New York City preparing new codes for evacuation elevators

New York City’s Fire, Buildings, and City Planning Departments in New York are writing rules to govern occupant-evacuation elevators, reflecting a change in philosophy of how to evacuate people from skyscrapers in an emergency.

The evacuation elevator cars can be used to move people down in an emergency in special circumstances. This is a dramatic change from decades of codes and practices based on the notion that elevators are perilous and undependable in fires or other emergencies.

That approach has become outmoded and is potentially dangerous for the extremely tall skyscrapers increasingly marking the New York skyline, city officials now believe. New York’s regulations now include the “third stair” in commercial towers higher than 420 feet. Builders of new high-rises must provide one more means of emergency exiting than the typical two stairways.

The City Planning Commission approved a measure that would allow developers to satisfy this requirement by providing an extra stairway (which would not be counted against the square footage they are allowed to build), by providing wider stairways and some occupant-evacuation elevators, or by making all elevators comply with occupant-evacuation standards.

Effective January 1, 2022, New York City requires garage owners to retain a specially designated professional engineer to conduct an assessment and file a report at least once every six years. Hoffmann Architects + Engineers offers tips and best practices on how to comply with NYC Local Law 126 parking garage inspection rules.

Mixed-Use | Oct 20, 2022

ROI on resilient multifamily construction can be as high as 72%

A new study that measured the economic value of using FORTIFIED Multifamily, a voluntary beyond-code construction and re-roofing method developed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), found the return can be as high as 72%.

Building Team | Oct 18, 2022

Brasfield & Gorrie chairman’s home vandalized by anti-development activists

Activists vandalized the home and vehicles of Miller Gorrie, chairman of Birmingham-based Brasfield & Gorrie, in protest of a planned $90 million, 85-acre police, fire and public safety training center in Atlanta.

Codes and Standards | Oct 17, 2022

Ambitious state EV adoption goals put pressure on multifamily owners to provide chargers

California’s recently announced ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles starting in 2035—and New York’s recent decision to follow suit—are putting pressure on multifamily property owners to install charging stations for tenants.

| Oct 13, 2022

Boston’s proposed net-zero emissions code has developers concerned

Developers have raised serious concerns over a proposed new energy code by the City of Boston that would require newly constructed buildings over 20,000 sf to immediately hit net-zero emissions goals.