You can find multi-storey car parks in so many places such as shopping malls, hospitals, airports etc. There are many underground car parks provided in areas where the land values are high and many companies are looking into temporary car parks as well. There are many things that contribute to the efficiency of a car park and it starts from the design to the systems that help with the automation of the space.
The car park is where you first get an impression of the building as this is what you first visit. There has to be functional as well as good aesthetics in the design. There are local planning regulations that have to be achieved. You should also think about how the building will be viewed. You can either have the design of the building stand out or blend into the context. You have to think about entrances and exits when it comes to parking operations management. There should be a simple traffic flow around the car park building so that it doesn’t create new problems to the existing traffic conditions. You also need to think about bringing down the level of maintenance. The safety in and around the parking space has to be considered.
When it comes to building materials, you can consider steel construction as you can create long span structures with it easily. Otherwise, there will be a lot of columns inside the parking space which can impede the amount of space you have. You will also be able to reduce the load on the foundation with a steel structure. It is also quite fast to build and therefore you will be able to have it up during the construction period as well so that it is operational.
The environment of the parking area has to be light and air. It should also be secure. There should be safety barriers to prevent the structure from being damaged by accidental collisions. There has to be good visibility for the users. There should also be a level of automation that will create efficient reports; the users should be able to find available spots quickly. When it comes to cost, surface level car parks are cheaper to build but you will be limited by the size of land. Multi-level or underground car parks will allow you to increase the surface area.
You have to think about the design of the parking space carefully. There should be feasibility studies that are carried out at the beginning of the project to see whether having a car park at this location is suitable and how it can affect the existing traffic pattern. You also have to consider safety concerns, maintenance and costs at this feasibility stage. The car parking can be provided for multiple uses. It can be a facility provided by the building whether it is an apartment or shopping centre and it can also be a public car park.
The design and structure of the car park should allow the users to enter and exit quickly without having to circle around too much. There shouldn’t be anything impeding movement such as columns in the middle of the drive path or parking. This can be inefficient.