Elevators for Fire Service Access and Occupant Evacuation

摘要

Providing safe elevators during emergencies must include changes in building, fire and elevator codes, as well as modified occupant behavior and increased user awareness. With more knowledge about the dispersal of people using standard means-of-egress, it has become clear to building design professionals that elevators are a key component of any emergency response. This paper presents an overview of the design requirements currently introduced in the United States for fire service access and for occupant evacuation in tall buildings. The new guidelines are intended to reduce access and egress times during emergencies, and they outline a more structured evacuation model.