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Elevators & Lifts

May 14, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com

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The first elevator in the United States was installed at Harvard University in 1874. It was not a passenger elevator as we typically think of today, but rather a freight elevator used to move heavy items within a building. The installation of this elevator marked an important development in building technology and transportation within multi-story structures. It was based on the design of Elisha Otis, who is famous for inventing the safety elevator with a safety brake system that prevents the elevator from falling if the hoisting cable fails. Otis’ innovation played a pivotal role in making elevators safe and practical for everyday use, leading to their widespread adoption in buildings around the world.

International Building Code Chapter 30: Elevators and Conveying Systems

Elevator design by the German engineer Konrad Kyeser (1405)

Education communities are stewards of 100’s of lifts, elevators and moving walks.  At the University of Michigan, there are the better part of 1000 of them; with 19 of them in Michigan Stadium alone.   The cost of building them — on the order of $50,000 to $150,000 per floor depending upon architectural styling — and the highly trained staff needed to operate, maintain and program interoperability software is another cost that requires attention.   All building design and construction disciplines — architectural, mechanical and electrical have a hand in making this technology safe and sustainabile.

We start with international and nationally developed best practice literature and work our way to state level adaptations.  Labor for this technology is heavily regulated.

Its a rarefied and crazy domain for the user-interest.  Expertise is passionate about safety and idiosyncratic but needs to be given the life safety hazard.  Today we review o pull together public consultation notices on relevant codes, standards and regulations today  11 AM/EDT.

Московский государственный университет имени

Elevators 500

More

NFPA 70 Article 620 Elevators, etc.

NEC Article 620 | David Herres

Elevator U

International Building Code Chapter 30: Elevators and Conveying Systems

Inside Higher Ed: Tragedy in an Elevator

Jimlielevators

University of Michigan Elevator Recall Control Wiring Schematic

University of Michigan Elevator Shaft Lighting Schematic

 

Lifts, escalators & moving walks

May 14, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com

No Comments

At the 1853 New York World’s Fair Elisha Otis amazed a crowd when he ordered the only rope holding the platform on which he was standing cut by an axeman. The platform fell only a few inches before coming to a halt; thus proving the safety locking mechanism he had invented will work. These elevators quickly became the type in most common usage and made vertical living possible.

Elisha Graves Otis shows his first elevator in the Crystal Palace, New York City, 1853. — Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS

Most large research universities have 100 – 1000 elevators that are highly regulated, maintained by highly regulated service personnel and inspected by highly trained conformance operatives; thus our primary interest in state-specific regulations.  We have a  secondary interest in innovation in the technology generally.  Many sustainability goals urged in academic circles  — which include greater population density in smaller areas — are challenged by mobility issues.

From the project prospectus:

“…The main feature of these products is that they are an integral part of industrial, residential or public buildings. Consequently, they should be adaptable to the technical and architectural constraints of such buildings. They must also meet the capacity requirements imposed by the intended use of the building. These products are considered as means of transport and therefore represent an essential component of the functional life of the buildings in which they are installed. Contrary to most public means of transport, they are intended for free use and operation by their passengers, which makes the integration of safety an essential concern…”

STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN ISO/TC178: Lifts, escalators and moving walks

The Association française de normalisation (AFNOR) is the global Secretariat.  ANSI’s US Technical Advisory Group Administrator is the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.  Stakeholders in US-based education communities are encouraged to communicate directly with ASME;  CLICK HERE.

We maintain the work products of this committee on the standing agendas of our Mechanical, Elevator and Global colloquia; open to everyone.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.

Michigan Stadium — the largest collegiate stadium in the world — has 19 elevators.

Issue: [11-50]

Category: Mechanical, Mobility, Global

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Larry Spielvogel

Paternoster Lift Challenge

Sicurezza degli ascensori

Building Structural Maintenance

May 14, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com

No Comments
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Any multi-story building requires inspection and maintenance of structural steel framework. The steel supports the building’s weight and resists environmental forces like wind and seismic activity. Over time, corrosion, fatigue cracks, or connection failures can weaken the structure, risking collapse. Inspections detect these issues early, while maintenance, like repainting or replacing damaged parts, preserves steel integrity. For student housing, occupant safety is critical, and compliance with building codes reduces liability risks. Neglecting these practices can lead to structural failure, endangering residents and causing costly repairs or legal issues. Regular upkeep ensures safe, long-lasting buildings.
During today’s session we examine the relevant standards with proposed revisions open for public comment.  Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
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No single universal code or standard guarantees that buildings will never crack or fail structurally, as structural integrity depends on various factors like design, materials, construction quality, environmental conditions, and maintenance. However, several widely adopted codes and standards aim to minimize the risk of structural failure and ensure safety, durability, and serviceability. These provide guidelines for design, construction, and maintenance to prevent issues like cracking or catastrophic failure.
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Key Codes and Standards:

International Building Code (IBC): Widely used in the United States and other regions, the IBC sets minimum requirements for structural design, materials, and maintenance to ensure safety and performance.  It references standards like ASCE 7 (Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures) for load calculations (e.g., wind, seismic, snow).Maintenance provisions require regular inspections and repairs to address issues like cracking or deterioration.

ACI 318 (Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete): Published by the American Concrete Institute this standard governs the design and construction of concrete structures.Includes requirements to control cracking (e.g., reinforcement detailing, concrete mix design) and ensure durability under environmental exposure.Maintenance guidelines recommend periodic inspections for cracks, spalling, or reinforcement corrosion.

AISC 360 (Specification for Structural Steel Buildings): Published by the American Institute of Steel Construction, this standard covers the design, fabrication, and erection of steel structures.  Addresses fatigue, connection design, and corrosion protection to prevent structural failure. Maintenance involves inspecting for issues like weld imperfections or coating degradation.

ASCE/SEI 41-17 (Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings):  Focuses on assessing and maintaining existing structures, particularly for seismic performance.  Guides retrofitting to address vulnerabilities like cracking or inadequate load paths.
Maintenance Standards
  • ACI 562 (Assessment, Repair, and Rehabilitation of Existing Concrete Structures):
    • Provides a framework for evaluating and repairing concrete structures to address cracking, spalling, or other damage.
    • Emphasizes regular inspections and timely repairs to maintain structural integrity.
  • NACE/SP0108 (Corrosion Control of Offshore Structures):
    • Covers maintenance practices to prevent corrosion-related failures in steel structures.
  • ASTM E2270 (Standard Practice for Periodic Inspection of Building Facades):
    • Outlines procedures for inspecting facades to identify cracking, water infiltration, or other issues that could lead to structural problems.

IEEE: Structural Health Monitoring system based on strain gauge enabled wireless sensor nodes

Steel research in the steel city

Researchers Make Wood Stronger than Steel

Concrete Matters

Elevator Safety Code

May 14, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com
No Comments

Today, special attention to managing elevator passengers trapped in elevators during power outages.  Incident management involves the following:

  1. Automatic battery-lowering systems (standard in modern elevators) gently descend the car to the nearest floor and open the doors within minutes.
  2. Backup generators or UPS units keep lights, intercoms, and ventilation running.
  3. Mandatory two-way communication and remote monitoring allow instant contact with 24/7 response teams.
  4. Fire-service phase II keys and firefighter overrides ensure rapid rescue.
  5. Clear emergency instructions and regular maintenance of brakes and overspeed governors prevent falls.

These redundancies, required by ASME A17.1 codes in most jurisdictions, have made prolonged entrapments extremely rare and almost never dangerous.

2026 National Electrical Code Article 620: Elevators, Dumbwaiters, Escalators, Moving Walks, Platform Lifts, and Stairway Chairlifts.

CMP-12 Public Input Transcript | CMP-12 Public Comment Transcript

American School & University: Modernizing Elevator Emergency Communications on School and University Campuses

Elevator,  escalator  and moving walk systems are among the most complicated systems in any urban environment, no less so than on the  #WiseCampus in which many large research universities have 100 to 1000 elevators to safely and economically operate, service and continuously commission.  These systems are regulated heavily at state and local levels of government and have oversight from volunteers that are passionate about their work.

These “movement systems” are absorbed into the Internet of Things transformation.  Lately we have tried to keep pace with the expansion of requirements to include software integration professionals to coordinate the interoperability of elevators, lifts and escalators with building automation systems for fire safety, indoor air quality and disaster management.  Much of work requires understanding of the local adaptations of national building codes.

Some university elevator O&M units use a combination of in-house, manufacturer and standing order contractors to accomplish their safety and sustainability objectives.

In the United States the American Society of Mechanical Engineers is the dominant standards developer of elevator and escalator system best practice titles;  its breakdown of technical committees listed in the link below:

A17 ELEVATORS AND ESCALATORS

STDMi: Elevator Backup Power

C&S Connect: ASME Proposals Available for Public Review

Public consultation on a new standard for electrical inspector qualifications closes May 27th.

ASME A17.7/CSA B44.7 – 20XX, Performance-based code for elevators and escalators (280 pages)

Safety Code for Existing Elevators and Escalators

Guide for Inspection of Elevators, Escalators, and Moving Walks

Guide for Elevator Seismic Design

As always, we encourage facility managers, elevator shop personnel to participate directly in the ASME Codes & Standards development process.   For example, it would be relatively easy for our colleagues in the Phoenix, Arizona region to attend one or more of the technical committee meetings; ideally with operating data and a solid proposal for improving the A17 suite.

Get Involved ASME Standards & Certification Activities

University of Wisconsin Stadium Elevator

 

All ASME standards are on the agenda of our Mechanical, Pathway and Elevator & Lift colloquia.  See our CALENDAR for the next online teleconferences; open to everyone.  Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

 

Issue: [11-50]

Category: Electrical, Elevators, #WiseCampus

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Richard Robben, Larry Spielvogel

 

More:

Bibliography: Elevators, Lifts and Moving Walks

ISO/TC 178 Lifts, escalators and moving walks

Human Factors Using Elevators in Emergency Evacuation

Archive / Elevator Safety Code

 

Rogers Building

May 14, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com

No Comments

The earliest installation of a passenger elevator in a university building in the United States was at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.  In 1861, Otis Brothers & Co., the company founded by Elisha Graves Otis, installed the first passenger elevator in this three-story structure that housed laboratories, classrooms, and offices for faculty and students.

This early installation of a passenger elevator marked an important milestone in the history of vertical transportation on college and university campuses, and it paved the way for the adoption of elevators in other educational institutions as they expanded in size and height over time.

Department of Facilities

The History of Elevators

Standards Massachusetts

Home Economics

May 13, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com
,
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Today at the usual hour we review the standards, codes, regulations and best practice literature for the safety and sustainability of facilities for teaching skills needed for supporting families.

Inglenook

Salutariness | Fashion

Commercial Kitchens

Life Safety Code

Electrical Safety

Energy Standard for *Sites* and Buildings

Current Issues & Recent Research

What the University of Michigan has done to reduce the life cycle cost of the real assets of educational settlements in the USA

What is Happening to the Family, and Why?

Home Economics Graduate Diploma

May 13, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com
,
No Comments

Braes High School Home

Queen Margaret University | East Lothian

Scotland

Fashion Technology

May 13, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com
, , , ,
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Art presents a different way of looking at things than science; 

one which preserves the mystery of things without undoing the mystery.

— Sir Roger Scruton






Garment Industry Standards

Gallery: School Uniforms

Textiles

Art, Design & Fashion Studios

Food Safety

May 13, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com

No Comments

Overdoor, France, ca. 1825; | Smithsonian Design Museum

Education communities have significant food safety responsibilities.  Risk gets pushed around global food service counterparties; a drama in itself and one that requires coverage in a separate blog post.*

Since 2013 we have been following the development of food safety standards; among them ANSI/NSF 2: Food Equipment one of a constellation of NSF food safety titles whose provisions cover bakery, cafeteria, kitchen, and pantry units and other food handling and processing equipment such as tables and components, counters, hoods, shelves, and sinks.  The purpose of this Standard is to establish minimum food protection and sanitation requirements for the materials, design, fabrication, construction, and performance of food handling and processing equipment.

It is a relatively stable standard; developed to support conformance revenue for products.  A new landing page seems to have emerged in recent months:

Food and Beverage

https://www.nsf.org/testing/food

 

You may be enlightened by the concepts running through this standard as can be seen on a past, pre-pandemic agenda:

NSF 2 Food Safety 2019 Meeting Packet – Final Draft

NSF 2 Food Safety 2019 Meeting Summary – August 21-22 Ann Arbor NSF Headquarters

NSF 2 Food Equipment Fabrication Agenda – FEF – TG – 2021-01-12

Not trivial agendas with concepts that cut across several disciplines involving product manufacture, installation, operation and maintenance.  We find a very strong influence of organizations such as Aramark and Sodexo.   More on that in a separate post.

Ranchview High School Cafeteria / Irving, Texas

This committee – along with several other joint committees –meets frequently online.  If you wish to participate, and receive access to documents that explain the scope and scale of NSF food safety standards, please contact Allan Rose, (734) 827-3817, arose@nsf.org.   NSF International welcomes guests/observers to nearly all of its standards-setting technical committees.   We expect another online meeting hosted by this committee any day now.

Keep in mind that all NSF International titles are on the standing agenda of our Nourriture (Food) colloquia; open to everyone.  See our CALENDAR for the next meeting.

University of Indiana

Issue: [13-113] [15-126]

Category: Facility Asset Management, Healthcare, Residence Hall, Athletics

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Tracey Artley, Keith Koster, Richard Robben

*See “Food Safety Risk Management: Evidence-Informed Policies and Decisions, Considering Multiple Factors, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations”

LEARN MORE:

ANSI Blog | Changes to NSF 2 Food Safety Equipment Standard

NSF International Food Safety 2018 Meeting Summary – 2018-08-22 – Final Draft

2017 Food Code | US Food & Drug Administration

Hygiene Requirements For The Design Of Meat And Poultry Processing Equipment

ARCHIVE: NSF 2 Food Safety

Commercial Kitchens

May 13, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com
No Comments

2026 PUBLIC COMMENT AGENDA | Complete Monograph 2087 Pages

2025 GROUP B PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE I-CODES: Complete Monograph (2630 pages)

Quick View of Results

36 kitchen related proposals were reviewed during our precious sesssion

2024 GROUP A PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE I-CODES: Complete Monograph (2658 pages)

Commercial kitchens offer several benefits, such as efficient food preparation and large-scale production, allowing businesses to meet high demand. They provide professional-grade equipment and ample space, enabling chefs to explore culinary creativity. Commercial kitchens also promote hygiene and food safety standards, with dedicated cleaning protocols and inspections. However, hazards can arise from the high-temperature cooking equipment, sharp tools, and potentially hazardous substances. There is also a risk of burns, slips, and falls, emphasizing the importance of proper training and safety measures. Adequate ventilation and fire safety systems are vital to prevent accidents and maintain a healthy working environment.

The International Code Council is re-configuring its code development process in nearly every dimension. While that situation stabilizes let us review the back-and-forth on this topic during the previous revision cycle (linked below):

2021 International Building Code Section 306 Factory Group F Moderate Hazard

2021 International Fire Code Section 606 Commercial Cooking Equipment and Systems

The International Code Council has recently re-configured its code development calendar:

2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

Public hearings on the proposed changes happen in Orlando, April 7-16.

This is a summary of the actions taken on the 2024 Comments on Proposed Changes to the ICC International Codes at the October 23-28, 2024 Committee Action Hearings #2 held at the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California.  Balloting of local building code officials is now underway.

 

Commercial kitchen electrical power wiring requirements are covered extensively in Article 210 through Article 215 of the National Electrical Code.  Standards action in this domain is referred to IEEE Education & Healthcare Facility Committee.

ASHRAE International: Calculating Airflow Rates, Cooking Loads in Commercial Kitchens

Related

International Mechanical Code: Chapter 10 Boilers, Water Heaters and Pressure Vessels

AGA Response to The Atlantic Article about Natural Gas Cooking

Thomas Edison State University: Undergraduate Certificate in Gas Distribution

International Fire Code

 

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