2024 IBC Code Updates: Advancements in Hoistway Protection

The 2024 International Building Code (IBC) introduced significant updates that emphasize the safety of hoistways in multi-story buildings. This article explores these changes and focuses on the role and advancement of smoke curtains, a crucial technology in building safety.

Understanding Hoistways in Multi-Story Buildings

Hoistways, an integral component of multi-story buildings, serve as vertical passageways for elevators or lifts. They are essential for the vertical transportation of people and goods to facilitate efficient movement between different floors.

However, beyond their utility, hoistways present unique challenges in terms of building safety, particularly concerning fire and smoke management.

Structural Design and Risks

Chimney Effect

The vertical design of hoistways can create a chimney effect during a fire. This phenomenon occurs when hot gasses and smoke rise rapidly through the shaft, potentially spreading fire and smoke to multiple floors in a short period. This effect can exacerbate the fire's intensity and speed to make swift evacuation and firefighting efforts more challenging.

Impact on Building Evacuation

In a fire scenario, elevators are typically taken out of service to prevent them from stopping on the floor of the fire, which could endanger passengers. This makes the protection of hoistways against smoke and fire even more critical, as they can impede safe evacuation routes if not adequately sealed.

Importance of Fire and Smoke Partitions

Containment Strategies

To mitigate these risks, hoistways require effective fire and smoke partitions. These systems are designed to prevent the spread of fire and smoke between floors. Fire partitions, typically made of fire-resistant materials, provide a physical obstruction to flames. In contrast, smoke partitions are designed to limit the movement of smoke, which is crucial for visibility and air quality during an evacuation.

Smoke Control Systems

Modern buildings often incorporate advanced smoke control systems in hoistways. These systems can include a combination of mechanical ventilation and smoke extraction methods to manage smoke movement, keep escape routes clear and to reduce the risk to occupants.

Regulatory Compliance

Building Codes and Standards

IBC set forth specific requirements for hoistway protection. These codes mandate fire resistance ratings for hoistway enclosures and prescribe the use of smoke barriers or smoke control systems to manage the spread of smoke in a fire event.

Safety Inspections and Maintenance

Regular safety inspections and maintenance of hoistways and their protective systems are crucial. These procedures ensure that all components, including doors, ventilation systems and smoke curtains, function correctly and comply with safety standards.

Technological Advancements

Innovations in Safety

Technological advancements have led to the development of more effective and less intrusive methods of protecting hoistways. For instance, deployable smoke curtains can provide a barrier to smoke without the need for permanent, space-consuming structures like enclosed lobbies.

Integration with Building Management Systems

Modern hoistways are often integrated with building management systems to allow for automated responses in the event of a fire, such as the activation of smoke curtains and control of ventilation systems.

Hoistways in multi-story buildings are not just essential for transportation within the building — they are also critical points for fire and smoke management. Understanding their risks, regulatory requirements and the latest protective technologies is vital for ensuring the overall safety and integrity of high-rise structures.

Review of IBC 2021 Hoistway Protection Requirements

The 2021 IBC included specific requirements for hoistway protection to enhance safety in multi-story buildings. The key requirements included:

Fire Resistance Rating

The code required hoistways to have a fire-resistance rating. This rating depended on factors such as the number of floors served by the elevator and the fire resistance rating of the building itself. Typically, a one-hour fire resistance rating was required for buildings less than four stories and a two-hour rating for buildings with four or more stories.

Smoke Partitions and Draft Control

There was an emphasis on the use of smoke partitions or draft control assemblies at hoistway openings. These partitions were crucial for limiting the spread of smoke between different levels of the building.

Automatic Door Closures

Elevator doors were required to be designed to close automatically in the event of a fire to help prevent the spread of fire and smoke through the elevator shaft.

Additional Safety Features for Specific Building Types

For buildings with specific uses or occupancies, like high-rises or certain institutional buildings, additional safety measures were required. These could include smoke control systems or additional protection at hoistway openings.

IBC 2024 Updates on Hoistway Protection

The 2024 IBC has made several updates and clarifications that are relevant to the protection of hoistways and the use of smoke control curtain assemblies. Here are a few of the main key points:

Elevator Hoistway Protection

The 2024 IBC continues to emphasize the need for hoistway protection in multi-story buildings. While standard elevator hoistway doors are fire-rated, they are not typically designed to limit smoke spread between floors. To address this, the code offers options for hoistway opening protection in fully sprinklered buildings, especially for buildings with certain institutional occupancies or high-rise buildings.

These include using enclosed elevator lobbies with smoke partitions, additional doors at each hoistway opening that are smoke and draft control assemblies as per UL 1784, or pressurizing the hoistway with a smoke control system.

Smoke Curtains

Smoke curtains, like elevator smoke curtains, are used as a physical barrier to prevent smoke from entering other areas during a fire. They are usually installed in elevator shafts to prevent smoke from traveling to other floors and to restrict oxygen from fueling the fire.

Smoke curtains are discreet and are designed to blend with architectural designs until deployed. They are compliant with UL 1784 and have a temperature resistance rating of up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, which differentiates them from fire curtains, which have higher fire-resistance ratings.

Changes in IBC and IFC

The 2024 IBC has introduced changes concerning the classification of occupant evacuation and the requirements for incidental use areas, especially in ambulatory care facilities, now requiring a 1-hour fire partition and sprinkler protection. Additionally, changes in the International Fire Code (IFC) address the use and storage of lithium-ion batteries and modifications to exit sign requirements in certain occupancy types.

It's important to note that these updates in the IBC and IFC focus on enhancing fire and smoke protection in buildings, with specific emphasis on areas like elevator hoistways where the risk of fire and smoke spread is significant. The adoption and enforcement of these codes can vary between different jurisdictions, so it's advisable to consult with registered design professionals for specific applications.

Advancements in Smoke Curtain Technology

Advancements in smoke curtain technology have been significant, which led to their inclusion as a standard solution in the 2024 IBC. These modern smoke curtains are now recognized for their effectiveness in hoistway protection without the need for additional ESR submissions.

Smoke Guard's Elevator Protection Solutions

Smoke Guard offers innovative solutions for elevator hoistway protection. Our smoke curtains are designed to deploy automatically in response to fire alarms to create a barrier against smoke spread. These systems are not only effective, but they also blend seamlessly with the building's architecture to maintain aesthetic integrity while also ensuring safety.

Compliance and Integration

These elevator smoke curtains are designed in compliance with IBC requirements and integrate seamlessly with existing fire protection and building management systems. This helps to ensure a coordinated response during a fire event.

Aesthetic and Practical Design

The smoke curtains are discreetly designed to blend with the building's aesthetics. They are hidden until deployed to preserve the architectural integrity of the space.

Customization and Versatility

Smoke Guard elevator smoke curtains can be customized to fit a variety of architectural needs and are versatile enough to be used in various building types, including commercial, residential and mixed-use developments.

Model 200

he Model 200 is a code-compliant, automatic resetting, deployable smoke curtain that provides an effective barrier for smoke in the elevator shaft. It operates by descending from above the elevator door and forms a seal to prevent smoke from spreading between floors.

Model 400

Designed for more extensive applications, the Model 400 offers similar features to the Model 200 but caters to larger openings. It provides a reliable and deployable smoke partition that deploys automatically in response to a fire to help maintain clear egress paths.

Model 600

The M600 Smoke Curtain from Smoke Guard is a revolutionary product in hoistway protection. It is designed to form an impenetrable seal against smoke and fire and to deploy in response to fire alarms automatically. M600 offers optimal safety while maintaining the aesthetic appeal of your building's interior.

Our products not only align with the latest safety codes, but they are also practical and aesthetically pleasing solutions for building safety and compliance.

Choose Smoke Guard for Uncompromised Safety and Compliant Hoistway Protection

Choosing Smoke Guard for your building's hoistway protection offers an uncompromised commitment to safety, compliance and aesthetic integrity. Our innovative smoke curtains are specifically designed to meet and exceed IBC regulations by delivering not only proactive fire and smoke management but also by maintaining the architectural appeal of your building.