Parking Today March 2009

Getting theMost Out of Your

Dollar from Page 27

type of resteel coating. Typically, the additional cover repre- sentsminimal cost to the owner or operator. Good Detailing Practices: The following detail items

cost very little, but provide for a sound garage design thatwill minimize futuremaintenance or structural issues: &#x2022; Draining water away fromexpansion joints. &#x2022; Isolating restraintmembers such as elevator shaftwalls,

ramp walls or crash rails to control cracking. &#x2022; Strategically locating shearwalls tominimize cracking. &#x2022; Providing a wash around columns and walls to keep

water away fromthese items. &#x2022; Sealing construction joints to keep water from getting

into the joint. Construction Administration: Proper construction

administration is key to ensuring a quality end product. It is therefore important that owners have a qualified parking design professionalmonitor the construction process careful- ly so the finished product meets specified requirements and reduces futuremaintenance costs.

Maintenance Decisions Once a new parking facility has been built, owners and

operators can take a few steps to minimize future repairs and add years to the life of the structure, often with little cost. These steps are sometimes overlooked, but they should become part of a regularly-scheduledmaintenance plan.This includes: &#x2022; Regularly sweeping the garage floor and cleaning/

clearing floor drains. &#x2022;Hosing down the parking deck surfaces in the spring to

remove salt or de-icing chemicals. &#x2022; Having your parking professional perform a periodic

walk-through to look for structural deficiencies, leaking or defective expansion joint seals, deteriorating sealants, etc. In today&#x2019;s economy, durability and maintenance play a

consistently larger role in the parking garage design. Owners and operatorsmust balance the up-front costs of certain deci- sions with the long-term cost savings.With proper planning and an understanding of the life-cycle costs and benefits, they will find it easier to balance their bottomline.

David Marshall, P.E., is a Principal at THP Limited. He can be contacted at dmarshall@thpltd.com.

PT

www.parkingtoday.com

28

MARCH 2009 &#x2022; PARKING TODAY &#x2022; www.parkingtoday.com

&#xE0B0;

&#xE001;

&#xE0B0;&#xE0B0;

&#xE02C; &#xE022;

&#xE031; &#xE020; &#xE00C;

&#xE02F;

&#xE022;

&#xE037;

&#xE020;

&#xE0B0;&#xE0B0;&#xE0B0;&#xE001;

&#xE02C;

&#xE022; &#xE031;

&#xE020;

&#xE00C;

&#xE02F;

&#xE02C;&#xE001;&#xE020;&#xE02D;

&#xE016;&#xE02F;&#xE02D;

&#xE0B0;&#xE0B0;&#xE0B0;&#xE0B0;

&#xE001;&#xE02C;&#xE022;

&#xE031;&#xE020;

&#xE00C;

&#xE015;&#xE022;

&#xE02D;&#xE02A;&#xE016;&#xE02F;&#xE001;

&#xE01D;&#xE02D;

&#xE0B0;&#xE0B0;&#xE0B0;

&#xE001;&#xE02C;&#xE022;

&#xE031;&#xE020;

&#xE00C; &#xE02A;&#xE001;

&#xE02C;&#xE01C;

&#xE02D;

Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 | Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 | Page 12 | Page 13 | Page 14 | Page 15 | Page 16 | Page 17 | Page 18 | Page 19 | Page 20 | Page 21 | Page 22 | Page 23 | Page 24 | Page 25 | Page 26 | Page 27 | Page 28 | Page 29 | Page 30 | Page 31 | Page 32 | Page 33 | Page 34 | Page 35 | Page 36 | Page 37 | Page 38 | Page 39 | Page 40 | Page 41 | Page 42 | Page 43 | Page 44 | Page 45 | Page 46 | Page 47 | Page 48 | Page 49 | Page 50 | Page 51 | Page 52 | Page 53 | Page 54 | Page 55 | Page 56 | Page 57 | Page 58 | Page 59 | Page 60 | Page 61 | Page 62 | Page 63 | Page 64