STRUCTURE & ASSET MANAGEMENT FEATURE
standards throughout the country, but it has come to light that Eurocodes, which are now being used to design public car parks, are inconsistent with British Standards in so far as the loading criteria for edge protection is inadequate. An accident could lead to a serious catastrophe, especially in some imported car park systems that incorporate fragile mesh impact barriers. Sadly, there is a misconception that if the design originates from Europe then it must be satisfactory.
Preparing for the future To assist owners and operators in understanding their legal requirements, SAMSIG has prepared parking practice note (PPN) 30 entitled ‘Liability for Car Park Maintenance’. This document not only reviews current legislation, but also explains how each person involved in the day-to-day operation of the car park has a duty of care and a legal responsibility. It gives recommendations on how to ensure compliance with these requirements and how to achieve this without unnecessary expenditure. Preparing and implementing a life-care plan is the most cost-effective and systematic way of managing the asset and ensuring that its value is maintained. The Safer Parking Scheme promotes Llfe-care planning through ParkMark and encourages owners and operators to have one in place as part of the Award. The BPA’s Master Plan also recognises the benefi ts of life-care planning and recommends owners and operators to set aside money from income streams to fund routine structural inspections and essential maintenance.
An accident waiting to happen Based upon advice from SAMSIG, the BPA has submitted a report to government highlighting some of the car parks that have been closed with structural fears and to the detriment of the local economy. The report also identifi es that a self-regulating system does not work in practice and, sooner or later, there will be a serious collapse. Legislation is therefore required to ensure that owners and operators set aside suffi cient funds to fulfi l their legal obligations. Demolition of the car parks that have been closed with structural fears has revealed that the structural condition is worse than originally anticipated, and one car park actually collapsed during demolition. This is a serious issue that needs to be publicised more widely. Provision of good quality, affordable parking was identifi ed by Mary Portas as
www.britishparking.co.uk
Developments in paint systems is one of the innovations that is improving car park excellence
fundamental to ensuring the revitalisation of our high streets, and unless we invest and maintain the assets currently in place, then we will fall short in achieving this objective. Also and more worryingly, even though some of our car parks are making money and parking charges are increasing, we are potentially leaving a legacy of inadequately maintained buildings for the next generation to sort out. Interestingly, this situation is not unique to the UK and since submission of the report to government, there have been reported collapses in Canada, Abu Dhabi, Sydney and the USA.
We are potentially leaving a legacy of
inadequately maintained buildings for the next generation to sort out
Excellence comes through innovation, and some of the new developments which will impact on the future design of car parks include paint systems which absorb airborne contaminants and then release clean air; and the changes in control systems with ticketless parking and automatic number plate recognition. This has signifi cantly altered the manner in which the entry/exit system is controlled, and the dynamic effi ciency of the car park, especially where the governing factor is the number of vehicles that can pass through the control barriers. Also, smart technology built into modern vehicles enables drivers to fi nd a car park, pre-book and pay for a parking space – designers should embrace this technology in the design of the next generation of car parks.
ABOUT the AUTHOR: Chris Whapples is chair of SAMSIG
FEBRUARY 2013 35
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