Abstract

Modern lift dispatchers are designed to optimise passenger waiting and transit times, with a relatively small proportion of the total building population using the lifts in any 5-minute period. In an evacuation scenario, the passenger demand is significantly higher, and conventional dispatching strategies are no longer optimum. In this paper, the author explores how to increase handling capacity so that lifts can help empty buildings as quickly as possible. Lessons from round-trip time calculations and traditional dispatcher design strategies are considered to help understand how to optimise lift evacuation. Risk based evacuation prioritising floors according to their likely order of being compromised is explored. New user interfaces are needed to inform and reassure anxious passengers waiting for evacuation.