For almost 40 years, enclosed elevator lobbies have been required by codes adopted throughout a large portion of the United States. These protected spaces are primarily intended to limit smoke migration from floor to floor and increase the level of protection needed for occupants in multi-story buildings. They are also used to fulfill other functions, such as fire department staging operations. During code development hearings for the 2015 International Building Code, there were a number of proposals to substantially eliminate enclosed elevator lobbies. The proponents of the deletion cited technical analyses and the absence of losses to justify reduction of this additional level of protection.
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