#Elevator smoke and draft control code#

Is included in NFPA 105, Standard for Smoke Door Assemblies and Other Opening Protectives, which make it applicable to doors that are required to comply with this standard. In addition to the model codes, the requirement for testing in accordance with UL 1784 (and the same allowable maximum) These doors will typically have an ‘S Label,’ which says the assembly meets the requirement when classified gasketing is installed. If a fire door or smoke door assembly is required to limit the air leakage when tested to UL 1784, the gasketing products must be listed for this purpose and will be indicated as such in the manufacturer’s catalogs.

#Elevator smoke and draft control code#

Where the code specifically states the door assembly must be tested without the bottom sealed during the test, a door bottom or sweep must be used both during the test and on the final assembly installed in the field. During the UL 1784 test, the area that is at the bottom 152 mm (6 in.) of the door assembly is covered to isolate the measurement of air leakage at the head and jambs, as the leakage at the bottom of the door is of less concern. In most locations, a door bottom or sweep is unnecessary to limit the air leakage to the level stated in the model codes. Where air infiltration is limited to this level, it is difficult or nearly impossible to achieve these values without gasketing at the head, jambs, and meeting stiles. You May Also Like Predicting condensation performance of custom-designed curtain wall m 2)] of door opening at 0.10 inch (24.9 Pa) of water for both the ambient temperature test and the elevated temperature exposure test.”.During this test, “the air leakage rate of the door assembly shall not exceed 3.0 cubic feet per minute per square foot [0.015424 m 3/(s

For example, when a fire door assembly serves as a smoke and draft control assembly, IBC requires the assembly to be tested in accordance with UL 1784. UL 1784, Standard for Air Leakage Tests of Door Assemblies and Other Opening Protectives, applies to some fire doors and smoke doors. Smoke doors are not tested to these standards. Fire-resistance-rated assemblies are tested to ASTM E119, Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials, or UL 263, Standard for Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials. Fire-protection-rated assemblies are tested to Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 10C, Standard for Positive Pressure Fire Tests of Door Assemblies, or NFPA 252, Standard Methods of Fire Tests of Door Assemblies. If a fire door is no longer in use and it is not required for egress, NFPA 80-2016 requires the opening to be filled to maintain the rating of the wall assembly.Īlthough smoke control is the main concern in locations where 20-minute assemblies are required, 20-minute doors are classified as fire doors, not smoke doors.

A swinging fire door would be unaffected by furniture or stored items that might impact the wall’s performance. For most applications, the fire door assembly is tested for a shorter period than the wall because of the increased fuel load likely to be present adjacent to the wall. 20 minutes) is less than the rating of the wall ( e.g. They are used in conjunction with sprinkler systems to direct water flow.ĭue to headroom requirements and the potential for damage around exit access stairways, Automatic Draft Curtains are used, which are installed above the ceiling, and deploy only in the event of an alarm.Current model codes do not require double-egress pairs in health care smoke barriers to be fire door assemblies, or to have positive-latching hardware or gasketing.Ī common question is why the rating of the fire door assembly ( e.g. These systems delay smoke from migrating vertically via the structure’s stairs.

At the same time, ventilation systems control the accumulation of smoke in that compartment.ĭraft Curtains, or “smoke baffles,” have traditionally been used around stairways, which must be used for Exit Access in the event of an evacuation. Draft Curtains create areas that contain smoke, known as smoke compartments, and prevent it from spreading to other areas of a structure. The NFPA defines a Draft Curtain as a “Fixed or Automatically deployable noncombustible barrier that protrudes downward from the ceiling to channel, contain or prevent the migration of smoke.” Draft Curtains can be manufactured from fire-resistant fiberglass woven textiles, glass (commonly called smoke baffles), or even panels of sheet metal.įixed Draft Curtains are typically used in single-story buildings such as warehouses, hangars, and industrial environments to channel and compartmentalize smoke.