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Introduction
Sure did surprise Before The Architect: Home that elevator design seems not to involve a shred of home fire safety code to be had across the fruited plain far as this house designer can tell so far. (Now, there is a U. S. elevator code in the form of ASME A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, which addresses essential safety concerns, e.g., access, switching, guardrails, and such – but not residential fire safety.)
A home elevator design inherently includes a shaft, or hoistway, that could make a swell chimney, and double the peril by holding within the cab those who could be the most physically vulnerable folks in the house.
Much codified ado is made of home fire safety in regard to residential fire-blocking, but nothing specific about home fire safety in home elevator design that the author can reckon about the potentially airflow-permissive [read: smoke and flame flow-permissive] elevator shaft. (Fire safety regarding vertical shaft enclosures gets some considered attention, e.g., IBC 2000 707.1ff, but not "…for openings totally within an individual dwelling unit and connecting four stories or less." IBC 2000, 707.2, Exception 1.)
In regard to home elevator design and home elevator construction, what's at stake here is fire-degraded wood stud walls and wood ceiling joists collapsing within a hoistway, or shaft, engaging cab and contents, including human contents, in smoke and fire.
Home Fire Safety - Home Elevator Design, Fire Safety Guidelines
Comment: the exception is to conform to ASME A17.1/csa-B44 “Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, particularly in regard to the ‘3 & 5 rule.’ The critical metric herewith is the ‘3’ aspect; namely, from the interior face of the shaft to the interior face of the landing door, there shall be no more than 3 linear inches on the horizontal. (The ‘5’ aspect measures from exterior of gate to interior of the landing door, largely if not entirely a matter of manufacturer representatives’ resolution.)
An example of the spacing involved herewith follows.
Elevator Shaft and Abutters, Plan View, Scaled
Comment: This is a developmental drawing to be assured that the very basics were mutually agreeable.
This home designer framed the three non-door faces in x6 material clad with 5/8 linear inch Type-X as indicated. The door wall is framed and clad exceptionally, in order to stay between the ASME lines of the ‘3 & 5 rule.’ You can see the math that, so as to comply, the landing door should be at least 1 1/2 linear inches thick.
The 7 linear inch lea is to allow for possible, subsequent installation of an even wider cab.
It’s possible and preferred that at least another layer of Type-X goes on the exterior, and, most preferable, 2 layers of 5/8 linear inch Type-X; however, hinge butts need be crafted carefully, in order to keep the single-swing door interior face within the ASME rule.
Comment: Elevators safety can be about the most vulnerable folks in the house.
Comment: The AG is so underwhelmed by a vacuum of codified fire-safety concerns in re residential elevators.
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