Building Technology

ings. As a result, using these products in lieu of constructing elevator lobbies has become popular in the design community.

“Newer sliding-type fire doors complying with smoke and draft requirements are frequently allowed as an alternative to building lobbies,” said Dawdy. “In some applications, accordion-type doors are employed to seal banks of hoistways. Rolling steel fire doors are specifically not allowed. However, they may be used in lobby designs that also include listed swing doors, providing personal egress,” he added.

Modern elevator hoistway closures range from semitransparent-film type to woven, coated fiberglass materials. The design intent is to seal hoistway openings to prevent smoke migration during a fire, allow through-passage of car occupants, and reseal the opening if accessed during an alarm.

DIFFERENT ELEVATORS, STANDARDS Public-passenger elevators are installed to serve all fl oors of a building or may have separate banks targeting exclusive fl oors, which requires multiple lobbies to protect the hoistway from the migration of smoke and other combustion products.

“Public elevators are a good target for hoistway closures since they eliminate the construction of elevator lobbies throughout the building,” explained Dawdy. “This is a significant savings for residential and commercial buildings that have elevators targeting exclusive floors.

When public elevators need to be used for emergency evacuation, hoistway smoke closures are still appropriate, based on 2015 IBC Section 713.14.1, “Elevator, Dumbwaiter and Other Hoistways,” which states “Enclosed elevator lobbies are not required where additional doors are provided at the hoistway opening…when tested in accordance with UL 1784 without an artificial bottom seal.”

There are some IBC codes and sections architects and designers must be aware of, including Section 403.6.2, “Occupant Evacuation Elevators” that states, “Where installed in accordance with Section 3008, passenger elevators for general public use shall be permitted to be used for occupant self-evacuation. Where elevators are to be used for occupant self-evacuation during fires, all passenger elevators for general public use shall comply with Section 3008 (10 sections).” “Since these types of elevators are intended to be occupant operated during evacuation periods, they must be in a ‘hardened’ shaft with a one-hour fire-resistance rating up to four stories and two-hour rating above four stories,” explained Dawdy. “Additionally, occupant evacuation elevators require lobbies at all floors except the level of discharge, meaning there is no code provision for hoistway closures,” he added.

Unlike public-passenger and occupant-evacuation elevators, fire-service access elevators (FSAEs) provide a capable and durable hoistway with the ability to operate for extended periods of time during a fire to aid fire fighters and emergency responders. FSAEs must serve all floors.

In buildings with an occupied floor more than 120 ft. above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access, no fewer than two FSAEs—or all elevators, whichever is less—

Elevator hoistway closures that use semitransparent fi lm effectively seal hoistway openings to prevent smoke migration during a fi re, allow for through-passage of car occupants, and reseal the opening if accessed during an alarm.

shall be provided in accordance with Section 3007, “Fire Service Access Elevators.” Each FSAE shall also have a capacity of not less than 3,500 lb. and shall comply with Section 3002.4 [Elevator car to accommodate ambulance stretcher]. Similar to evacuation elevators, FSAEs must be in a ‘hardened’ shaft with a one-hour fire-resistance rating to four stories and two-hour rating above four stories.

FSAEs are also required to have an elevator lobby from the second floor up as long as the floor of discharge is sprinklered. Therefore, hoistway seals are not required in 2015 IBC 709.4.2, “Smoke-barrier Walls Enclosing Areas of Refuge or Elevator Lobbies,” within FSAE lobbies.

Recent changes in fire and building codes are a direct result of the door industry looking to help solve the fire problem in high-rise buildings by employing innovative products at elevator openings. The resulting win-win for designers and building owners is more cost-effective choices in the use of space once reserved for elevator lobbies. CA

Want more information? The items listed below are linked at

commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/1812cornell.

Circle 5 on the Reader Service Card.

CornellCookson LLC, cornelliron.com National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), nfpa.org International Code Council (ICC), iccsafe.org

Hemispheric-view security camera The SNC-HMX70 security camera provides a 360-deg. hemispheric view with no blind spots to ensure full situational awareness in a range of indoor surveillance applications. The camera’s fi xed lens and high-resolution 12 megapixel CMOS sensor stream detailed video at 30 fps. Intelligent Auto Exposure analyzes front and backlighting in a scene to fi ne-tune exposure for a variety of lighting conditions.

Bosch Security Systems Inc., Fairport, NY Circle 75 us.bosch.com

Building-control software TwinCAT 3 building-automation meshes with existing TwinCAT 3 modules for HMI and IoT, along with Analytics and Scope, and bundles important functions for building automation into one universal tool. Handling the engineering and control of all building systems on a single software platform is said to uncover signifi cant benefi ts, such as simple IoT communication, cloud-based analysis of building data, and the rapid creation of individualized operator interfaces.

Beckhoff Automation, Savage, MN Circle 76 beckhoffautomation.com

Ballistic barriers Pro-Tact ballistic barriers are said to integrate discreetly into any environment while providing added safety and security for areas such as lobbies, checkpoints, or workspaces. Panels, in stationary and mobile models, and all joint connections in the stationary model are UL 752 Level 7 and 8 certifi ed and independently tested to NIJ Level 3. The panels are bi-directional, contain a high-hardness steel core coated with 100% polyuria elastomer to lessen ricochet, spall, and splatter, and meet ASTM E-84 Class A.

Claridge Products, Harrison, AR Circle 77 claridgeproducts.com

Security portal solution The Circlelock Combi combats piggybacking and unauthorized entry in existing high-security areas that currently have fi re-rated swinging doors. The unit is a cylindrical mantrap portal solution that has a single sliding set of doors on one end and an opening on the other end that is mounted to an existing swing door, saving considerable space compared to traditional mantrap vestibules created from walls and two swinging doors. It provides a throughput of fi ve to six people/min.

Boon Edam Inc., Lillington, NC Circle 78 boonedam.us

PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR 2018 Building Technology Technology

Multi-family wireless access A smart-apartment platform includes access control to common areas such as entry gates, clubhouse, gym, and laundry facilities through a mobile app. The solution, through a partnership with the company and Dwelo (dwelo.com), is available for new construction and retrofi t. An administrative software interface allows management to establish and enforce authorized hours of use for common facilities. An audit trail reports all traffi c.

ProdataKey, South Jordan, UT Circle 80 prodatakey.com

Showcase energy conservation The cloud-based optimization platform, Johnson Controls Enterprise Management (JEM), includes new features. The Tenant Management enhancement gives tenants and building owners visibility into real energy consumption through personal dashboards, while Kiosk enables building owners to showcase their properties’ energy conservation and sustainability programs to the public. Building owners can compare and analyze the energy consumption and spend of each tenant, track trends, and a see a summary of after-hour requests.

Johnson Controls, Milwaukee Circle 79 johnsoncontrols.com

A Barn Door By Any Other Name

Sliding doors save space and ensure acoustic privacy in commercial buildings.

Sliding doors with sound-attenuation systems help ensure private conversations and reduce noise transmission in healthcare and other facilities. Photos courtesy AD Systems Tysen Gannon, AD Systems

Tune into any of the popular home-improvement shows on HGTV or the DIY Network and you’ll likely see homeowners oohing and aahing over the barn doors added to their homes. Likewise, homebuilding industry media describe residential barn doors in breathless terms such as “a hot trend” and “incredibly hip.” Given that homes for sale with “barn door” in their listing sold for 13% more than expected and 57 days faster than other homes, according to a study by Zillow Digs, there’s something to this trend.

What about barn doors in commercial applications?

While designers have used barn doors/sliding doors in commercial and institutional buildings of various types for many years, recently the options have exploded, offering much greater design flexibility. Design professionals typically specify sliding doors (surface-mounted and pocket doors) for a clean, modern aesthetic, while saving space, compared to swing doors. Now, they’re also using sliding doors to create private conversation spaces and reduce interior noise, as well as to slow the spread of fire.

With this expanded range of benefits, common commercial applications for sliding doors include private offices, collaboration spaces, phone rooms, mother’s rooms, and single-occupant restrooms—spaces that benefit from space efficiency, good acoustics, and privacy.

SPACE SAVINGS A key benefit of sliding doors is they offer significant space savings, compared to swing doors, when one considers the swing path and approach-clearance requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This provides more usable space in exam rooms, enclosed offices, and conference rooms, among other areas.

The specific amount of area saved with sliding doors depends on the door swing direction and placement of the door opening within the wall, and can include space savings on both sides of the wall—in the room and in the corridor. For example, 48 in. are required for the front approach to an opening with a sliding door compared to 60 in. with a swing door. Additionally, the sliding door eliminates space needed to accommodate door swing, while also enhancing safety by removing the risk of being struck by a door swinging open.

AESTHETICS AND FUNCTIONALITY Whether configured as surface-mounted, top-hung barnstyle doors, or as pocket doors, sliding doors provide a contemporary look with their simple, clean lines. Manufacturers offer a wide range of styles to integrate with any interior design. Options include wood door leafs in a range of wood species—or that can be painted—and doors with glazed panels. Designers can incorporate such doors into assemblies with sidelites or transoms to enhance visibility and daylighting.

In addition to their good looks, sliding doors are available with a multitude of attractive and functional hardware. Handle options include a range of levers and flush pulls. Security mechanisms include ADA-compliant thumb locks and self-latching mortises. Specifiers also can incorporate magnetic locks for key-card access.

ACOUSTIC PRIVACY While privacy is valued in many building types, in hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and other healthcare facilities, privacy is codified in federal law. The 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) specifies criteria for patient privacy. The HIPAA “Privacy Rule” (45 CFR Part 160) “requires appropriate safeguards to protect the privacy of personal health information and sets limits and conditions on the uses and disclosures that may be made of such information without patient authorization.” This has implications for designing spaces, including door selection, to protect patient confidentiality when discussing medical issues.

In addition to attenuating sound to ensure private conversations, doors play a key role in helping reduce noise transmission through spaces, whether in healthcare, schools, or offices. Despite the recent popularity of open-office concepts, more design professionals and researchers are noting the shortcomings of open offices. A powerful case in point is an Inc. magazine story that quotes a study of more than 40,000 workers in 300 U.S. offices, as published in the “Journal of Environmental Psychology.” The information states, “Enclosed private offices clearly outperformed open-plan layouts in most aspects of IEQ (indoor environmental quality), particularly in acoustics, privacy, and the proxemics issues.” More succinctly, “noise and privacy loss [were] identified as the main source of workspace dissatisfaction.”

In light of the need for privacy and to reduce noise, designers increasingly are creating enclosed offices and conference rooms in facilities of all types. When designing these spaces, it’s important to remember that the doors and openings, by nature, have lower sound attenuation than the surrounding wall. This is largely due to the fact that walls are thicker and multi-layered and doors can