Elevator World Magazine
Our Newsletters
CTBUH Conferences (Note 3)
Vertical City Mile-High Solution (6)
Euroasia Industry Magazine
1km+ Nakheel Tower, Dubai
Miscellaneous References
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SERVICES
We provide vertical transportation (VT) system design and planning services, bringing the leading experience in our field to Architects and Owners for large building projects.
ROOTS
20+ years ago we decided to rejuvenate technical elevator consulting, upgraded for its potential. A sales background had become the norm in our field, even for tall buildings. Engineering at the elevator manufacturers had also become more specialized for the componentry, given that elevator consultants had all but taken over the planning of large-scale VT systems.
Our co-founders had once led VT for different multi-discipline consulting engineering firms in NYC known for planning VT for tall buildings. It was there that Rick Barker followed in the footsteps of the leading expert in tall building elevators and another in elevator traffic studies(Note 9), and served on code committees for elevators and fire while fostering a multi-disciplined approach. The then President of Otis took notice.
He joined Otis World HQ as Director of Technical Services to help return large-scale system planning consulting to Otis, with support from senior R&D specialty engineers. He was also involved in current strategies and next-generation ideas for tall building products, and led global strategies for dispatching products, “elevatoring” software tools, and product energy savings.
In leaving Otis and starting Barker Mohandas, many of those senior R&D engineers at Otis took notice and later joined Barker Mohandas, further improving the depth of our technical abilities.
START, GROWTH
In 2000, Rick Barker and Paliath Mohandas combined their exceptional elevator experience with major manufacturers, contractors, and multi-discipline consulting engineers to form our company, and provide upgraded consulting services.
Several Otis R&D engineers soon joined our “technical guild”: Clem Skalski, George Wisner, Paul Bennett, Mike Spaner. They helped develop our initial software tools for VT system design, including our “optimizer” and master engineering tool. Most also helped with analyses for existing elevator equipment in the world’s tallest building in Dubai, a past world’s tallest in Chicago, and a tall building in NYC – while our main work has always been the design & planning of new VT systems.
In 2010, Sean Morris, P.E. joined us to strengthen our system planning and engineering services. He led design services for an elevator consultancy in Colorado, and earlier was a mechanical design engineer with Montgomery Kone in Texas. As Principal with us, Sean has led or co-led system design for many of our largest and tallest projects. He also helped to upgrade our software tools further, such as providing comparative performance results under international standards(Note 10).
Also in 2010, we opened an office in Dubai led by Anand Sivan, an engineer who led VT at the multi-discipline engineering consultancy WS Atkins, after elevator/lift experience with Mitsubishi, Kone, Otis. In 2015, Sivakumar Rangaraj, an engineer with Schindler, joined as Technical Director. We provide support for advanced services and the office’s largest projects.
Looking back our new projects have naturally included tall buildings, including VT system design for the world’s 2nd tallest building completed in 2023, and design or design reviews for much taller buildings and towers not built. And in our daily work, we have also provided services for many large projects in various cities - including landmark museums and other types of buildings.
To fulfill various needs some practical innovations have also resulted, mostly behind the scenes to improve elevator safety, reliability, or maintainability. Another was visible and publicized, as “harmonized” dispatching with user interfaces to improve traffic performance and useability during normal operation while facilitating Occupant Evacuation Operation(Note 11) during emergencies.
IN SHORT
We deeply understand VT traffic-system design, the requirements for related multi-discipline building interfaces, the history of various standards and their relevance today, and elevator engineering and technologies. We also have exceptional software tools to help focus our skills and expedite our services – including for “early bidding” of a project’s VT work.
Our track record reflects these factors, and that we enjoy helping Architects and Owners achieve proper design standards for the vertical transportation system for their building projects.
After perusing various pages on this website, we hope that you will contact us to discuss your needs, including just for a short-term study for a new building concept or to convert the use of an existing building.
Notes:
1. Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Spire topped out at 678.9 m (2227 ft) in 2021 making this the world's 2nd tallest building.
2. Link to ensuing articles in EW on the dispatching and dispatching experts Dr. Bruce Powell, Dr. Marja-Liisa Siikonen, Dr. Janne Sorsa.
3. Link to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), Barker Mohandas member page with links to listed projects.
4. Link to 'Technological Advancements' session with presentations by TKE (MULTI System) and by Schindler (PORT Technology).
5. 'Improved Techniques for Vertical Transportation for Super-Tall Buildings', R. Barker with P. Bennett, C. Skalski, M. Spaner, G. Wisner.
6. Link to expert contributors for the book, 'Vertical City: A Solution for Sustainable Living', Architects Kenneth King & Kellogg Wong.
7. Link to new book: 'People Flow in Buildings', Dr. Marja-Liisa Siikonen, with recognition of our 'harmonized' dispatching and other work.
8. Referral by Otis HQ to describe 'Odyssey'. A blend of TKE MULTI and Otis Odyssey is bascially suggested in our paper, 'Is 4000 fpm...' .
9. George Strakosch, who authored the 1st edition of his book on VT at Otis and authored his 2nd edition at JB&B Consulting Engineers.
10. Our traffic “optimizer” (see 'Processes'.) now compares results using simpler methods prescribed in ISO 8100-32 and CIBSE Guide D.
11. “OEO” is described in ASME-A17.1 for Occupant Evacuation Elevators generally described in the IBC to supplement exit stairways.
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