FEATURE STRUCTURE & ASSET MANAGEMENT
Keeping one step ahead
Chris Whapples looks at the challenges faced by the Structures and Asset Management Special Interest Group (SAMSIG)
A
re we facing the challenges with our ageing multi-storey car parks, or just simply burying our head in the
sand? Yes, it is true that structures last a long time, but they will not last forever without some loving care and attention.
Assessing what needs to be done and when to do it can appear to be a black art, but the basic knowledge is well within the grasp of the layperson. Also, changes in legislation and health and safety issues has put greater demands on owners and operators to keep up to date to minimise the risk of falling foul of current requirements. One of the most important functions of SAMSIG is to ensure that everyone knows about the latest developments and also how to go about providing that loving care and attention in a timely way. As an example, members have raised concerns on how to maintain their car parks in the winter as there was no previous guidance about whether and how to de-ice or deal with snow on exposed parking decks. SAMSIG has addressed these issues and given recommendations in parking practice note
34 FEBRUARY 2013
(PPN) 35 entitled ‘Winter Maintenance in Car Parks’, which is free to download by members from the library on the BPA website. Legislation drives change in all walks of life and car parks are no exception as they probably top the list of riskiest types of building to own and operate. In no other building is the general public allowed to enter with vehicles of varying characteristics and with drivers of mixed ability. Occasionally, drivers lose control of their vehicles and run into the structure, or cars spontaneously catch fi re. Needless to say, the motorist demands an acceptable level of safety, especially if paying to park in the facility. The fi re issue, particularly in basement car parks and where there are stacker systems, is currently being considered by the Building Research Establishment with input from SAMSIG, as there is an increasing need for sprinkler systems to suppress fi res before they become too intense and ignite adjacent vehicles or cause damage to the building structure.
Members of the public would and should expect car parks to be designed to the same
www.britishparking.co.uk
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