Smoke Control Systems for Elevator Fire Evacuation.
Smoke Control Systems for Elevator Fire Evacuation.
(1172 K)
Klote, J. H.; Tamura, G. T.
NIST SP 983;
Collected Publications Related to the Use of Elevators
During Fires. NIST SP 983. May 2002, Bukowski, R. W.;
Burgess, S. R.; Reneke, P. A., Editors, 2002. AND
American Society of Mechanical Engineers; Council of
American Building Officials and National Fire Protection
Association. Elevators and Fire. February 19-20, 1991,
Baltimore, MD, 83-94 pp, 1991, 2002.
Available from:
TO VIEW NIST SP 983 GO TO
Website:
http://wtc.nist.gov/pubs/elevators
Keywords:
elevators (lifts); smoke control; evacuation;
handicapped; piston effect; doors; pressure differental;
computers
Abstract:
Some people cannot use stairwells because of physical
disabilities, and for these people fire evacuation is a
serious problem. A potential solution to this problem
is the use of elevators for fire evacuation. A joint
project of the U. S. National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) and the National Research Council of
Canada (NRCC) was formed to evaluate the feasibility of
using elevators for the evacuation of the handicapped
during a fire. This project consisted of conceptual
studies, full scale fire experiments, and theoretical
analysis. This paper summarizes the findings of the
joint project that are relevant to the design of smoke
control systems for elevators. A method of dealing with
elevator piston effect is discussed. All other things
being equal, piston effect is considerably greater for
single car hoistways than for multiple car hoistways.
Different approaches to deal with the pressure
fluctuations due to opening and closing of building
doors are presented. A method of design analysis is
presented with an example analysis. Results indicate
that many types of elevator smoke control systems can be
designed to provide acceptable levels of pressurization
even under severe conditions of doors opening and
closing.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899