§27-353.2 Smoke Protection for Elevators in E Occupancies

For an elevator in a high rise building where such elevator serves four or more stories that contain space classified in occupancy Group E (office space), inclusive of any lobby or entry level, such elevator shall meet the following requirements at every level served by such elevator (i) for such buildings erected pursuant to new building applications filed on or after the effective date of this section, or (ii) where two or more new elevator shafts are installed in such buildings in existence on the effective date of this section:

(a) Elevator vestibule required. At every floor above the main entrance floor where the fire command station is located, all elevators shall open into an enclosed elevator vestibule. The elevator vestibule shall be separated from the building occupancy by smoke barriers extending from floor slab to floor slab.

(b) Permitted penetrations. Penetrations in addition to those permitted in section 27-353.3 (smoke barrier) shall be provided with smoke dampers as defined in reference standard RS 13-1, except that a package pass through or communication opening not exceeding one square foot in area need not be provided with smoke dampers.

(c) Access to exits. Access to an exit on any floor through the enclosed elevator vestibule shall be permitted if the occupied areas on that floor have access to at least one other required exit that does not require passing through the elevator vestibule.

(d) On floors with a floor area of less than twenty-five hundred square feet, the commissioner may accept an alternative design or construction method that accomplishes the purposes of this section, or, if the commissioner determines that compliance with this section is impracticable in whole or in part, the commissioner may authorize an exemption from the requirements of this section.