Elevators and Emergency Egress

Industry group proposes use of elevators during fires, Building Design & Construction, 05-04, reports on plans by the elevator industry and standards organizations to develop elevator systems suitable for occupant egress and firefighter access during building emergencies.

According to the article, benefits of such "protected" elevator systems include reduction in building evacuation times by as much as 50%, and delivery of firefighters to upper floors in high-rises up to six times faster than possible by use of stairs. These plans took a significant step forward with a March workshop sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, attended by various stakeholders including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, International Code Council, National Fire Protection Agency, Americans with Disabilities Act board members, elevator manufacturers, and industry consultants and experts.

According to the article, in twelve countries outside the US, lifts dedicated solely to firefighter access are required in buildings 30 meters or taller. In contrast, the plans being developed here in the US will rely on normal service elevators, and will provide not only firefighter access but also occupant evacuation capabilities. The basic operational strategy works as follows:

• When any detector in the building signals a fire alarm, one designated elevator is recalled to the ground floor and taken out of service, where it can be put back into service under manual control by emergency personnel.
• As long as smoke or heat detectors in elevator lobbies and hoistways do not signal alarms, other elevators would continue to operate normally.
• If lobby or hoistway detectors do signal, then all affected elevators would be similarly recalled.
• Advanced sensing and communications systems would allow emergency personnel to gauge occupant loads and fire conditions on individual floors. Using this information, occupants could be directed to wait for elevators at their current location, proceed to elevator lobbies on other floors, or exit the building by stairway.
• Elevators themselves would be protected from smoke and fire by 1-hour rated, pressurized lobbies and pressurized hoistways.
• Proposals for integrating elevator control and communications with HVAC and fire protection systems are also part of the planning.

More Information:
Conference Proceedings: Workshop On Use of Elevators In Fires And Other Emergenices