Subchapter 6. Elevator Safety Orders
Article 8. Machinery and Equipment for Power Cable-Driven Passenger and Freight Elevators

§3030. Car and Counterweight Guide Rails, Rail Supports, and Fastenings.

(a) Guide Rails Required. All elevators and their counterweights shall be provided with guide rails.

Exception: Existing counterweights running in boxes.

(b) Material. Guide rails, guide rail brackets, rail clips, fishplates, and their fastenings shall be of steel or other metals conforming to the requirements of this section.

Exceptions:

1. Where steel may present an accident hazard, as in chemical or explosive plants, guide rails may be of selected wood or other suitable nonmetallic materials provided the rated speed of the car does not exceed 150 feet per minute.

2. Existing elevators originally installed with wood guide rails.

(c) Requirements for Steel. Steel where used, shall conform to the requirements of Design Section 3109(b).

(d) Requirements for Metals Other Than Steel. Metals, other than steel, may be used provided the factor of safety is not less than, and the deflections not more than, the values specified in Design Section 3109, and provided that cast iron is not used.

(e) Rail Section.

(1) Guide rails shall be T-section, conforming to the nominal weights and dimensions shown in Figure No. 3030 E1 and Table 3030 E1.

Exception:

Other approved shapes may be used subject to the requirements of Design Section 3109(c).

FIGURE 3030 E1

T-Section Rail

(2) The cross section of existing or replacement wood guides shall be not less than those given in Table 3030 E2. The guides shall be of clear grain maple or its equivalent.

TABLE 3030 E1 -STEEL GUIDE RAILS

 
Nominal Wt.                                            
Per Foot ........... Nominal Dimension in Inches       
in Lbs........ A ....... B ...... C      D        E    
8............. 2 7/16 .. 3 1/2 .. 5/8    1 1/4    5/16 
11............ 3 1/2 ... 4 1/2 .. 5/8    1 1/2    5/16 
12............ 3 1/2 ... 5 ...... 5/8    1 3/4    5/16 
15............ 3 1/2 ... 5 ...... 5/8    1 31/32  1/2  
18 1/2........ 4 1/4 ... 5 1/2 .. 3/4    1 31/32  1/2  
22 1/2........ 4 3/64 .. 5 1/2 .. 1 1/8  2        9/16 
30............  5 ...... 5 1/2 .. 1 1/4  2 1/4    11/16
 
 
TABLE 3030 E2 -WOOD GUIDE RAILS
 
 Maximum Total ... Cross Section of  
Weight Per Pair .. Each Guide Rail   
of Guide Rails ... in Inches         
3,000............. 1 1/2 x 1 3/4     
5,000............. 1 7/8 x 2 1/4     
8,000............. 2 1/4 x 2 1/4     
10,000............ 2 5/8 x 2 3/4     
14,000............ 4 x 5 1/4         
16,000............ 5 x 7             
 
 
(f) Maximum Load on Rails in Relation to the Bracket Spacing. The maximum load on rails in relation to the bracket spacing shall be the smallest of the two values established by Sections 3030(f) (1), 3030(f) (2), and 3030(f) (3).

(1) Where a single car or counterweight safety is used, the maximum suspended weight of the car and its rated load, or the maximum suspended weight of the counterweight, including the weight of any compensating ropes or chains and of any traveling cables suspended therefrom, per pair of guide rails, shall not exceed the maximum specified in Figure No. 3030 F1 for the size of rail and the bracket spacing used.

Exception: The bracket spacing may exceed the values specified in Figure 3030 F1 for a counterweight with a safety device or for a given weight of car plus its rated load per pair of guide rails, provided:

1. The guide rail is reinforced; and

2. The moment of inertia of a single reinforced rail, about an axis (I-I) parallel to the base of the rail, shall be not less than that required by Figure 3109 D for the total weight per pair of guide rails at the bracket spacing used.

(2) Where the car or counterweight is provided with two safety devices (duplex safety), the loads specified in Figure No. 3030 F1 may be increased by the factors specified in Table No. 3030 F2.

(3) The weight of the counterweight and the bracket spacing for each rail size shall not exceed the values determined from Figures 3030 F3 A, 3030 F3 B, and 3030 F3 C or for a counterweight with a safety the values determined from Figure 3030 F1, whichever is most restrictive. In no case shall bracket spacing exceed 16 feet.

FIGURE 3030 F1
Maximum Weight of Car with Rated Load or of Counterweight with Safety for a Pair of Guide Rails as specified in Section 3030(f)(1).



TABLE NO. 3030 F2

Load Mul

itiplying Factor for Duplex Safeties

 
Vertical Distance ......... Multiple Load in  
Between Safeties in Feet .. Figure 3030 F1    
18 or more.................  2.0              
15.........................  1.83             
12.........................  1.67             
9..........................  1.50             
 
 

(4) Where the spacing between counterweight rail brackets tied to the building exceeds 10 feet, intermediate tie brackets, not required to be tied to the structure, shall be added so the distance between adjacent brackets is not more than 7 feet.

Exceptions:

(1) Existing elevators in which the counterweight rail guiding system complies with Section 200 of ANSI A17.1-1971.

(2) A period of seven years from October 6, 1975 will be allowed for counterweight rails existing on this date to comply with the requirements of Section 3030(f)(4).

(5) The maximum bracket height and minimum section modulus of the supporting leg of counterweight rail support brackets shall be determined from Figure 3030(F)(4) using the weight of the counterweight.

(A) Where gussets or diagonal struts are used, the bracket height shall be considered as the unsupported length of the bracket leg measured from the centerline of the rail.

(B) Where tie rods are used to tie the legs of the brackets together to increase the effective section modulus, the tie rods that are located across the outer ends of the brackets shall be guarded unless located more than 7 inches from the edge of the car top.

(6) The maximum bracket height and minimum section modulus of intermediate tie brackets for counterweight rails shall be determined from figure 3030(F)(4) using 1/3 the weight of the counterweight.

Exception: The counterweight guide systems of elevators need not comply with Section 3030(f)(3), Section 3030(f)(4), Section 3030(f)(5) and Section 3030(f)(6) where proper certification to the Division of Industrial Safety has been made by an engineer qualified under the Civil and Professional Engineers Act that the guide system has been designed and built to withstand the seismic forces for which the building was designed.

(g) Stresses and Deflections. The stresses and deflections in a guide rail or in a rail and its reinforcement shall not exceed those specified in Design Section 3109(a)(1), nor shall the deflections in the brackets and fastenings exceed those specified in Design Section 3109(a)(2).

(h) Guide Rail Guiding Surfaces. Guide rails shall have finished guiding surfaces.

(i) Rail Joints and Fishplates.

(1) Metal guide rails shall be joined together by fishplates of such design and strength as to withstand the forces specified in Design Section 3109(a) within the deflection limits specified.

(2) The joints of metal guide rails shall conform to the following requirements:

(A) The ends of the rails shall be accurately machined with a tongue and matching groove centrally located in the web.

(B) The backs of the rail flanges shall be accurately machined, in relation to the rail guiding surfaces, to a uniform distance front to back of the rails to form a flat surface for the finished fishplates.

(C) The ends of each rail shall be bolted to the fishplates with not fewer than 4 bolts.

(D) The width of the fishplate shall be not less than the width of the back of the rail.

(E) The thickness of the fishplates and the diameter of the bolts for each size of guide rail shall be not less than specified in Table No. 3030 I2.

(F) The diameter of bolt holes shall not exceed the diameter of the bolts by more than 1/16 inch for guide rails nor 1/8inch for fishplates.

TABLE NO. 3030 I2
Minimum Thickness of Fishplates and Minimum Diameter of Fastening Bolts
 
Nominal Weight .... Minimum Thickness .. Minimum Diameter  
of Guide Rail in .. of Fishplates ...... Of Bolts          
Pounds Per Foot ... In Inches .......... In Inches         
8..................  9/16 .............. 1/2               
11.................  11/16 ............. 5/8               
12.................  11/16 ............. 5/8               
15.................  11/16 ............. 5/8               
18 1/2.............  13/16 ............. 3/4               
22 1/2.............  13/16 ............. 3/4               
30.................  15/16 ............. 3/4               
 
 

(j) Overall Length of Guide Rails. The top and bottom ends of each run of guide rail shall be so located in relation to the extreme positions of travel of the car and counterweight that the car and counterweight guiding members cannot travel beyond the ends of the guide rails. This shall mean from the bottom of the pit to the underside of the overhead slab or beams.

(k) Guide Rail Brackets and Building Supports.

(1) The building construction forming the supports for the guide rail brackets shall be of such design as to:

(A) Safely withstand the application of the car or counterweight safety when stopping the car and its rated load or the counterweight.

(B) Withstand the forces specified in Design Section 3109(a) within the deflection limits specified.

Where necessary, the building construction shall be reinforced to provide adequate support for the guide rails.

Note: Hoistway enclosure walls of brick, terra cotta, and similar materials, used in buildings of steel and concrete construction, are usually insufficient in strength to form by themselves adequate supports for the guide rails.

(C) Withstand seismic forces created by accelerations of 0.5 g horizontally acting on the car and/or counterweight in their most adverse position in relation to any bracket without deflecting more than 1/4" and without exceeding 88% of the yield strength of the material used.

(2) Guide rail brackets shall be secured to their supporting structure by means of bolts, rivets, or by welding to withstand forces described in Section 3030(k)(1)(C). Fastening bolts and bolt holes in brackets and their supporting beams shall conform to the requirements of Section 3030(z). Welding shall conform to Section 3033(g).

(3) Bracket fastening to building structures designed to provide controlled movement between the brackets and the building shall be of a type acceptable to the Division and shall be of a design supported by engineering calculations.

(l) Fastening of Guide Rails to Rail Brackets.

(1) Guide rails shall be secured to their brackets by clips or by bolts.

(2) The size of bolts used for fastening the guide rails or rail clips to the brackets shall be not less than specified in Table No. 3030 L2.

TABLE NO. 3030 L2 Minimum size of Rail Fastening Bolts
 
Nominal Weight of Guide Rail .. Minimum Diameter of Bolts  
in Pounds Per Foot ............ in Inches                  
8..............................  1/2                       
11.............................  5/8                       
12.............................  5/8                       
15.............................  5/8                       
18 1/2.........................  5/8                       
22 1/2.........................  3/4                       
30.............................  3/4                       
 
 

(3) The diameter of holes or the width of slots for fastening bolts shall not exceed the diameter of the bolt by more than 1/16inch. Where slots are used for adjustment of the distance between guide rails, the brackets shall be secured in their final position by a bolt not less than 3/8 inch diameter or by welding.

<General Materials (GM) - References, Annotations, or Tables>

   Note: Authority cited: Section 142.3, Labor Code.

 HISTORY     1. Amendment filed 9-5-75; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 75, 
No. 36).

2. Amendment of subsection (k)(2) filed 6-23-77; effective thirtieth day
thereafter (Register 77, No. 26).

3. Amendment of subsections (f) and (k), Figure 3030 F1, Figure 3030 F2,
Figure 3030 F3A, Figure 3030 F3B, Figure 3030 F3C, and Table 3030 F4 which
were filed 9-5-75 (Register 75, No. 36), was approved by the Building
Standards Commission 3-26-76. History note printed in Register 78, No. 30
for technical reasons.

4. Repealer of subsections (f)(3)(A), (f)(3)(B), Table 3030 F4, (f)(4) and
new subsections (f)(4), (f)(5) and (f)(6) filed 12-22-78; effective thirtieth
day thereafter (Register 79, No. 1).

5. Editorial correction of subsection (b) and Table 3030 E1 (Register 95, 
No. 26).

6. Change without regulatory effect amending subsection (e)(1) to provide more
legible illustration in Figure 3030 E1 filed 5-1-2009 pursuant to 
section100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2009, No. 18).