4.4 Elevators, LULA Elevators, and Platform Lifts
Key Takeaways
A117.1-2017 Table 407.4.1 allows four car configurations: 42-inch centered door with an 80 x 51 inch car, 36-inch side door with a 68 x 51 inch car, 36-inch door with a 54 x 80 inch car, or 36-inch door with a 60 x 60 inch car or 60-inch turning circle.
Hall call buttons are within a Section 308 reach range (existing may be 54 inches), 3/4 inch minimum, with the up button above the down button; hall signals are centered 72 inches minimum above the floor.
Door reopening devices sense obstructions at 5 and 29 inches without contact and stay effective for 20 seconds; doors stay open at least 3 seconds for a car call.
LULA cars are 42 inches wide with 15.75 square feet minimum and a clear floor space; platform lifts may not be attendant operated and must allow unassisted entry and exit.
In new construction, platform lifts may be part of a required accessible route only in the ten situations listed in IBC 1110.9 (2021) or 1110.11 (2024), such as performing areas, assembly wheelchair spaces, spaces with five or fewer occupants and courtroom stations.
4.4 Elevators, LULA Elevators, and Platform Lifts
The Elevators and Platform Lifts subtopic (3%) asks you to identify where accessible elevators and lifts are required or permitted and to verify their technical compliance. Scoping is in the IBC (1104.4 for multistory routes, 1110.10/1110.8 for elevators, 1110.11/1110.9 for lifts, and 1009.4 and 1009.5 for egress), and technical criteria are in A117.1 Sections 407 (passenger elevators), 408 (limited-use/limited-application or LULA), 409 (private residence) and 410 (platform lifts), together with ASME A17.1 and ASME A18.1.
Elevator Scoping
- IBC 1104.4 decides whether an accessible route must reach a story (see Section 3.1).
- Passenger elevators on an accessible route comply with A117.1 Section 407 (IBC 1110.10 in 2024; 1110.8 in 2021).
- IBC 1009.2.1 requires an elevator as part of the accessible means of egress where a required accessible floor is four or more stories above or below a level of exit discharge (see Chapter 5 of this guide).
Passenger Elevators (A117.1 Section 407)
Car Size (Table 407.4.1)
| Door location | Door clear width | Side to side | Back wall to front return | Back wall to inside face of door |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centered | 42 in. | 80 in. | 51 in. | 54 in. |
| Side (off center) | 36 in. | 68 in. | 51 in. | 54 in. |
| Any | 36 in. | 54 in. | 80 in. | 80 in. |
| Any | 36 in. | 60 in. | 60 in. | 60 in. |
A minus 5/8-inch tolerance applies to the 36-inch door widths, and other configurations are allowed if they give a 36-inch door and a 60-inch-diameter space with the door closed. Existing cars are accepted with 16 sq ft of clear floor area and 36 x 54 inches clear inside dimensions (407.4.1 Exception).
Landing Requirements (407.2)
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Call buttons | Raised or flush; within a Section 308 reach range measured to the centerline of the highest operable part (existing may be 54 in.); 3/4 in. minimum; up button above down button; objects beneath buttons protrude 1 in. maximum |
| Call signals | Visible signals when a call is registered and answered, plus an audible signal or button movement |
| Hall signals | Visible and audible at each hoistway entrance; fixtures centered 72 in. minimum above the floor; illuminated element 2 1/2 in. minimum |
| Audible signals | Once for up and twice for down (or verbal annunciators); 1,500 Hz maximum; 10 dBA above ambient but not over 80 dBA |
| Hoistway signs | Raised characters and braille on both jambs, characters 2 in. minimum; a raised star on both jambs at the main entry level |
| Destination-oriented systems | Lobby keypads, car identification on both jambs below the floor designation, and a function button with an International Symbol of Accessibility and three raised dots |
Doors and Timing (407.3)
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Door type | Horizontal sliding, opening and closing automatically; car gates prohibited |
| Reopening device | Senses obstructions at 5 in. and 29 in. nominal above the floor, without requiring contact, effective for 20 seconds minimum |
| Door and signal timing | T = D / (1.5 ft/s), 5 seconds minimum, measured from a point 60 in. in front of the farthest call button to the hoistway door centerline |
| Door delay for car calls | Fully open 3 seconds minimum |
Car Requirements (407.4)
- Leveling: Within 1/2 in. under rated loading to zero loading.
- Car controls: Within a Section 308 reach range; existing panels with a parallel approach may have floor buttons up to 54 in. Buttons 3/4 in. minimum, arranged in ascending order, read left to right when in columns.
- Emergency controls: Grouped at the bottom of the panel, centerlines 35 in. minimum above the floor.
- Designations (407.4.7): Raised characters and braille immediately to the left of each button; raised symbols and braille for emergency stop, alarm, door open, door close, main entry floor and phone (Table 407.4.7.1.4). Floors below the main entry floor use minus numbers.
- Car position indicators (407.4.9): Visible characters 5/8 in. high minimum, above the control panel or door; an automatic verbal annunciator announces the floor before the doors open (a 1,500 Hz non-verbal signal is allowed for non-destination elevators rated 200 ft/min or less).
- Emergency communication (407.4.10): Highest operable part within a Section 308 reach range, with raised characters, braille and raised symbols adjacent.
LULA Elevators (Section 408)
LULA elevators are passenger elevators limited by ASME A17.1 in speed, travel and size. A117.1 408.4.1 requires a clear floor width of 42 in., a clear floor area of 15.75 sq ft minimum, and a clear floor space complying with 305.3. Existing buildings may use cars with 15 sq ft and 36 x 54 inches (not with doors on adjacent sides), or 51 x 51 inch cars with 36-inch doors.
Private Residence Elevators (Section 409)
Private residence elevators comply with Section 409 and ASME A17.1; elevators complying with Section 407 or 408 need not comply with 409. They are used where the scoping provisions permit them, typically within a dwelling unit.
Platform Lifts (Section 410)
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| General (410.1) | Comply with ASME A18.1; not attendant operated; unassisted entry and exit |
| Doors (410.2.1) | Low-energy power operated, open 20 seconds minimum; end door 32 in. (36 in. where the other door is on a long side); side door 42 in. |
| Door exceptions | Self-closing manual doors at a narrow end serving one landing, and on two-landing lifts with doors on adjacent sides when the side door's strike is farthest from the end door |
| Sill clearance (410.4) | 1 1/4 in. maximum to the runway landing |
| Size, single door or opposite ends (410.5.1) | New: 36 x 52 in. (inclined lifts with restraining arms 36 x 48); existing 36 x 48 |
| Size, doors on adjacent sides (410.5.2) | New: 42 x 60 in.; existing 36 x 60 |
| Controls (410.6) | Comply with Section 309 |
Where Lifts May Serve an Accessible Route
The IBC (1110.9 in the 2021 edition; 1110.11 in 2024) permits platform lifts installed per ASME A18.1 as part of a required accessible route in new construction only for:
- A performing area and speaker platforms;
- Wheelchair spaces needed to meet the assembly dispersion requirements of 1109.2.2 through 1109.2.6;
- Spaces not open to the general public with an occupant load of not more than five;
- Routes within an individual Accessible, Type A or Type B dwelling or sleeping unit;
- Jury boxes, witness stands, raised courtroom stations (judges' benches, clerks', bailiffs', deputy clerks' and court reporters' stations) and depressed areas such as the well of the court;
- Load and unload areas serving amusement rides;
- Play components or soft contained play structures;
- Team or player seating serving areas of sport activity;
- Instead of gangways serving recreational boating facilities and fishing piers and platforms;
- Where existing exterior site constraints make a ramp or elevator infeasible.
In existing buildings, IEBC 306.7.8 (2021) and 306.7.9 (2024) separately permit platform lifts as part of an accessible route. A lift in new construction outside the ten listed situations does not satisfy the accessible route requirement.
Exam Traps
- 54 x 68 is not a 2017 car size; side-door cars are 68 wide x 51/54 deep.
- Hall signals are centered at 72 in. minimum; call buttons follow the reach ranges.
- Platform lifts may not be key-operated by an attendant.
A new passenger elevator has a centered 42-inch door. Under ICC A117.1-2017 Table 407.4.1, what is the minimum inside car dimension from side to side?
68 inches
80 inches
54 inches
60 inches
At what heights must an elevator door reopening device sense an obstruction under A117.1 Section 407.3.3?
3 inches and 27 inches nominal
5 inches and 29 inches nominal
12 inches and 34 inches nominal
6 inches and 36 inches nominal
A new vertical platform lift with doors on opposite ends is proposed where the IBC permits a lift on the accessible route. What minimum clear floor size does A117.1-2017 require?
36 inches by 48 inches
42 inches by 60 inches
36 inches by 60 inches
36 inches by 52 inches
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