The SmokeShield® Elevator (Model ERF10) from CornellCookson, Inc., a worldwide rolling door and grille manufacturer, is a smoke control system that allows building occupants time to evacuate in emergency situations. In the event of a fire, this smoke curtain acts as a barrier to prevent smoke and hot gases from entering the hoistway.
Architects and designers have long been limited in their specification of compliant design solutions that meet International Building Code (IBC) elevator lobby requirements. Elevator lobbies stop smoke from reaching elevator shafts, which draw deadly smoke to upper floors. Considering smoke inhalation causes more deaths than burns in the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Association, any alternative to a lobby elevator must be compact, high-cycle, reliable, and easy to service—all while meeting the strictest of codes.
The need for new solutions in this product category is what led to the development of SmokeShield Elevator, which not only eliminates the IBC elevator lobby requirement when possible, but also allows designers to pursue more spacious building designs, or create more revenue-generating floor space.
“There are very few alternatives to traditional elevator lobbies,” said David Dawdy, fire and life safety product director at CornellCookson. “Architects and designers are often compelled to specify products that comply with code mandates, rather than meet their design vision. So, when a product with a feature set like this comes along, it suddenly gets everybody’s attention and gets the creative juices flowing. It’s a major breakthrough for the A&D community.”
This compact elevator hoistway closure deploys upon notification by the fire alarm control panel or local smoke detectors. Without this curtain, the elevator shaft acts as a chimney, allowing smoke and hot gases to travel to upper floors that the elevator connects. SmokeShield Elevator prevents this from happening because of the patented GuideLock™ technology which ensures that the curtain mechanically seals the opening with every cycle—containing smoke to the impacted floor.
SmokeShield Elevator is reopened by pushing the curtain-mounted switch or, in the event of complete power loss, by lifting the ADA compliant Emergency Lift Strap located at the bottom of the smoke curtain. For annual testing, the system can be set to auto-open. This prevents the need for the facility team to walk the building, resetting each individual unit.
A time delay prevents activation during brief power outages and s standard battery backup provides monitored operational power for up to 24 hours, addressing the threat of power loss. This, along with high visibility and intuitive graphics, provides facility managers peace of mind and ensures that occupants stay safe in an emergency.
With no visible fasteners and a snap-together design, guide surfaces can be concealed in wood, masonry, sheetrock, or other fascia materials offering versatility and a broad range of mounting possibilities. Any exposed guides or bottom bars can be finished to match, complement, or contrast surroundings with custom powder-coating or an anodized finish that matches stainless steel.
The SmokeShield Elevator has a UL listing for hoistway openings up to 12′ high and 12′ wide. The headbox of the closure fits into less than 10″ of headroom. Control/junction box and batteries are undetectable inside the head box. High visibility through the curtain’s transparent material provides an increased safety margin for firefighters and EMTs.
SmokeShield Elevator complies with IBC 2003 – 2018 and is listed in ICC-ES AC-77, OSHPD # OPM-0523-19, and California State Fire Marshal approvals. It is also listed in UL 1784, UL325, and ASTME 864.
