Elevator Machine Room

[KLH]

Hello all,

We are replacing a bank of elevator cars and their associated controllers, machines, etc. in their entirety.

The elevator machine room is served by several branches off of an existing preaction system which serves a large mechanical room, on the same level as the elevator machine room.

Prior to our work, a study was provided to determine scope and construction costs. In that study, the author claims the elevator machine room must be on its own dedicated sprinkler zone, with its own control valve, flow switch, etc.

I cannot find this requirement anywhere. Is this true?

We are following the 2009 International Codes.

Thanks in advance.

 

[stookeyfpe]

What edition of NFPA 13 and NFPA 72 has the jurisdiction adopted?

The requirements for automatic sprinklers and possible smoke & heat detection with shunt trip are based on the adopted edition of NFPA 13 & 72. This is one of those code requirements that's been pretty dynamic and across the board for the past 8-10 years. Part of this is driven by the decisions of the ASME Elevator Committee and there efforts to coordinate with the indicated NFPA standards.

You can look at NFPA standards at no cost on-line. You will need to enroll at

http://www.nfpa.org

 

[KLH]

Thanks, I think I'm clear as far as code required coverage in the elevator shafts which are, as you said, very dynamic and as always, the elevator inspectors could have their own take on it as well!

Anyway, the referenced standards/codes are 2007 ASME Safety Code for Elevators..., 2007 NFPA 13 and 2007 NFPA 72.

I reviewed them all and I can't find any requirements for a separate sprinkler zone for an elevator machine room.

Time to call the code official!

Thanks again.

 

[stookeyfpe]

See Section 8.15.5 of the 2007 edition of NFPA 13 and NFPA 72 Section 6.16.3 for the elevator requirements.

 

[KLH]

I'll do that, thanks for your help!

 

[JasonBatts]

stookeyfpe is correct. NFPA 13 2013 Edition Section 8.15.5.3 also states:

Automatic fire sprinklers shall not be required in elevator machine rooms, elevator machinery spaces, control spaces, or hoistways of traction elevators installed in accordance with the applicable provisions in NFPA 101, or the applicable building code, where all of the following conditions are met:

(1)The elevator machine room, machinery space, control room, control space, or hoistway of traction elevator is dedicated to elevator equipment only.
(2)The elevator machine room, machine room, machinery space, control room, control space, or hoistway of traction elevators are protected by smoke detectors, or other automatic fire detection, installed in accordance with NFPA 72.
(3)The elevator machinery space, control room, control space, or hoistway of traction elevators is separated from the remainder of the building by walls and floor/ceiling or roof/ceiling assemblies having a fire resistance rating of not less than that specified by the applicable building code.
(4)No materials unrelated to elevator equipment are permitted to be stored in elevator machine rooms, machinery spaces, control rooms, control spaces, or hoistways of traction elevators.
(5)The elevator machinery is not of the hydraulic type.

 

[KLH]

Thanks Jason,

I'm waiting for the owner and Architect to respond to those exact points.

Still, the separate sprinkler zone requirement from the report still bothers me.

 

[JasonBatts]

I have encountered that requirement on GOV projects. We basically pipe a single sprinkler into the space and include a tampered control valve and Zero-Delay Flow Switch for monitoring purposes.

 

[chicopee]

You may want to double check ANSI A17.1 code for Elevators, Dumbwaiters, Escalators and Moving Walk as this code COULD have a different take than NFPA13 cited by JasonBatts.