Is There a Need to Enclose Elevator Lobbies in Tall Buildings?
Is There a Need to Enclose Elevator Lobbies in Tall
Buildings?
(292 K)
Bukowski, R. W.
Building Safety Journal, Vol. 3, No. 4, 26-31, August
2005.
Keywords:
elevators (lifts); building codes; scenarios; failure;
leakage; stack effect; weather effects; temperature;
smoke spread; methodology; sprinkler systems; computer
programs
Abstract:
Several proposals have been submitted in recent years to
model building code organizations to require enclosure
of elevator lobbies in order to restrict the movement of
smoke to other parts of buildings via hoistways. A
significant development in this area occurred recently
when the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) - which was already involved with a consortium of
industry representatives, codes and standards
developers, and other interested parties in a study of
the protection of elevators for occupant evacuation and
fire service access - was asked by the U.S. General
Services Administration (GSA) to research the conditions
under which enclosed elevator lobbies were called for.
This article will provide an overview of the progress
made to date on this line of research.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899