The rapid development of the automotive industry has caused problems related to parking and garaging cars. This primarily affects urban areas, where there is no longer space to build traditional parking lots – especially in city centers. This has forced the need to look for other, modern solutions that would optimize the use and development of available land.
One of the ways to help solve this nuisance is automated high-capacity garages. They allow for the effective use of space both underground and on the surface, mainly thanks to precise positioning systems (the error does not exceed a few millimeters), which precisely place cars in designated spots.
Compared to traditional multi-level parking lots built in cities near large shopping centers, enterprises, or airports, automated garages are better because:
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drivers do not waste time looking for places to park their vehicles. The car retrieval time can be reduced to about 1 minute. Contrary to appearances, this is not just a saving of time – it naturally reduces exhaust emissions into the atmosphere and the level of noise released, which of course has a beneficial effect on the environment
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automated garages are often much safer than traditional ones, not only due to the reduced risk of theft – the number of collisions and accidents in which both drivers and passengers are exposed to health risks is reduced to zero
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the operation of automated car parking systems does not generate high costs. Usually, one operator is enough to manage the garage facility (minimization of personnel costs). The costs of lighting, building ventilation, and maintaining proper cleanliness in typical concrete structures are disproportionately lower than those occurring with traditional parking spaces. Automated parking lots bring about 30% to 40% in operational savings.
Companies specializing in the design and installation of high-capacity garages offer a wide range of solutions, depending on the individual needs of customers and the purpose of the automated parking lots. Different automatic car parking systems are used depending on the requirements for system speed, parking capacity (which can range from a few to even several thousand vehicles), or the available usable area, both underground and above ground.
Automatic parking – Parking Tower
The parking tower is designed to move vehicles placed on platforms in a vertical direction using an elevator. The cars are then transferred in a horizontal direction (to the right or left) to place them in the appropriate parking spaces assigned by the computer system. The aforementioned computer systems allow for the free and fast operation of automated parking lots even in the case of an increased number of customers reporting a desire to retrieve their vehicle (Figure 1).
Parking towers currently offered by manufacturers are also built on a circular basis, which turns out to be an even greater saving of used area (up to 400% compared to traditional high-capacity parking lots). On an area of only 20 x 20 m, it is possible to place up to 300 cars (Figure 2).
A great advantage of parking towers is the very low level of noise and vibration, which is achieved through the use of modern solutions, such as urethane rollers used to transfer vehicles from the elevator to the appropriate parking space. Parking towers are an ideal solution for large and medium-sized buildings. They can also be used as free-standing garages for purely commercial purposes.
Another plus of using automated parking towers is the ease of their construction and the possibility of quick dismantling, transport to another location, and reassembly.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 6/2010.