BFRL ICON Elevators as a Means of Fire Escape.


pdf icon Elevators as a Means of Fire Escape. (518 K)
Klote, J. H.

NBSIR 82-2507; NIST SP 983; 37 p. May 2002.

Collected Publications Related to the Use of Elevators During Fires. NIST SP 983. May 2002, Bukowski, R. W.; Burgess, S. R.; Reneke, P. A., Editor(s)(s), 2002.

American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers Transactions, Vol. 89, No. 2, 1-16, 1983.

Sponsor:

Veterans Administration, Washington, DC

Available from:

TO VIEW NIST SP 983 GO TO
Website: http://wtc.nist.gov/pubs/elevators
Order number: PB82-230269

Keywords:

elevators (lifts); evacuation; building fires; egress; handicapped; pressurization; smoke control; stairwells

Abstract:

This paper is the initial report of an ongoing project at NBS to investigate the use of elevators as a means of fire escape for the handicapped. The use of stairwells for fire evacuation poses a problem for people who cannot use stairs because of physical disabilities. This paper discusses some of the major problems associated with the use of elevators as a means of fire exit and proposes a conceptual solution to those problems. A report is made on field test of four buildings with elevator protection systems. These protection systems and their interactions with other systems are examined.



Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899