Britain’s Institution of Structural Engineers (ISE) has launched up to date design steerage for multi-story automotive parks, or parking garages for individuals on the opposite aspect of the Atlantic however we must always take notice right here within the U.S. Many parking garages weren’t constructed to deal with the present panorama of heavier vehicles. The hefty battery packs in electrical autos are an element within the improve, however even the standard combustion automotive on the highway is getting heavier.
The ISE determined it have to reassess parking storage requirements for 2 causes: The improve in common automobile weight and the proliferation of electrical autos. The improve in weight wasn’t attributable to particular person fashions getting heavier, however by the popularization of heavier automotive courses. SUVs and pickup vans are proving simply as widespread within the UK as they’re right here within the U.S. In a launch, ISE famous:
The common automobile’s weight has risen from 1.5 tons in 1974 to nearly 2 tons at this time – on account of electrical and hybrid batteries and the scale of vehicles rising. This additional load and the altering hearth security necessities are all issues not only for new automotive parks, however for present buildings too.
Electric autos are one other concern as EVs aren’t any solely heavier than their combustion counterparts, but additionally use parking areas differently. Garages have turn out to be a handy place to put in charging stations, that means that the construction must bear the load of autos being saved for longer durations. The steerage can also be tailored to cope with lithium-ion battery fires.
Ensuring that parking buildings are secure isn’t only a matter of defending costly machines, but additionally defending the lives of drivers, passengers and storage workers. ISE talked about the significance of studying from earlier collapses:
“Car park safety is paramount, especially given the learnings from structural failures, including the Pipers Row floor collapse in Wolverhampton, UK in 1997. And this guidance is made increasingly relevant with the recent, tragic collapse of a car park in Manhattan, New York which is currently being investigated.”
The parking construction collapse in New York killed one individual and injured six extra. A parking storage connected to a hospital in Florida additionally collapsed final month, fortunately leading to no deaths or accidents however leaving 111 vehicles trapped indefinitely within the rubble. Both occasions are nonetheless underneath investigation.
Source: jalopnik.com