Emergency Elevator Evacuation Systems.
Emergency Elevator Evacuation Systems.
(1619 K)
Klote, J. H.; Levin, B. M.; Groner, N. E.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
Elevators, Fire and Accessibility, 2nd Symposium.
Proceedings. April 19-21, 1995, Am. Soc. of Mechanical
Engineers, New York, NY, 131-150 pp, 1995.
Keywords:
elevators (lifts); evacuation; emergencies; fire
protection; machinery; reliability; compartmentation;
dilution; pressurization; water; overheating; electrical
power; elevator shafts; occupants
Abstract:
Throughout most of the world, warning signs next to
elevators indicate that they should not be used in fire
situations. However, the idea of using elevators to
speed up fire evacuation and to evacuate people with
disabilities has gained considerable attention in recent
years. The concept of an emergency elevator evacuation
system (EEES) is developed. An EEES includes the
elevator equipment, hoistway (elevator shaft), machine
room, elevator lobby, as well as, protection from heat,
flame, smoke, water, overheating of elevator machine
room equipment, and loss of electrical power. While the
primary objective of an EEES is fire evacuation of
building occupants, these systems are also applicable
for fire service mobilization before fire fighting and
for non-fire emergency evacuation (due to bomb threats
for example). In areas of high seismic activity,
attention must be paid to earthquake design. Further,
the development of an EEES needs to take into account
human behavior so that building occupants will be
willing and capable of operating the system in an
emergency. The issues of communications, elevator
control and out-of-service elevators are addressed. It
is concluded that design of an EEES for a small number
of people is feasible. An EEES for small numbers of
people is much simpler than one for the large numbers of
people in a general evacuation. Based on what is
learned from an EEES for a small number of people, an
application for many people could follow.
