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Ray DeMeyer, P. Eng

VERTECH Elevator Services Inc.ENGINEERING & CONSULTING

723 – 602 W. Hastings St.

Vancouver, BC V6B 1P2

Ph. (604) 647-4900, Fax (604) 647-4908

E. rdemeyer@vertechconsulting.com

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� Assume all Attendees are familiar with elevator operation during Fire Alarm

� Two Part Presentation:� PART ONE: Summarize recent Elevator Code

Changes and how these effect fire alarm design, programming & commissioning

� PART TWO: Fire Alarm requirements for New & Upgraded Buildings

� Brief Overview of the Building Code and B44 Elevator Safety Code structure

� Provincial adoption of the B44-07 (2007) Code

� New Requirements of B44-2007 – Changes

� Machine Room-Less (MRL) Elevators

� Common Misconceptions and Misunderstandings

� Building Code requires elevators to comply with B44 Elevator Safety Code, Additional Requirements for High Buildings

� B44 Elevator Safety Code & revisions adopted Provincially

� Each Province may also have an Elevator Safety Regulation with additional local requirements

� Changes in B44-07 Code have created need for Building Codes to be updated

� B44 Code Requirements exceed minimum requirements of the building code

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� B44 Adopted in each Province via Provincial Act & Regulation and/or Order in Council

� B44-07 is currently in effect in some Provinces and is expected to be adopted in other Provinces (BC Adoption in October – December 2010)

� CSA-B44 Code governs design, construction, installation and alteration of elevating devices in Canada

� B44 was Harmonized with ANSI/ASME-A17 in 2000. US & Canadian rules are in the same document but there are still differences.

� B44 is revised ~ every 3 years, with amendments ~ annually (mostly errata)

� Changes to Requirements for Firefighters Emergency Operation (FEO) of Elevators

� Machine-Room-Less Elevators (MRL’s)

� 2.27.3 Firefighter’s Emergency Operation (FEO) –must be provided for ALL Automatic Elevators.

� 2.27.3.2 Automatic Recall Required

� 2.27.3.2.2 Pull Stations not permitted to initiate recall

� 2.27.3.2.2 Smoke Detector required at each floor in elevator lobby

� 2.27.3.2.4 Recall to an Alternate Floor Required

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� 2.27.8 Common FEO Key for ALL Elevators

� 2.2.2.5 Pit Drain required for every FEO elevator with Flow Rate of 50 gpm/elevator

� NEW DEFINITIONS:

SECTION 2.7

�MACHINERY SPACE

�MACHINE ROOM

� CONTROL ROOM

� CONTROL SPACE

� REMOTE CONTROL

ROOM

� Distinction between Firefighter’s Emergency Operation (FEO) and an Elevator that is Designated for Use by Firefighters

� Pit Drain Requirements

� Relationship of FEO, Elevator Designated for use by Firefighters and Elevator Emergency Power

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� Firefighters Emergency Operation (FEO) required for ALL Elevators regardless of building height

� Elevator Designated for Use by Firefighters Applicable in “High” Buildings per NBCC 3.2.6� At least one elevator per Building

� 2.2 m2 platform area, 900 kg capacity

� Fire protected “closure” & wiring or vestibule or corridor containing no occupancy

� Transportation to EVERY floor

� Protected electrical conductors

� B44 2.27.7.4 ONLY Designated Elevator to have Fire Hat sign on door frame

� Pit Drain with flow rate of 50 gpm required for each elevator with FEO – NOT just for the elevator that is designated for use by Firefighters

� Building Code determines if Emergency Power for elevators is Mandatory or Not – typically based on Building Height

� Emergency Power required for Elevators that are Designated for Use by Firefighters

� Emergency Power NOT necessarily required for elevators with FEO – e.g. low building elevators required to have FEO but not required to have EP unless an elevator is voluntarily designated for use by Firefighters

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� Requirements for NEW Buildings for full compliance with B44-07 Code

� Variable Requirements for existing buildings where elevators are UPGRADED

� Smoke Detector required in each elevator lobby at ALL floors to initiate recall

� Smoke Detector required in the elevator machine room to initiate recall

� If provided smoke or heat detectors in the hoistway or pit must also initiate recall

� Separate Fire Alarm signals required for;

�Recall to Designate d Landing

�Recall to Alternate Floor

�Machine/Control Room/Space Detector

�If detectors in Hoistway - signal for EACH Hoistway

�If detectors in Pit –signal for EACH Pit

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� Prepare a Matrix outlining the signal requirements, devices that must initiate the signal and the required elevator response.

� Coordinate the interface with the elevator supplier/installer/Engineer or Consultant. (Note: Different Suppliers request programming differently!)

� Pre-test interface and elevator response before Elevator Acceptance inspection

� FA Programmer present during Elevator Testing

� B44 Section 8.7 Alterations requires full compliance when significant elevator alterations are performed or where FEO is added or altered

� Provincial Rules may allow deviations where Fire Alarm system cannot support full compliance with Alteration or Replacement

� Full compliance with B44 may be difficult in existing buildings where no fire alarm system exists or where old and outdated systems exist

� The AHJ in each Province may have minimum requirements in the form of Safety or Information Bulletins or Directors Order

� The intent of the AHJ is not to require full replacement or major alteration to the building fire alarm system or building infrastructure but to set out minimum requirements for elevator Safety

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� Alberta

� British Columbia

� Ontario

ALBERTA (AEDARSA)

BRITISH COLUMBIA (BCSA)

� Formal Directive/Bulletin not available at this time.

� BCSA will likely provide information to accompany information on adoption of B44-07 Code (4th Q. 2010)

� Process is expected to be similar to TSSA requirements in Ontario

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ONTARIO

(TSSA)

� Complete Directors Order available at TSSA.org

� Copy provided in Handouts