Smoke Rating on Elevator Shaft

[buckie06]

Hello all,
I could use some help with this as I have not worked on a project with an elevator that has this many stops before. This is in Colorado under the 2021 IBC.

My client owns a three story plus basement office building built in 1990s, not sprinklered, with two elevators serving all four floors, and a third elevator serving the ground, second, third floors. No elevator lobby, the elevators open to the corridor. The owners are making upgrades to the elevators, and thus triggering the elevators to comply with the latest State of Colorado Conveyance Regulations which requires any alterations to meet ASME A17.1. Our understanding is the two elevators that serve all four floors are required to be 2hr rated and smoke rated now per code....right?

Otis has confirmed the existing elevator hoistway doors are 1-1/2 hr fire rated. The building has hold open swing doors installed at each elevator opening to provide the smoke rating. We are suggesting the owner has vision lites installed in the existing hold open smoke doors to meet current code.

My question:
1. the two elevators that serve all four floors: do they need 2hr fire rated? are we ok with the existing hoistway doors being 1-1/2hr fire? Each opening is required to be smoke rated and with the firefighter vision panels added, correct?

2. The elevator that only serves three floors, it does not need to be smoke rated, correct? What fire rating does it need?

thank you very much for the help! I'm a bit lost on this.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

Elevator shafts are shafts. IBC 2021:

3002.1 Hoistway enclosure protection. Elevator, dumbwaiter
and other hoistway enclosures shall be shaft
enclosures complying with Sections 712 and 713.

3002.1.1 Opening protectives. Openings in hoistway
enclosures shall be protected as required in Chapter 7.

IBC 712 is for vertical openings. 713 is for shafts:

713.4 Fire-resistance rating. Shaft enclosures shall have a
fire-resistance rating of not less than 2 hours where connecting
four stories or more, and not less than 1 hour where
connecting less than four stories. The number of stories
connected by the shaft enclosure shall include any basements
but not any mezzanines. Shaft enclosures shall have a
fire-resistance rating not less than the floor assembly penetrated,
but need not exceed 2 hours. Shaft enclosures shall
meet the requirements of Section 703.2.1.1.

Your two 4-story elevators need 2-hour rated shafts. In general, 2-hour fire barriers require 90-minute opening protectives, 1-hour rated fire barriers require 60-minute rated opening protectives.

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[buckie06]

Thank you Yankee, that is very helpful. I appreciate your time!!!!

What about the smoke rating and the firefighter vision? Do I need those for all three elevators, or just the 4 story elevators? And I think I'm seeing that the ground floor opening does not need the smoke rating, is that right?

 

[Sifu]

Non-sprinklered, connects 3 stories, would not trigger the provisions of 3006.3, but likely rated corridors would be required, which would. I think vision panels are only required on doors to occupant evacuation elevators.

There may be valid debate about a 4 story shaft only connecting 3 stories.