ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS

Section 3002 Hoistway Enclosures

Section 3003 Emergency Operations

Section 3006 Elevator Lobbies and Hoistway Opening Protection

Section 3007 Fire Service Access Elevator

Section 3008 Occupant Evacuation Elevators

Key Points

Section 3002 Hoistway Enclosures

3002.1   Hoistway enclosure protection.   This section is essentially a cross reference to Section 713 of the code, which contains the specific requirements for the enclosure of shafts in buildings. Elevator shafts are to be fire-resistance-rated enclosures, unless exempted by Section 713.1.9 addressing two-story-opening conditions. If required to be fire-resistance rated, the shaft enclosure must have a 1-hour or 2-hour rating based on the number of stories connected by the shaft enclosure, as well as the required fire-resistance rating of the floor construction. Opening protectives for hoistway enclosures are also regulated by Chapter 7.

3002.2   Number of elevator cars in a hoistway.   These provisions were extracted from the elevator code insofar as they are more appropriate as building code requirements. The basis for limiting the number of cars in a single hoistway is to provide a reasonable level of assurance that a multilevel building served by several elevators would not have all of its elevator cars located in the same hoistway. This could result in a single emergency disabling all elevators within the building. For example, if all elevator cars were allowed to be located in the same hoistway, smoke that entered the enclosure during a fire would render all elevator cars unusable. The code provisions will increase the chance that some elevators within a major building would remain operational during a fire or other emergency. See Figure 3002-1.

Figure 3002-1   Elevator cars in a hoistway.

3002.3   Emergency signs.   In order to alert occupants to the fact that an elevator is not to be used for egress purposes during a fire incident, this section mandates the placement of a sign adjacent to each elevator call station on each floor of the building. The standardized pictorial sign (an example is illustrated in Figure 3002-2) advises occupants to use the exit stairways rather than the elevators in case of a fire. The emergency sign does not need to be installed at those elevators complying as an accessible means of egress per Section 1007.4 or at occupant self-evacuation elevators as described in Section 3008.

Figure 3002-2   Emergency signs.

3002.4   Elevator car to accommodate ambulance stretcher.   Where elevators are provided in buildings of four stories or more in height, this section of the code requires that at least one elevator serving all floors accommodate an ambulance stretcher. The ability to transport an individual on a stretcher in an elevator in a multistory building is a basic life-safety consideration. Immediate identification of elevators that accommodate stretchers is necessary so that emergency-services personnel can quickly respond to emergency conditions. For this reason, an identifying symbol as shown in Figure 3002-3 shall be placed inside on both sides of the hoistway door frame.

Figure 3002-3   Sign denoting accommodation of ambulance stretcher.

Minimum elevator car size requirements have been established to ensure that the typical ambulance stretcher can be accommodated. The minimum 24-inch by 84-inch (610-mm by 2,134-mm) size is further described to address stretchers with rounded or chamfered corners with a minimum 5-inch (127-mm) radius. See Figure 3002-4. By specifically identifying the minimum size requirements, flexibility is provided to the elevator industry in its efforts to provide appropriately sized cars. It is also beneficial to stretcher manufacturers by providing direction to aid in the standardization of their products.

Figure 3002-4   Elevator used for fire department emergency access.

3002.6   Prohibited doors.   The prohibition against installing additional doors at the point of access to an elevator car is to minimize the possibility of a person becoming trapped between doors, or the possibility of the elevator car being rendered unusable because of blocked access at a particular floor where such an additional door has been closed and locked. The only condition under which such doors are permitted occurs where the doors are readily openable from the car side without the use of a key, a tool, or any special effort or knowledge.

3002.7   Common enclosure with stairway.   To better ensure that a single fire incident will not restrict or eliminate the use of multiple access or egress components within a building, it is important that elevators not be located in the same shaft enclosure as a stairway. Since there is no requirement for a shaft enclosure for an elevator or exit stairway serving an open parking garage, the isolation of the elevator from the stairway is not required in open parking garages.

Section 3003 Emergency Operations

Standby power requirements in this section are applicable for those buildings or structures where standby power is furnished to, or required to, operate an elevator. For example, the provisions of Section 1007.4 mandate standby power for any elevator used as an accessible means of egress. The requirement that standby power be manually transferable to all elevators in each bank is necessary to improve their reliability during emergency conditions. As an example, the elevator to which standby power is connected may be in a hoistway that is unusable because of smoke contamination. In this case, the transferability requirement provides for transferring the emergency power from the elevator in the affected hoistway to an elevator in a hoistway in the same bank that is usable.

Section 3006 Elevator Lobbies and Hoistway Opening Protection

3006.1   General.   Distinctly different issues are addressed in the provisions of Section 3006. Elevator lobbies are presented as a means to protect the openings on each floor level from the intrusion of smoke into the elevator hoistway shaft enclosures. The spread of smoke vertically through a building under fire conditions is a major concern that can be addressed through the use of properly constructed elevator lobbies. Alternative means of addressing this concern are also presented in Section 3006.

Elevator lobbies can also be an important refuge area for building occupants and emergency responders under varying conditions. Specific provisions include the use of elevator lobbies where fire department access elevators or occupant evacuation elevators are provided. Areas of refuge included as a part of an accessible means of egress may also include elevator lobbies to allow individuals with disabilities a protected area to await assistance or rescue.

It is important to note that the scoping and application provisions of Sections 3006.2 and 3006.3, respectively, do not apply to the four locations where elevator lobbies are required as identified in Items 2 through 5.

3006.2   Hoistway opening protection required.   To reduce the potential for smoke to travel from the floor of fire origin to any other floor of the building by way of an elevator shaft enclosure, some means of elevator door hoistway opening protection is necessary. Typical elevator hoistway doors, although fire rated, cannot provide the necessary barrier required to keep smoke from passing from floor to floor through an elevator shaft enclosure. To restrict smoke passage from one floor level to other floor levels within the building, there must be some point where the floor level can be adequately separated from the elevator shaft. The acceptable methods of opening protection are established in Section 3006.3, and include the use of elevator lobbies. However, hoistway opening protection is not required in all multistory buildings, as the requirement is not applicable where the elevator shaft connects only two or three stories. The threshold of four stories is consistent with a number of other code provisions that increase the level of protection where four or more stories are involved.

Where an elevator hoistway required to be enclosed connects four or more stories, and at least one of five listed conditions applies, hoistway opening protection must be provided. Buildings containing a Group I-1, Condition 2, Group I-2, or Group I-3 institutional occupancy are addressed. For other occupancies, the presence of a sprinkler system is the deciding factor. Where an automatic sprinkler system is not provided, the four-story threshold is applicable. However, where sprinkler protection is provided, hoistway opening protection is not required until the building is considered a high-rise. In high-rise buildings, opening protection is only required for those elevator hoistways that travel more than 75 feet (22,860 mm), measured floor level to floor level.

The three exceptions to hoistway opening protection recognize that there are times where such protection is either impractical or unnecessary. The first exception eliminates the opening protection for elevators that serve only open parking garages. This exception should also extend to enclosed parking garages since Section 712.1.10.2 indicates that vertical opening protection is not required in both open and enclosed parking garages for elevator hoistways serving only the parking garage. Since hoistway opening protection is simply a means to complete the elevator shaft enclosure protection, such opening protection is not necessary if a shaft enclosure is not required. Exception 2 exempts the level(s) of exit discharge, provided the discharge level(s) is protected with an automatic sprinkler system. A third exception recognizes that hoistway openings to the exterior have no need to be protected.

3006.3   Hoistway opening protection.   While the scoping provisions of Section 3006.2 identify those conditions under which elevator hoistway opening protection is required, this section recognizes the methods by which such protection can be provided. Four specific methods are established, two of which utilize elevator lobbies. Method 1 describes elevator lobby protection through the use of fire partitions as lobby enclosure walls. Openings and penetrations are to be protected in the same manner as required for a fire-resistance-rated corridor. Method 2 differs from Method 1 by modifying the means for constructing the elevator lobby. Where the building is protected throughout with an automatic sprinkler system, this approach allows for the use of smoke partitions in lieu of fire partitions. Described in Section 710, smoke partitions are not required to have a fire-resistance rating but must only be constructed to limit the transfer of smoke. In Method 3, additional doors may be used in lieu of an elevator lobby, provided they are installed in accordance with Section 3002.6. In this scenario, the lobby is not necessary, because the smoke-infiltration problem is addressed by the additional door. The fourth method permits pressurization of the elevator shaft enclosure in accordance with Section 909.21.

Section 3007 Fire Service Access Elevator

To facilitate the rapid deployment of fire fighters, Section 403.6.1 contains provisions for fire service access elevators in high-rise buildings that have at least one floor level more than 120 feet (36,576 mm) above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access. Usable by fire fighters and other emergency responders, the specific requirements for the elevators are set forth in Section 3007.

A fire service access elevator has a number of key features that will allow fire fighters to use the elevator for safely accessing an area of a building that may be involved in a fire or for facilitating rescue of building occupants. The elevator is required to be protected by a shaft enclosure that complies with Section 713. For a building four or more stories in height, Section 713.4 requires that the shaft have a minimum 2-hour fire-resistance rating.

An elevator lobby is mandated as a transitional element between the fire service access elevator and the remainder of the floor. Because the elevator lobby will be the location that fire fighters will use as the point of departure to the floor or area of fire origin, it must be constructed to limit the entrance of fire or smoke. The lobby must be enclosed by a smoke barrier with a minimum fire-resistance rating of 1 hour, and the lobby door is required to have a minimum fire-resistance rating of 45 minutes. The lobby for the fire service access elevator must be designed such that it has direct or protected access to an enclosure for an interior exit stairway. By providing a direct connection between the elevator lobby and a stair enclosure, efficient access to and from other floors is increased. In addition, the required standpipe hose valves located within the enclosure for the interior exit stairway will be directly accessible from the fire service access elevator lobby, providing a protected location for fire fighters to prepare for manual fire-fighting operations and to assess interior fire and smoke behavior near the area of fire origin.

A unique requirement for fire service access elevators is that they must be designed so their status can be continuously monitored in the fire command center. The elevator is to be monitored by a standard emergency services interface meeting the requirements of NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code. The requirements stipulate that such an interface must be designed and arranged in accordance with the requirements of the organization that will use the device. In the case of a fire service access elevator, the fire department or fire service provider will need to be involved in the arrangement of the interface.

A fire service access elevator requires normal utility power and connection to a standby power system. Provisions further stipulate that the transfer switch for the standby power system operate within 60 seconds of utility power failure (Type 60), and that the power source is designed to operate for at least 2 hours under its design load (Class 2) and meet the requirements of NFPA 110 for Level 1 service. Level 1 service, as defined by NFPA 110, indicates that the standby power system is used in a building where the loss of electrical power could result in the death of or serious injury to one or more occupants. Loads that must be connected to the standby power system include the elevator, its machine room ventilation and cooling equipment, and elevator hoistway lighting. An additional requirement for the electrical power system serving the fire service access elevator is the protection of wiring or cables. Electrical conductors that provide normal or standby power to the fire service access elevator must be protected. They should be located by a shaft or similar enclosure having a minimum 2-hour fire-resistance rating; or circuit integrity cable or a listed electrical protective system having an equivalent fire resistance must be utilized.

Section 3008 Occupant Evacuation Elevators

Under the conditions of Section 3008, public-use passenger elevators are allowed to be utilized for the self-evacuation of occupants in high-rise buildings. Although such elevators may be used by building occupants during building evacuation, they are not intended to replace any means of egress facilities as required by Chapter 10. The only permitted reduction in required egress facilities due to the presence of complying occupant evacuation elevators is the elimination of the extra exit stairway mandated by Section 403.5.2 for high-rise buildings over 420 feet (128 m) in height. Under no conditions is the installation of such elevators required. The allowance for occupant evacuation elevators, although voluntary, provides tools for the architect to consider when designing tall buildings.