе
  • υ (Greece): υπόγειο
  • A (Hungary): Alagsor ("Basement")
  • P (Hungary): Pince ("Cellar"), may even be placed below the A floor.
  • S (Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia): Suterena (Polish), Suterén (Czech and Slovak),

"Ground Floor" (G)

G or GF usually means ground floor. This floor numbering is widely used in buildings using European scheme. In some case, the letter G may be replaced into zero (0) in Europe or one (1) in America. A "five-pointed star" () is often included in the ground floor button to indicate a main entrance level. In foreign countries, ground floor is usually referred to by their native language, for example:

  • BG (Dutch): begane grond (lit. "walked-upon ground")
  • BV (Swedish): Bottenvåning ("ground floor")
  • D (Indonesia): dasar/lantai dasar ("ground floor")
  • E/EG (Germany): Erdgeschoss ("ground floor"), (Swedish): Entrévåning ("Entrance floor")
  • PB (Spain): planta baja or planta baixa ("bottom floor")
  • PT (Italy): piano terra (lit. "ground floor")
  • RC (France): rez-de-chaussée ("street level"), (Portuguese): rés-do-chão ("ground floor")[3]
  • S (Danish): Stuen ("ground floor")
  • T (Brazil): Térreo (Ground)
  • P, PK (Finland) Pohjakerros ("ground floor")
  • כ (Israel): כניסה ("Entrance")
  • ק (Israel): קרקע ("Ground")
  • ι (Greece): ισόγειο ("ground floor")
  • F (Hungary): Földszint ("ground level")
  • P (Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia): Parter (Polish), Přízemí (Czech), Prízemie (Slovak)
  • Z (Turkey/Türkiye): Zemin ("Ground")

Sometimes G can be more than one floor (e.g. G1 [4] and G2 [5]). or sub ground (SG)[6]. In Australia, the ground floor, in some buildings, is sometimes labelled with the first letter of the street the floor serves. For example, The Myer Centre in Brisbane has three ground floors, labelled A, E and Q after the respective entrances from the streets the floor serves[7].

"Lower Ground Floor" (LG)

LG usually means lower ground, which is an extra "ground" floor below the main ground floor, as the building built on the mountain. In some cases, lower ground can be more than one floor, but usually not more than five lower ground floors (e.g. LG1 and LG2). Example of buildings with more than one lower ground floor are Festival Walk in Hong Kong[9], ifc Mall in Shanghai[10], and Sunway Pyramid in Kuala Lumpur[11].

The other variant of the floor LG maybe substituted as floor -0.

  • MF (Hungarian): mélyföldszint (lit. "lower ground level"), may also designate "upper ground level". In cases of ambiguity, one of the two ground floors (in most cases, the one with the entrance) is marked as F, the other one is the MF floor.

"Upper Ground Floor" (UG)

UG means upper ground which is an extra "ground" floor above the main ground floor. Sometimes UG can be more than one floor, but usually not more than two upper ground floors (e.g. UG1 [12] and UG2 [13]).

  • MF (Hungarian): magasföldszint (lit. "upper ground level"), used together with F for the lower ground floor.

"Lobby" or "Level" (L)

L or LB[14] usually means lobby or level, e.g. level 1 is marked as L1. In some buildings with an additional lobby or certain floor below the ground floor, it is usually marked as LL (lower lobby or lower level). As same as "ground floor" (G), a "star" (☆) is often included in the lobby button for the elevator installed in the America to indicate a main entrance level.

Another variant of the "lobby" is UL, means upper level, common in 2 floor buildings like shopping malls, department stores, and supermarkets, but can also stand for upper lobby, which is an extra "lobby" floor above the main lobby floor. An example of a building that uses UL floor is Interchange 21, Bangkok[15].

A third variant of the "lobby" is ML, which means main level or middle level, common in 3 floor buildings like shopping malls, department stores, and supermarkets, usually the floor between LL and UL. An example of a building that uses ML is the Bridgewater Commons shopping center in Bridgewater, NJ.

In very rare case, L can be refer to lower floor. An example of the building that uses L as a lower floor is The Phyll Sukhumvit 54, Bangkok.[16]

In a rare case, lobby can be used in a suffix.(example 3L).

  • FO (Hungarian): fogadószint ("concourse", lit. "receiving level", rarely used)

"Mezzanine Floor" (M)

M or MZ is commonly known as mezzanine floor, which is an intermediate floor between main floors of a building. A lower mezzanine is often marked as LM[17], or a mezzanine ground is often marked as MG though this is uncommon. In rare cases, it may refer to main floor.[18]

  • FE or 1/2 (Hungarian): félemelet (lit. "half floor")
  • Z: (German: Zwischengeschoss ): "Between floor"
  • A: (Turkish): Asma kat: ("Mezzanine floor")

"Podium", "Parking" or "Platform" level (P)

P may refer to as parking (for multi-purpose building with the floors for car park or parking garage), pool (in some hotels), podium (the leisure spaces in the housing estate, but built above ground floor), promenade (in some hotels; like the hard rock), or platform (usually appeared in train station) floor. Multiple parking floors are usually marked as P1, P2 and so on. CP may also be used, meaning "car park" in British English (meaning is equivalent to "parking" in American English)[19], or PL, meaning podium level, parking level or pool level. Even PD is also used as podium.

The another variant of the "podium" is AP, means Amenity Podium.

If the train or metro station have two platform floors, they will be marked as UP for upper platform and LP for lower platform[20].

"Roof" floor (R)

R is usually known as roof[21] or rooftop. Sometimes RF may also be possible to be used. RG used in Roof Garden. R could also stand for rear, especially when used as a suffix (for example, GR, meaning "Ground floor rear", or 4R, meaning "Level 4 rear").

  • D: German (Dach)

Other non-numeric floor numberings

  • C: With three different meanings:
    • Concourse[22][23], used in some train stations and double deck (lower deck) elevator.
    • Casino, used as the building with the specific floor used only for Casinos.
    • Cockloft, similar as "Mezzanine Floor" (M).
  • D: Deck, the alternative word for the podium or footbridge[24]. Usually make those not to be confused with the parking levels.
  • DSn (where n=floor): Used in The Landmark Trinoma in Quezon City, Philippines, it denotes the floor of the department store wing.
  • F/FB: Footbridge[25][26][27], used in some pedestrians footbridge, but it can also stands for Facilities[28].
  • H: Helipad or other special floor.
  • L: Light rail platform, used in MTR West Rail Stations.
  • MTR: the English abbreviation of Mass Transit Railway in Hong Kong, China. For the floor in the adjacent building directly connected to the MTR station[29][30].
  • PH: Penthouse floor.[31]
  • Pk: Park, used for the public leisure spaces but built above ground floor.
  • S or SL: Street level, used in some train stations, or Subway, for some pedestrian tunnels.[32] But it can also stand for Spa.[33]
  • T: Terrace, used in some apartment buildings. It can also be referred to Transfer for railway stations, as well as Tunnel.
  • U: Upper floor.[16]
  • Courtyard: marked with U ("Udvar") in Hungary, this floor is often below the F floor.
  • AFn (where n=floor): Ancillary Facilities Block n(1st-5th) floor, used in Fu Tai Estate in Hong Kong.
  • CCn (where n=floor): Commercial Complex n(1st-3rd) floor, used in Fu Tai Estate in Hong Kong.
  • V: Viaduct, used in the elevator for evacuation in MTR Tuen Ma Line (elevated section).

See also

Notes and references

  1. 長沙灣長發大廈通力升降機
  2. Fujitec Hydraulic Lift/Elevator 2 富士達油壓式升降機2
  3. Macau, China also used be this type. However, they changed to G for the buildings built after 2000s.
  4. 葵涌華基工業大廈 第一期 貨用升降機
  5. Toshiba Traction Freight Elevator with manual door at Block 1, Vigor Industrial Building (Phase 1), Kwai Chung, New Territories, Hong Kong
  6. 葵涌金威工業大廈第二期力建貨用升降機
  7. Schindler Traction Elevators @ The Myer Centre Brisbane
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Design Manual - Barrier Free Access 2008, Division 19 - Lifts
  9. Schindler Hydraulic Lift/Elevator 2 迅達油壓式升降機2
  10. 2011 Recording - Schindler MRL Elevators at ifc Mall, Shanghai
  11. Otis Elevator at Sunway Pyramid, Subang Jaya
  12. 葵涌華基工業大廈TOSHIBA拉閘貨用升降機
  13. Toshiba Traction Elevator at Block 1, Vigor Industrial Building (Phase 1), Kwai Chung, New Territories, Hong Kong
  14. Toshiba Elevators @ Centurion Hotel Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan
  15. 【R01】Kone Elevators @ Interchange 21, Bangkok「Front Carpark」
  16. 16.0 16.1 2015 Schindler 5500 Lift/Elevator @ The Phyll Sukhumvit 54, Onnut in Bangkok, Thailand
  17. BUSY Hyundai MRL Elevators at Lippo Mall Kemang, Jakarta
  18. Examples are some malls near BTS Skytrain in Bangkok that have a skywalk between the station and the mall.
  19. (EPIC MOTOR)尖沙咀華懋廣場(停車場範圍)東洋油壓升降機
  20. 港鐵旺角站富士達(FUJITEC)油壓升降機(重拍) (This already extincted as the elevator replaced to the Kone TranSys elevator in 2014)
  21. Toshiba Traction Elevator at Car Park, Hang Tsui Court, Chai Wan, Hong Kong
  22. OTIS Traction Elevator at Po Wah Buiding, Central, Hong Kong
  23. Mitsubishi Traction with Semi-auto door elevator in Lee Shing Building, Prince Edward, Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong
  24. 金鐘政府總部行人天橋FUJITEC升降機
  25. Newly Installed Otis MRL Traction Elevator
  26. 旺角橫跨亞皆老街及塘尾道行人天橋SIGMA升降機
  27. 葵涌興芳路行人天橋Sigma無機房升降機
  28. 【R01】Mitsubishi Traction Lifts/Elevators @ Grande Centre Point Ploenchit, Bangkok
  29. 九龍塘又一城Schindler升降機
  30. In Chinese, it usually called "地鐵樓層" or "港鐵層" (both are called as "MTR" or "MTR floor").
  31. Hitachi Traction Elevator at Ka Bo Building, North Point, Hong Kong
  32. 旺角彌敦道及弼街交界行人隧道KONE升降機
  33. 【R01】Hitachi Elevators @ Siam@Siam Design Hotel Bangkok「Main」
Elevator 
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Concept: CapacityDestination dispatchElevator algorithm • Elevator control systemElevator machine room • Elevator maintenance • Elevator monitoring systemElevator modernizationACOP & UCMPMachine room less elevatorMajor alterationsRated speed


Elevator systems, controllers and equipments: Elevator emergency automatic rescue device • Elevator fixtures • Elevator keys • Elevator special modesElevator doorsDoor camDoor interlocks (Interlock wiring communication system) • Door restrictorElevator Inspection CertificateEmergency stop buttonFloor designatorsGate switch • Old Deadman controls • Overspeed governorMotor-generator set & Silicon-controlled rectifier (for DC-powered elevators) • Insulated-gate bipolar transistor (for AC-VVVF-powered elevators) • SelectorTape headRegenerative converter (for AC-VVVF-powered elevators)


See also: List of elevator fixtures guide • List of elevator and escalator companies • Elevator door sill guide (Non-proprietary elevator component door sill guide) • Floor numbering (Unlucky floor numbers) • Elevator incidents and accidents

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Concept: Escalator control systemEscalator machinery • Spiral escalator • Escalator maintenanceEscalator modernizationMajor alterations


Escalator equipments: Escalator truss and balustradeEscalator steps and step chainsEscalator handrails • Escalator skirt brushesEmergency stop buttonEnergy-saving mode


See also: List of elevator and escalator companiesEscalator landing plate guideFloor numbering (Unlucky floor numbers) • Escalator incidents and accidents

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