The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat has released this report on the use of elevators for emergency evacuation. The guide, titled Emergency Evacuation: Elevator Systems Guideline, is the result of a 14-month study by a 16-member task force nominated by CTBUH, comprising some of the world's leading architects, engineers, building owner representatives, elevator consultants, life safety consultants, fire engineers and elevator companies involved in the design of structures. This guideline will identify key issues that design teams should consider in the development of emergency systems.
The guide includes:
Key issues that design teams should consider in the development of emergency evacuation for tall structures, using three generic types of evacuation -- total, staged and fractional. Three design approaches to emergency evacuation elevator systems -- standard, enhanced and protected. Necessary evacuation systems training.
Table of Contents:
Arguments For Emergency Evacuation Elevators
Safety
Additional assets
Existing building remodeling opportunities
Zoning area exclusion
Fire And Extraordinary Event Evacuation
Conventional egress route planning
Fire evacuation protocols
Consequences of extraordinary events on conventional evacuation protocols
Generic Emergency Evacuation Types
Capacity needs of different evacuation types
Total evacuation
Staged evacuation
Fractional evacuation
Design Approach
General
Standard elevator
Enhanced Elevator
Protected elevator
Protected Emergency Elevator Concept
Principle
Tenability provision
Example of a protected emergency elevator in a typical mid-rise building
Electrical Systems
General
Normal electrical service
Emergency power system
Power distribution
Stairwells
Elevator vestibules
Elevator machine room
Hoistways
Elevator car
Protected/Enhanced/Standard elevator vestibules
Integration Of Building Automation Systems
General
Building Automation Systems (BAS)
Security systems
Intercoms
Systems integration
Considerations for implementation
Capacity Requirements Using Elevators And Stairs For Emergency Evacuation
General
Evacuation time calculation for elevators
Evacuation time calculations for stairs
Case study
Bomb threat scenario: Total evacuation using elevators
Bomb threat scenario: total evacuation using elevators and stairs
Fire scenario: Staged evacuation using enhanced elevators
Fractional evacuation: Evacuation of disabled or injured using elevators
Conclusions drawn from the case study
Using Emergency Evacuation Elevators
Occupants
Using elevators in Total evacuation
Using elevators in Staged evacuation
Using elevators in Fractional evacuation
Additional procedure descriptions
Staff
Emergency responder authorities
Operation of protected elevators
Communication devices
Other monitoring devices
Integration Into Planning And Construction Process
Glossary
References