In building design, the cost of correcting a mistake grows exponentially with the stage at which it is discovered. A decision that is wrong at the briefing stage costs little to correct — a conversation, a revised brief. The same decision, discovered to be wrong during commissioning, can cost millions. Vertical transportation is no exception to this principle, and in some respects, the consequences of late discovery are particularly severe because lift systems are both expensive to install and expensive to modify once installed.
Accurate lift modelling — the use of simulation tools to predict system performance at the design stage — is the most effective way to ensure that errors are discovered and corrected early rather than late.
Where Vertical Transportation Mistakes Typically Originate
The most common sources of vertical transportation specification errors fall into three categories: underestimated demand, incorrect performance assumptions, and inadequate account of the building’s specific characteristics.
Underestimated demand occurs when the traffic profile used to evaluate the lift specification is too conservative — assuming a lower peak demand than the building will actually generate, or distributing the population across floors in a way that does not reflect the actual occupancy pattern. A specification that is adequate for the assumed demand may be significantly inadequate for the actual demand.
Incorrect performance assumptions occur when the analytical method used to evaluate the specification makes simplifying assumptions that do not hold for the specific building. Standard round trip time calculations assume uniform floor populations, regular arrival patterns, and simple dispatch behaviour. When these assumptions are significantly violated — as they are in many modern buildings — the predicted performance may be materially different from the actual performance.
Inadequate account of building-specific characteristics occurs when the analysis does not reflect the actual configuration of the building. A shaft layout that constrains car dimensions, a floor-to-floor height that affects travel time, or an unusual lobby arrangement that affects passenger loading behaviour — these building-specific factors can significantly affect performance but are often not captured in simplified analysis.
AdSimulo lift design tools model all of these factors explicitly, allowing the analysis to reflect the building’s actual configuration and occupancy rather than generic assumptions.
The Cost of Getting It Wrong
The consequences of a mis-specified lift system play out over an extended period. In the initial period after opening, the underperformance typically manifests as occupant complaints about waiting times that exceed the expectations set during the design phase. These complaints generate pressure on the building management to investigate and resolve the problem.
Investigation typically confirms what simulation analysis would have predicted at the design stage: the specified system does not have sufficient capacity to handle the actual demand at peak periods. The options at this point are limited. Adding additional lift cars requires structural modifications that may not be possible within the existing core layout. Replacing the existing cars with higher-capacity alternatives requires significant downtime during construction. Modifying the control system can improve performance marginally but cannot compensate for fundamental capacity shortfalls.
Each of these options is expensive — far more expensive than the cost of the simulation analysis that would have identified the problem at the design stage. The reputational and commercial consequences — tenant dissatisfaction, lease renewal risk, potential legal exposure — add to the financial costs.
According to CIBSE Guide D, the cost of rigorous lift traffic analysis is a small fraction of the cost of a lift system, and a negligible fraction of the cost of remediation if the system underperforms.
Making Modelling Part of Standard Practice
For the cost of vertical transportation mistakes to be consistently avoided, accurate lift modelling needs to become a standard part of the specification process rather than an optional addition for complex or high-value projects. The accessibility and affordability of specialist simulation software has made this achievable for a wider range of projects than was the case even a decade ago.
The organisations that have adopted rigorous lift modelling as standard practice consistently report that the investment is justified not only by the avoidance of specification errors but by the efficiency gains in the design process — faster evaluation of design options, clearer communication of design intent, and better-documented specifications that reduce ambiguity during procurement.
For engineers seeking lift planning software that can be adopted as a standard part of vertical transportation specification practice, AdSimulo provides the platform with the right combination of analytical rigour, practical accessibility, and professional documentation capability. Contact their team today to explore how the software can be integrated into your practice.
The AdSimulo Platform in Practice
AdSimulo is designed for engineers and consultants who need professional-grade lift traffic simulation without the steep learning curve of traditional specialist tools. The platform makes advanced simulation methodology accessible through a streamlined interface that guides users through the process of defining the building, specifying the lift system, running the simulation, and interpreting the results.
The software handles the underlying computational complexity — the Monte Carlo simulation engine, the statistical analysis of results, the production of output reports — allowing users to focus on the engineering decisions rather than the mechanics of the software. This means that rigorous simulation analysis can be incorporated into a standard design workflow without requiring dedicated specialist time for every project.
The platform is cloud-based, meaning no installation is required and results are accessible from any device. Updates are delivered automatically, ensuring that users always have access to the current version of the software and the most recent analytical methods. For practices working across multiple offices or with remote team members, the cloud architecture eliminates the version management and access issues that desktop software creates.
For building professionals ready to adopt simulation-based vertical transportation analysis as a standard part of their practice, AdSimulo offers the starting point. Contact their team today to arrange a demonstration and explore how the platform handles the specific project types your practice works on.
AdSimulo’s track record with lift engineers and building services consultants across multiple markets makes it the platform of choice for practitioners who take vertical transportation analysis seriously.