FEATURE
SECTION
Access and egress
Going up
and down
As buildings get taller, requirements change to include mechanical
access and egress equipment, such as escalators and lifts. We have a look
at the Building Code and standards to see what is required and when.
BY TREVOR PRINGLE, ANZIA, BRANZ PRINCIPAL WRITER
2
AS AN INDUSTRY, we have the knowledge
1
and techniques to build very tall buildings.
We take it for granted that these will be
entry
designed with the required numbers of
mid-level access
escalators and lifts to get the occupants in
and out as safely, efficiently and quickly
B1
as possible.
ground line
Mid-rise access and egress
ground line
B2
What is not so clear is the situation with
mid-rise buildings and what the relevant
rules around access and egress are. Several
questions arise:
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When must some form of mechanical
Figure 1: Access at mid-height makes this building two up and two down. A lift may not be required, depending on design occupancy and purpose. Standards such as NZS 4121:2001 and D1/AS1 don’t recognise buildings where floors are below the entry level. However, BRANZ considers it prudent to apply the sames rules to
floors below the entry level as for those above.
vertical transport be installed?
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How many floors can be accessible by
Taller building access and egress
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stairs
stairs or ramps alone?
Options for moving people within taller
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ramps
Does the building’s occupancy or use
buildings are:
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ladders.
change the vertical access requirements?
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lifts – passenger and service
What are the rules where the main access
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escalators
Clause D1 say when lifts are needed
into a 5-storey building is at level 3 (see
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spiral escalators
The functional requirement of New Zealand
Figure 1)?
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inclined travellators
Building Code clause D1 Access routes says
70 — December 2018/January 2019 — Build 169
Access and egress
FEATURE
SECTION
that ‘buildings shall be provided with
reasonable and adequate access to enable
safe and easy movement of people’.
For vertical transport, performance
clause D1 paragraph 1.3.4 (c) says include
a lift complying with clause D2 Mechanical
install­ations for access to upper floors where:
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buildings are 4 or more storeys high
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buildings are 3 storeys high and have a
total design occupancy of 50 or more
persons on the upper two floors
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buildings are 2 storeys high and have a
total design occupancy of 40 persons on
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the upper floor
provisions for people using or servicing
In the event of fire
an upper floor, irrespective of design
mechanical installations in buildings, such
Building Code clause C Protection from
occupancy, is to be used for the purposes
as lifts or escalators.
fire also has provisions relating to lifts.
of public reception areas of banks, central,
It requires mechanical installations for
Where the escape height in buildings
regional and local government offices, and
movement to:
facilities, hospitals, medical and dental
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withstand loads required for normal use
(ground floor recall function) is required,
surgeries, and medical, paramedical and
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be built to avoid accidents and injury
allowing firefighter use of a normal lift in
other primary healthcare centres.
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safeguard people in the event of overload
an emergency.
D1/AS1 section 12 references NZS 4121:2001
exceeds 10 m, fire service lift control
or emergency.
It is a requirement that all lift shafts must
Design for access and mobility: Buildings and
D2/AS1 Passenger carrying lifts and D2/AS2
associated facilities as an Acceptable Solution
Platform lifts and low-speed lifts cite the
to determine the need for a lift for people
following as being Acceptable Solutions
NZS 4121:2001 requirements differ
with disabilities based on gross floor areas.
subject to the modifications outlined in D1/AS1:
The requirements of NZS 4121:2001 section
NZS 4332:1997 Non-domestic passenger
9.1.3 (which differs from D1) are that a lift
purposes of determining whether a lift must
and goods lifts and as amended by D2/AS2
should be installed in a building to provide
be provided for people with disabilities to
clauses 1.0.1, 1.5.3, 1.6 and 1.7.
vertical transportation for:
D1/AS1 section 12.0.1 on lifts says: ‘For the
access upper floors, the design occupancy
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be fire rated.
EN 81-20 is an Acceptable Solution for elec-
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buildings with 4 or more storeys
of a floor shall be calculated using Paragraph
tric and hydraulic passenger lifts (EN 81-20
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upper floors of any building where public
1.4 of C/AS2 through to C/AS6 as appropriate
makes extensive reference to EN 81-50)
or Paragraph 3.1 of C/VM2.’
Other forms of vertical transport such as
escalators are not covered in D1/AS1.
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NZS 4334:2012 Platform lifts and low-speed
access is required to a reception area
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lifts is an Acceptable Solution for platform
medical centres, dental surgeries and
lifts and low-speed lifts.
D2/AS3 Escalators and moving walks cites EN
Acceptable Solutions for installation
115 as an Acceptable Solution subject to the
Building Code clause D2 outlines the safety
modifications in the Acceptable Solution.
upper floors of public hospital areas,
other primary healthcare facilities
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upper floors of public assembly spaces that
can accommodate more than 250 people
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public libraries.
Build 169 — December 2018/January 2019 — 71
FEATURE
SECTION
Access and egress
Clause 9.1.3.2 of the standard says that,
for the transport of persons and goods.
Changes for designers
where the above is not applicable, a lift is
Remote alarm on passenger and goods
The 2014 version of EN 81-20 introduced
not required, provided the ground floor is
passenger lifts
some changes that the building designer
EN 81-77:2013 Safety rules for the construction
needs to consider:
and installation of lifts. Particular applications
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accessible and upper floors are accessible
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for ambulant disabled for:
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2-storey buildings with a gross upper floor
for passenger and goods passenger lifts. Lifts
area less than 400 m2
subject to seismic conditions.
All glass used in the elevator shaft must
be laminated.
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The provision of shaft ventilation is
3-storey buildings with a gross floor area
In addition, lift installations must comply
now the responsibility of the building
less than 500 m2 for the upper floors.
with NZS 4332:1997 Part 25.8 – Operation
designer. The elevator manufacturer must
of lifts under earthquake conditions .
provide all the necessary information
Lift design and installation
NZS 4332:1997 addresses approximately
about, for example, the heat emissions
Major elevator manufacturers operating in New
20 key New Zealand-specific Building Code
of elevator components.
Zealand have used European standard EN 81-1
compliance requirements such as seismic
Safety rules for the construction and installation
restraint spacings.
Escalator and moving walks design and
installation
What has been amended in the updated
standards?
Standards applicable to escalators and
Amendments to the updated EN 81 stand-
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of lifts. Electric lifts and EN81-2 Safety rules for the
construction and installation of lifts. Hydraulic
lifts as the primary means of compliance.
Two new versions came into effect in
September 2017 (note D2 still references
ards include:
EN 81-1):
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EN 81-20:2014 Safety rules for the construc●●
and goods passenger lifts.
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E N 8 1 - 5 0 : 2 0 14 Safet y r ules for the
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ISO 22201-2:2013 Lifts (elevators), escalators and moving walks — Programmable
an enhanced protection mechanism that
electronic systems in safety related appli-
addresses the risk of the lift car moving
cations — Part 2: Escalators and moving
away from the landing
tion and installation of lifts. Lifts for the
transport of persons and goods. Passenger
moving walks include:
extended protection against ascending
walks
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ISO/TR 14799-1:2015 Comparison of
car overspeed
worldwide escalator and moving walk safety
incorporation of curtain of light mecha-
standards. Rule by rule comparison
construction and installation of lifts.
nisms – a non-contact detection system
Examinations and tests. Design rules,
that is designed to prevent the doors from
calculations, examinations and tests of
closing if an obstruction is detected
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EN 115-1:2017 Safety of escalators and
moving walks. Construction and installation
as modified by D2/AS3 section 1.0.1.
incorporation of c ar- door locking
Basic design parameters include:
Other EN standards that may be referenced
mechanisms to prevent the doors from
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– depending on lift type – include:
being opened from inside when the car
30° provides the highest travelling comfort
is outside the unlocking zone
and maximum safety for the user. 35°
updated strength requirements for both
inclination is the most efficient solution
landing and car doors as well as car walls
as it requires less space and can be imple-
lift components.
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EN 81-5:1999 Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts – Part 5: Screw
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lifts
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EN 81-6:1999 Safety rules for the construc-
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chain lifts
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a change to access or inspection doors
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for inclined moving walks, inclinations of
10°, 11° and 12° are typical.
EN 81-7:1999 Safety rules for the construc-
instead of inspection trapdoors to address
tion and installation of lifts – Part 7: Rack
safe and easy access for technicians
and Emergency New Zealand’s Designers’ guide.
For more
Further information is available in Fire
increased volume requirements for the
Firefighting operations in lifts, see
EN 81-28:2003 Safet y r ules for the
safety refuge spaces on the car roof and
www.fireandemergency.nz.
construction and installation of lifts. Lifts
in the pit.
and pinion lifts
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mented more cost-effectively
higher levels of lighting for the car interior
and the shaft
tion and installation of lifts – Part 6: Guided
for escalators, inclinations of 30–35°.
72 — December 2018/January 2019 — Build 169
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