Inspecting and Maintaining Parking Garages

Commuters, residents, employees and visitors all rely on parking garages. Some parking garages can hold hundreds to thousands of vehicles. Because they are so integral to everyday life, it’s important that they are kept safe and up-to-date. Doing this protects the integrity of the structure as well as those who use it. 

Building managers should have a plan in place for routine maintenance and inspection of parking structures. If they don’t, the building could easily fall into disrepair and cause safety hazards or major renovations. 

Continue reading for recommendations on how to ensure the proper maintenance and inspection of parking garages.

Choose a Parking Garage Maintenance Strategy

When managing any kind of structure or building, it's important to choose a good maintenance strategy. Choosing a maintenance strategy will allow you to plan ahead and gauge how well you are keeping up with the structure. Here are five maintenance strategies to choose from:

1. Preventative maintenance: this kind of strategy means planning ahead and scheduling maintenance. A preventative strategy is best for owners and operators who have little construction or equipment expertise. 
2. Prescriptive maintenance: a strategy using prescriptive maintenance requires an analysis into the constructive and maintenance behavior of structures. This kind of strategy will require an expert in concrete systems to prescribe maintenance. 
3. Reactive maintenance: this strategy means repairing the structure after damage has already occurred. This is the least effective method of maintenance as it does not work to maintain structure integrity or increase safety. 
4. Reliability-centered maintenance (RCM): one of the best strategies possible, RCM requires an analysis into the consequences of structural failure. This analysis will help to inform a specific maintenance schedule and strategy that results in the utmost reliability and predictability.
5. Predictive maintenance: this kind of strategy encourages scheduling maintenance based on the condition of the structure. Aspects that may influence maintenance schedules are age of the structure and materials. 

Strategies like RCM and prescriptive maintenance are best for parking structures. However, other methods can be used to save time and money. 

Create an Inspection Checklist

Parking structure inspection is key to maintaining safety and building integrity. Building managers should develop an inspection checklist to use on a scheduled basis. Here are a few things to include in a parking garage inspection:

• Check structural features such as floor wear and tear, rust, water leaks or concrete cracks.
• Inspect roofing, doors, windows, tensioning systems and walls.
• Provide operational maintenance for plumbing, cashier booths, automatic gates, elevators, stairwells and other areas.
• Provide electrical maintenance for automated parking pass dispensers, light fixtures, appliances and other systems that use electricity function.
• Inspect hardware such as door handles, locks and window mechanisms. 
• Provide HVAC maintenance and inspection to check ventilation, air conditioning, heating and other HVAC concerns. 
• Conduct plumbing maintenance to check irrigation, sump pumps, bathrooms facilities and drains.
• Evaluate the aesthetics of the parking structure to ensure that signs, landscaping and lighting is all in good shape. 
• Test and inspect safety systems such as fire alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, handrail stability, elevator buttons, exit lighting and other safety precautions. 

If there are problems with any of the above, it is important to call a professional right away for repair or restoration services. 

Follow Local and State Guidelines

Many state Departments of Transportation and local governing bodies have information on the construction and maintenance of parking structures. While many of these guidelines are most relevant to the initial construction of the building, there are some that are applicable to parking garage maintenance and inspection. Some of these things may include standards for:

• Safety systems
• Electrical operations
• Barrier cables
• Signage and road surface marking

Building managers should check with their state’s Department of Transportation and any local governing entities or organizations to ensure compliance with all regulations.

Updating Safety Structures

Completing regular maintenance inspection checks allows building managers to know when certain safety systems need to be replaced. For example, carbon monoxide detectors and fire alarms should be replaced every ten years. Some items, such as guardrails, seem like they only need replacing when loose. However, these systems should be replaced on a regular basis to prevent accidents and damage from occurring. 

Some equipment, such as high tension barrier cables, are built to last for a long time. But, if a car runs into a barrier cable then the cable needs to be retensioned. These kinds of updates are important to complete and plan for. Using a predictive, prescriptive, RCM or preventative maintenance strategy is best for updating important safety structures in a timely manner. 

High Tension Barrier Cables for Parking Garages

One of the most important parts of parking structures is high tension barrier cables. These protect vehicles and pedestrians in a variety of ways. Choosing a company to install, maintain or improve these systems is key to receiving a quality product.

For top-notch high tension barrier cable installation, trust Tendon Systems. Our team is ready to provide excellent service through a variety of ways:

• Post-tensioning
• Engineering services
• High tension barrier cable installation
• Restoration services
• And more

To get in touch with a representative at Tendon Systems, call (678) 835-1100 or contact us online.