Elevator smoke curtains are crucial for keeping your building up to code and protecting the people who live and work inside it.
Section 901 of the IBC lists the criteria for the design, installation, and operation of fire protection and life safety systems. Smoke curtains should be installed to ensure that your building meets all local and national fire code requirements, including (CBC, IBC, LABC, LADBS) ICC-ES ESR-4761, UL-1785, UL-864, and more.
In this blog post, our smoke curtain experts will explain when and why to choose smoke curtains over other containment options, and how they function in emergency situations.
Alternatives to smoke curtains
There are multiple systems that can satisfy building code requirements.
Swinging smoke doors are hinged doors with seals that prevent the passage of smoke and flames, creating airtight containment within parts of a building. They are commonly used in healthcare facilities and provide reliable protection. However, they take up substantial lateral space, so they typically require a built-in elevator lobby. They are also affected by wear-and-tear, as they rely on maintaining a tight seal and a reliable closing mechanism in order to contain smoke.
Some structures use mechanically pressurized elevator shafts. Powerful fans and duct systems create a positive pressure that prevents smoke from entering the hoistway, containing it to one floor. These systems require intricate design to balance air supply, door leakage, and building conditions and maintain a pressure differential that effectively contains smoke. This complex design makes pressurized elevator shafts the most expensive smoke containment option.
Advantages of smoke curtains
Elevator smoke curtains are a popular choice for commercial and multifamily construction, due to their combination of cost-effectiveness and reliable containment. The smoke curtain is built into the elevator facade and descends directly in front of the elevator when deployed, eliminating the need for a separate elevator lobby.
What happens in a fire emergency
Elevator smoke curtains remain essentially invisible when not deployed, thanks to their lightweight woven wire fabric material that allows for easy storage above the elevator.
When smoke is detected within a structure, the curtains deploy automatically. They are constructed using a rail-based system that allows for easy vertical movement. This is essential not only for deployment, but to allow fire safety personnel and others to evacuate.
For added safety, there is an emergency “curtain up” button located on both sides of the elevator cab, which allows immediate access in emergency situations. As an additional failsafe, there is a manual handle to raise the smoke curtain in case of a curtain-up malfunction.
When the fire emergency is over and the alarm is turned off, the curtains recede automatically back above the elevator, taking up only 7.5 inches of headroom. While other smoke containment systems typically require time, effort, and manpower to manually reset each curtain after every test, DSI smoke curtains are automated to save your team time and energy.
Protecting your people with smoke curtains
80% of people hurt or killed in a fire emergency are injured from smoke inhalation, not from the flames themselves. By keeping the smoke trapped within the elevator shaft or within a contained section of the building, smoke curtains allow for safe evacuation and reliable protection.
For more information on which smoke curtain to choose or how to specify your installation, contact our team.
