MMLS: The Future of Vertical Transportation for Tall Buildings

Multiple academic papers and articles point to vertical transportation quickly becoming the “roadblock” to the viable design of super tall and mega tall buildings, despite the development of light weight ropes, high speed drives and advanced control algorithms. The space take of traditional elevators with only one or two cars per shaft is onerous and the obvious solution is to develop a system in which multiple cars can safely travel within a single shaft. The technology required to undertake the construction and delivery of the first MMLS (Multi Mobile Lift System) is now around us and, given the overwhelming business case for such systems, is more than paid for by their space saving capabilities. It is now simply a question of when, not if, these systems become safety certified for public use. This paper looks at rudimentary planning of such systems and reviews some of the practical aspects of how such systems might operate in the coming years.