Fire Safety-Elevator

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BEFORE THE ARCHITECT – HOME DESIGNING BACKGROUND – HOME DESIGNING ARTICLES

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Home elevator fire safety

By Before The Architect  Copyright 2005-2008 Before The Architect

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HOME ELEVATOR FIRE SAFETY HOME DESIGN GUIDELINES:

Sure did surprise Before The Architect: Home elevators seem to be installed without a shred of fire safety code to be had across the fruited plain far as this ol boy can tell so far. (Now, there is a U. S. elevator code in the form of ASME A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, which addresses essential safety concerns, e.g., access, switching, guardrails, and such – but not home fire safety.)

An elevator shaft, or hoistway, could make a swell chimney, and double the peril by holding within the cab those who could be the most physically vulnerable folks in the home. Much codified ado is made of home fire-blocking, but nothing specific about fire safety that the author can reckon in regard to the potentially airflow-permissive [read: smoke and flame flow-permissive] elevator shaft. (Fire safety regarding vertical shaft enclosures gets some considered attention, e.g., IBC 2000 707.1ff, but not “…for openings totally within an individual dwelling unit and connecting four stories or less." IBC 2000, 707.2, Exception 1.)

In regard to home elevators, what’s at stake here is fire-degraded wood stud walls and wood ceiling joists collapsing within a hoistway, or shaft, engaging cab and contents, including human contents, in smoke and fire.

 

Home Elevator Fire Safety Guidelines
bulletA home elevator shaft, or hoistway
bulletShall be framed with lightweight, or cold-formed, steel - not wood
bulletWhere exterior surfaces are available for wallboard application, exterior walls
bulletShall be finished with not less than 1 layer-5/8" Type-X gypsum wallboard glued, screwed and taped and
bulletShall be mudded not less than 3 coats, paying particular attention to screw pocks which shall be taped, too
bulletWhere the interior wall surface
bulletShall be finished with not less than 2 layers-5/8" Type-X gypsum wallboard glued, screwed, and taped and
bulletShall be mudded not less than 3 coats, paying particular attention to screw pocks which shall be taped, too
NOTE: Remember to adjust the elevator system's manufacturer's shaft framing dimensions to accommodate thicker interior clad; advise the elevator system manufacturer (and your local Fire Marshal) of your specific intentions in regard to home fire safety methods and materials early-on.
 
bulletThe shaft ceiling
bulletShall be framed and sheathed on exterior and interior as the walls (see above)
 
bulletShall be enclosed by not less than 1 door at each stop, which door
bulletShall be not less than 1-hour fire-rated
bulletShall be self-closing
bulletShall be self-latching, and
bulletShall be smoke-sealing
 
bulletWithin the cab, outside the door at each stop, a smoke detector
bulletShall be applied according to manufacturer instruction
bulletShall be permanently connected to each other overall throughout the home such that when one or more alarm, all alarm throughout the entire home
bulletShall run on both permanent 120V and replaceable battery
bulletShall feature a combination of ionization and photoelectric sensors
bulletShall not disconnect by wall switch
bulletShall be connected to a 120V line as first load on a frequently used lighting circuit with overcurrent protection at the panelboard suitable for a double tap
 
bulletWithin the cab, there shall be not less than 1 dry-chemical, portable fire extinguisher rated not less than 2A:10B:C mounted at 3'-6" above finish floor level to carrying handle.
 
bulletAt each stop, a hallway or other space to which there is direct access from the cab shall have passage within line of sight at two linear feet outside the cab door on-center to not less than two means of egress, not more than one of which means may be an emergency egress window.
 
Please note that an electrical box attached to steel frame shall be metal and grounded to Code.
 
In sum, the steel’s there to break down more slowly when engaged, to wrack and sag but not to cinders and ash; the tight sealing is intended to counter smoke intrusion; the extra layers of Type-X are there to better hold its form and hold flames from you on your travel through the hoistway.

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