This chapter governs the design, construction, installation, alteration and repair of elevators and conveying systems and their components.
Except as otherwise provided for in this code, the design, construction, installation, alteration, repair and maintenance of elevators and conveying systems and their components shall conform to ASME A17.1/CSA B44, ASME A90.1, ASME B20.1, ALI ALCTV, and ASCE 24 for construction in flood hazard areas established in Section 1612.3.
Passenger elevators required to be accessible or to serve as part of an accessible means of egress shall comply with Sections 1007 and 1109.7.
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A change in use of an elevator from freight to passenger, passenger to freight, or from one freight class to another freight class shall comply with Section 8.7 of ASME A17.1/CSA B44.
Elevator, dumbwaiter and other hoistway enclosures shall be shaft enclosures complying with Section 713.
Openings in hoistway enclosures shall be protected as required in Chapter 7.
Exception:
The elevator car doors and the associated hoistway enclosure doors at the floor level designated for recall in accordance with Section 3003.2 shall be permitted to remain open during Phase I Emergency Recall Operation.
Where four or more elevator cars serve all or the same portion of a building, the elevators shall be located in no fewer than two separate hoistways. Not more than four elevator cars shall be located in any single hoistway enclosure.
An approved pictorial sign of a standardized design shall be posted adjacent to each elevator call station on all floors instructing occupants to use the exit stairways and not to use the elevators in case of fire. The sign shall read: IN CASE OF FIRE, ELEVATORS ARE OUT OF SERVICE. USE EXIT STAIRS.
Exceptions:
- The emergency sign shall not be required for elevators that are part of an accessible means of egress complying with Section 1007.4.
- The emergency sign shall not be required for elevators that are used for occupant self-evacuation in accordance with Section 3008.
Where elevators are provided in buildings four or more stories above, or four or more stories below, grade plane, at least one elevator shall be provided for fire department emergency access to all floors. The elevator car shall be of such a size and arrangement to accommodate an ambulance stretcher 24 inches by 84 inches (610 mm by 2134 mm) with not less than 5-inch (127 mm) radius corners, in the horizontal, open position and shall be identified by the international symbol for emergency medical services (star of life). The symbol shall not be less than 3 inches (76 mm) in height and shall be placed inside on both sides of the hoistway door frame.
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Where an elevator is installed in a single blind hoistway or on the outside of a building, there shall be installed in the blind portion of the hoistway or blank face of the building, an emergency door in accordance with ASME A17.1/CSA B44.
Doors, other than hoistway doors and the elevator car door, shall be prohibited at the point of access to an elevator car unless such doors are readily openable from the car side without a key, tool, special knowledge or effort.
Elevators shall not be in a common shaft enclosure with a stairway.
Exception:
Elevators within open parking garages need not be separated from stairway enclosures.
Glass in elevator enclosures shall comply with Section 2409.1.
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Standby power shall be manually transferable to all elevators in each bank.
Where only one elevator is installed, the elevator shall automatically transfer to standby power within 60 seconds after failure of normal power.
Where two or more elevators are controlled by a common operating system, all elevators shall automatically transfer to standby power within 60 seconds after failure of normal power where the standby power source is of sufficient capacity to operate all elevators at the same time. Where the standby power source is not of sufficient capacity to operate all elevators at the same time, all elevators shall transfer to standby power in sequence, return to the designated landing and disconnect from the standby power source. After all elevators have been returned to the designated level, at least one elevator shall remain operable from the standby power source.
Where standby power is connected to elevators, the machine room ventilation or air conditioning shall be connected to the standby power source.
Elevators shall be provided with Phase I emergency recall operation and Phase II emergency in-car operation in accordance with ASME A17.1/CSA B44.
All elevators shall be equipped to operate with a standardized fire service elevator key in accordance with the International Fire Code.
Hoistways of elevators and dumbwaiters penetrating more than three stories shall be provided with a means for venting smoke and hot gases to the outer air in case of fire.
Exception:
Venting is not required for the following elevators and hoistways:
- In occupancies of other than Groups R-1, R-2, I-1, I-2 and similar occupancies with overnight sleeping units, where the building is equipped throughout with an approved automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2.
- Sidewalk elevator hoistways.
- Elevators contained within and serving open parking garages only.
- Elevators within individual residential dwelling units.
Vents shall be located at the top of the hoistway and shall open either directly to the outer air or through noncombustible ducts to the outer air. Noncombustible ducts shall be permitted to pass through the elevator machine room, provided that portions of the ducts located outside the hoistway or machine room are enclosed by construction having not less than the fire-resistance rating required for the hoistway. Holes in the machine room floors for the passage of ropes, cables or other moving elevator equipment shall be limited as not to provide greater than 2 inches (51 mm) of clearance on all sides.
Except as provided for in Section 3004.3.1, the area of the vents shall be not less than 31/2 percent of the area of the hoistway nor less than 3 square feet (0.28 m2) for each elevator car, and not less than 31/2 percent nor less than 0.5 square feet (0.047 m2) for each dumbwaiter car in the hoistway, whichever is greater. Of the total required vent area, not less than one-third shall be permanently open. Closed portions of the required vent area shall consist of openings glazed with annealed glass not greater than 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) in thickness.
Exception:
The total required vent area shall not be required to be permanently open where all the vent openings automatically open upon detection of smoke in the elevator lobbies or hoistway, upon power failure and upon activation of a manual override control. The manual override control shall be capable of opening and closing the vents and shall be located in an approved location.
Where mechanical ventilation conforming to the International Mechanical Code is provided, a reduction in the required vent area is allowed provided that all of the following conditions are met:
- The occupancy is not in Group R-1, R-2, I-1 or I-2 or of a similar occupancy with overnight sleeping units.
- The vents required by Section 3004.2 do not have outside exposure.
- The hoistway does not extend to the top of the building.
- The hoistway and machine room exhaust fan is automatically reactivated by thermostatic means.
- Equivalent venting of the hoistway is accomplished.
Plumbing and mechanical systems shall not be located in an elevator hoistway enclosure.
Exception:
Floor drains, sumps and sump pumps shall be permitted at the base of the hoistway enclosure provided they are indirectly connected to the plumbing system.
Escalator floor openings shall be enclosed with shaft enclosures complying with Section 713.
Where provided in below-grade transportation stations, escalators shall have a clear width of not less than 32 inches (815 mm).
Conveyors and conveying systems shall comply with ASME B20.1.
Conveyors and related equipment connecting successive floors or levels shall be enclosed with shaft enclosures complying with Section 713.
Power-operated conveyors, belts and other material-moving devices shall be equipped with automatic limit switches which will shut off the power in an emergency and automatically stop all operation of the device.
Personnel and material hoists shall be designed utilizing an approved method that accounts for the conditions imposed during the intended operation of the hoist device. The design shall include, but is not limited to, anticipated loads, structural stability, impact, vibration, stresses and seismic restraint. The design shall account for the construction, installation, operation and inspection of the hoist tower, car, machinery and control equipment, guide members and hoisting mechanism. Additionally, the design of personnel hoists shall include provisions for field testing and maintenance which will demonstrate that the hoist device functions in accordance with the design. Field tests shall be conducted upon the completion of an installation or following a major alteration of a personnel hoist.
An approved means of access shall be provided to elevator machine rooms and overhead machinery spaces.
Elevator machine rooms that contain solid-state equipment for elevator operation shall be provided with an independent ventilation or air-conditioning system to protect against the overheating of the electrical equipment. The system shall be capable of maintaining temperatures within the range established for the elevator equipment.
The elevator machine room serving a pressurized elevator hoistway shall be pressurized upon activation of a heat or smoke detector located in the elevator machine room.
Elevator machine rooms and machinery spaces shall be enclosed with fire barriers constructed in accordance with Section 707 or horizontal assemblies constructed in accordance with Section 711, or both. The fire-resistance rating shall be not less than the required rating of the hoistway enclosure served by the machinery. Openings in the fire barriers shall be protected with assemblies having a fire protection rating not less than that required for the hoistway enclosure doors.
Exceptions:
- Where machine rooms and machinery spaces do not abut and have no openings to the hoistway enclosure they serve the fire barriers constructed in accordance with Section 707 or horizontal assemblies constructed in accordance with Section 711, or both, shall be permitted to be reduced to a 1-hour fire-resistance rating.
- In buildings four stories or less above grade plane where machine room and machinery spaces do not abut and have no openings to the hoistway enclosure they serve, the machine room and machinery spaces are not required to be fire-resistance rated.
Where elevator hoistways or elevator machine rooms containing elevator control equipment are protected with automatic sprinklers, a means installed in accordance with NFPA 72, Section 21.4, shall be provided to disconnect automatically the main line power supply to the affected elevator prior to the application of water. This means shall not be self-resetting. The activation of automatic sprinklers outside the hoistway or machine room shall not disconnect the main line power supply.
Plumbing systems shall not be located in elevator equipment rooms.
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Where required by Section 403.6.1, every floor of the building shall be served by fire service access elevators complying with Sections 3007.1 through 3007.10. Except as modified in this section, fire service access elevators shall be installed in accordance with this chapter and ASME A17.1/CSA B44.
Actuation of any building fire alarm-initiating device shall initiate Phase I emergency recall operation on all fire service access elevators in accordance with the requirements in ASME A17.1/CSA B44. All other elevators shall remain in normal service unless Phase I emergency recall operation is manually initiated by a separate, required three-position, key-operated "Fire Recall" switch or automatically initiated by the associated elevator lobby, hoistway or elevator machine room smoke detectors. In addition, if the building also contains occupant evacuation elevators in accordance with Section 3008, an independent, three-position, key-operated "Fire Recall" switch conforming to the applicable requirements in ASME A17.1/CSA B44 shall be provided at the designated level for each fire service access elevator.
The building shall be equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1, except as otherwise permitted by Section 903.3.1.1.1 and as prohibited by Section 3007.3.1.
Automatic sprinklers shall not be installed in elevator machine rooms, elevator machine spaces, and elevator hoistways of fire service access elevators.
The sprinkler system shall have a sprinkler control valve supervisory switch and waterflow-initiating device provided for each floor that is monitored by the building's fire alarm system.
An approved method to prevent water from infiltrating into the hoistway enclosure from the operation of the automatic sprinkler system outside the enclosed fire service access elevator lobby shall be provided.
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Means for elevator shutdown in accordance with Section 3006.5 shall not be installed on elevator systems used for fire service access elevators.
The fire service access elevator hoistway shall be located in a shaft enclosure complying with Section 708.
When fire-fighters' emergency operation is active, the entire height of the hoistway shall be illuminated at not less than 1 footcandle (11 lux) as measured from the top of the car of each fire service access elevator.
The fire service access elevator shall open into a fire service access elevator lobby in accordance with Sections 3007.7.1 through 3007.7.5.
Exception:
Where a fire service access elevator has two entrances onto a floor, the second entrance shall be permitted to open into an elevator lobby in accordance with Section 713.14.1.
The fire service access elevator lobby shall have direct access to an enclosure for an interior exit stairway.
The fire service access elevator lobby shall be enclosed with a smoke barrier having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 1 hour, except that lobby doorways shall comply with Section 3007.7.3.
Exception:
Enclosed fire service access elevator lobbies are not required at the levels of exit discharge.
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Other than the door to the hoistway, each doorway to a fire service access elevator lobby shall be provided with a 3/4-hour fire door assembly complying with Section 716.5. The fire door assembly shall also comply with the smoke and draft control door assembly requirements of Section 716.5.3.1 with the UL 1784 test conducted without the artificial bottom seal.
Each enclosed fire service access elevator lobby shall be not less than 150 square feet (14 m2) in an area with a minimum dimension of 8 feet (2440 mm).
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A pictorial symbol of a standardized design designating which elevators are fire service access elevators shall be installed on each side of the hoistway door frame on the portion of the frame at right angles to the fire service access elevator lobby. The fire service access elevator symbol shall be designed as shown in Figure 3007.7.5 and shall comply with the following:
- The fire service access elevator symbol shall be not less than 3 inches (76 mm) in height.
- The vertical center line of the fire service access elevator symbol shall be centered on the hoistway door frame. Each symbol shall not be less than 78 inches (1981 mm), and not more than 84 (2134 mm) inches above the finished floor at the threshold.
FIGURE 3007.7.5
FIRE SERVICE ACCESS ELEVATOR SYMBOL
FIRE SERVICE ACCESS ELEVATOR SYMBOL
The fire service access elevator shall be continuously monitored at the fire command center by a standard emergency service interface system meeting the requirements of NFPA 72.
The following features serving each fire service access elevator shall be supplied by both normal power and Type 60/Class 2/Level 1 standby power:
- Elevator equipment.
- Elevator hoistway lighting.
- Elevator machine room ventilation and cooling equipment.
- Elevator controller cooling equipment.
Wires or cables that are located outside of the elevator hoistway and machine room and that provide normal or standby power, control signals, communication with the car, lighting, heating, air conditioning, ventilation and fire-detecting systems to fire service access elevators shall be protected by construction having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 2 hours, or shall be circuit integrity cable having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 2 hours.
Exception:
Wiring and cables to control signals are not required to be protected provided that wiring and cables do not serve Phase II emergency in-car operations.
A Class I standpipe hose connection in accordance with Section 905 shall be provided in the interior exit stairway and ramp having direct access from the fire service access elevator lobby.
The exit enclosure containing the standpipe shall have access to the floor without passing through the fire service access elevator lobby.
Where an additional means of egress is required in accordance with Section 403.5.2, an additional exit stairway shall not be required to be installed in buildings provided with occupant evacuation elevators complying with Section 3008.1.
The building shall have an approved fire safety and evacuation plan in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 404 of the International Fire Code. The fire safety and evacuation plan shall incorporate specific procedures for the occupants using evacuation elevators.
An independent, three-position, key-operated "Fire Recall" switch complying with ASME A17.1/CSA B44 shall be provided at the designated level for each occupant evacuation elevator.
The occupant evacuation elevators shall be used for occupant self-evacuation only in the normal elevator operating mode prior to Phase I Emergency Recall Operation in accordance with the requirements in ASME A17.1/CSA B44 and the building's fire safety and evacuation plan.
Occupant evacuation elevator systems shall be activated by any of the following:
- The operation of an automatic sprinkler system complying with Section 3008.3;
- Smoke detectors required by another provision of the code;
- Approved manual controls.
The building shall be protected throughout by an approved, electrically supervised automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1, except as otherwise permitted by Section 903.3.1.1.1 and as prohibited by Section 3008.3.1.
Automatic sprinklers shall not be installed in elevator machine rooms and elevator machine spaces for occupant evacuation elevators.
The sprinkler system shall have a sprinkler control valve supervisory switch and water flow-initiating device provided for each floor that is monitored by the building's fire alarm system.
An approved method to prevent water from infiltrating into the hoistway enclosure from the operation of the automatic sprinkler system outside the enclosed occupant evacuation elevator lobby shall be provided.
Means for elevator shutdown in accordance with Section 3006.5 shall not be installed on elevator systems used for occupant evacuation elevators.
Occupant evacuation elevator hoistways shall be located in shaft enclosures complying with Section 713.
The occupant evacuation elevator lobby shall have direct access to an interior exit stairway or ramp.
The occupant evacuation elevator lobby shall be enclosed with a smoke barrier having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 1 hour, except that lobby doorways shall comply with Section 3008.7.3.
Exception:
Enclosed occupant evacuation elevator lobbies are not required at the levels of exit discharge.
Other than the door to the hoistway, each doorway to an occupant evacuation elevator lobby shall be provided with a 3/4-hour fire door assembly complying with Section 716.5. The fire door assembly shall also comply with the smoke and draft control assembly requirements of Section 716.5.3.1 with the UL 1784 test conducted without the artificial bottom seal.
A vision panel shall be installed in each fire door assembly protecting the lobby doorway. The vision panel shall consist of fire-protection-rated glazing and shall be located to furnish clear vision of the occupant evacuation elevator lobby.
Each fire door assembly protecting the lobby doorway shall be automatic-closing upon receipt of any fire alarm signal from the emergency voice/alarm communication system serving the building.
Each occupant evacuation elevator lobby shall have minimum floor area as follows:
- The occupant evacuation elevator lobby floor area shall accommodate, at 3 square feet (0.28 m2) per person, not less than 25 percent of the occupant load of the floor area served by the lobby.
- The occupant evacuation elevator lobby floor area also shall accommodate one wheelchair space of 30 inches by 48 inches (760 mm by 1220 mm) for each 50 persons, or portion thereof, of the occupant load of the floor area served by the lobby.
An approved sign indicating elevators are suitable for occupant self-evacuation shall be posted on all floors adjacent to each elevator call station serving occupant evacuation elevators.
Each occupant evacuation elevator lobby shall be equipped with a status indicator arranged to display all of the following information:
- An illuminated green light and the message, "Elevators available for occupant evacuation," when the elevators are operating in normal service and the fire alarm system is indicating an alarm in the building.
- An illuminated red light and the message, "Elevators out of service, use exit stairs," when the elevators are in Phase I emergency recall operation in accordance with the requirements in ASME A17.1/CSA B44.
- No illuminated light or message when the elevators are operating in normal service.
A two-way communication system shall be provided in each occupant evacuation elevator lobby for the purpose of initiating communication with the fire command center or an alternate location approved by the fire department.
The two-way communication system shall include audible and visible signals and shall be designed and installed in accordance with the requirements in ICC A117.1.
Instructions for the use of the two-way communication system along with the location of the station shall be permanently located adjacent to each station. Signage shall comply with the ICC A117.1 requirements for visual characters.
The occupant evacuation elevators shall be continuously monitored at the fire command center or a central control point approved by the fire department and arranged to display all of the following information:
- Floor location of each elevator car.
- Direction of travel of each elevator car.
- Status of each elevator car with respect to whether it is occupied.
- Status of normal power to the elevator equipment, elevator controller cooling equipment, and elevator machine room ventilation and cooling equipment.
- Status of standby or emergency power system that provides backup power to the elevator equipment, elevator controller cooling equipment, and elevator machine room ventilation and cooling equipment.
- Activation of any fire alarm initiating device in any elevator lobby, elevator machine room or machine space, or elevator hoistway
The fire command center or an alternate location approved by the fire department shall be provided with the means to manually initiate a Phase I Emergency Recall of the occupant evacuation elevators in accordance with ASME A17.1/CSA B44.
The following features serving each occupant evacuation elevator shall be supplied by both normal power and Type 60/Class 2/Level 1 standby power:
- Elevator equipment.
- Elevator machine room ventilation and cooling equipment.
- Elevator controller cooling equipment.
Wires or cables that are located outside of the elevator hoistway and machine room and that provide normal or standby power, control signals, communication with the car, lighting, heating, air conditioning, ventilation and fire-detecting systems to occupant evacuation elevators shall be protected by construction having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 2 hours, or shall be circuit integrity cable having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 2 hours.
Exception:
Wiring and cables to control signals are not required to be protected provided that wiring and cables do not serve Phase II emergency in-car operations.
The building shall be provided with an emergency voice/alarm communication system. The emergency voice/alarm communication system shall be accessible to the fire department. The system shall be provided in accordance with Section 907.5.2.2.
No fewer than one audible and one visible notification appliance shall be installed within each occupant evacuation elevator lobby.
No building areas shall contain hazardous materials exceeding the maximum allowable quantities per control area as addressed in Section 414.2.