FireDOC Search

Author
Klote, J. H. | Fowell, A. J.
Title
Fire Protection Challenges of the Americans Disabilities Act: Elevator Evacuation and Refuge Areas.
Coporate
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
Report
NIST SP 983,
Distribution
TO VIEW NIST SP 983 GO TO Website: http://wtc.nist.gov/pubs/elevators
Book or Conf
Collected Publications Related to the Use of Elevators During Fires. NIST SP 983. May 2002, Bukowski, R. W.; Burgess, S. R.; Reneke, P. A., Editors, 2002 AND University of Ulster and Fire Research Station. CIB W14: Fire Safety Engineering. International Symposium and Workshops Engineering Fire Safety in the Process of Design: Demonstrating Equivalency. Part 1. Symposium: Engineering Fire Safety for People With Mixed Abilities. September 13-16, 1993, Newtonabbey, Northern Ireland, 79-95 pp, 1993, ['2002', '1993']
Keywords
fire safety | handicapped | fire protection | elevators (lifts) | evacuation | refuge | people movement | smoke | water | piston effect | computer programs
Identifiers
areas of refuge (AOR); ELVAC - was developed to calculate the evacuation time by elevators during a fire drill; ASCOS - can be used to design many different types of smoke control systems to overcome the pressure fluctuations due to the wind and doors opening and closing; FPETOOL; N-GAS Toxicity Model
Abstract
There is a rising concern for the safety of persons from fire who cannot travel building emergency exit routes in the same manner or as quickly as expected of able persons. One proposed solution for providing safety for persons with mobility limitations is the use of elevators for fire evacuation. Another proposed solution is the concept of areas of refuge where they can "safely wait" until they can be assisted in leaving the building. The system concepts and interrelationships of these two alternatives are discussed. An overview of an area of refuge study conducted at NIST is presented. Other topics addressed are elevator people movement, elevator water problem, and smoke control concepts.