A method for determining an interconnect delay at a node in an interconnect having a plurality of nodes. The method includes performing a bottom-up tree traversal to compute the first three admittance moments for each of the nodes in the interconnect. The computed admittance moments are utilized, in an advantageous embodiment, to compute a pi-model of the downstream load. Next, the equivalent effective capacitance value Ceff is computed utilizing the components of the computed pi-model and the Elmore delay at the node under evaluation. In an advantageous embodiment, Ceff is characterized by: Ceff=Cfj(1−e−T/τdj) where Cfj is the far-end capacitance of the pi-model at the node, T is the Elmore delay at the node and τdj is the resistance of the pi-model (Rdj) multiplied by Cfj. The interconnect delay at the node is then determined utilizing an effective capacitance metric (ECM) delay model.