Snow Removal 101 for Parking Structures

Do you maintain a parking structure or parking garage at your facility?

When winter hits, are you truly prepared to take care of the snow and ice buildup?

Before the snow hits, there are some items to add to your to-do list that will make snow clearing easier and will help ensure you avoid costly repairs when the snow finally melts.

1. Don’t use metal or steel snowplow blades in the garage! Use urethane or heavy rubber edges.
2. Only use de-icing agents that are parking garage-friendly! Sodium acetate, potassium acetate, and calcium magnesium acetate are good to use in advance of snowfall. Avoid sodium chloride (rock salt), calcium chloride, and ammonium nitrate in a garage as these accelerate corrosion of reinforcing!
3. Don’t store large piles of snow on the roof. Large snow piles get heavy over time and can quickly exceed the live load limits of the structure or garage.
4. In between snowfalls, make it a habit to use snow melt machines or over-the-side dumping to remove large snow piles from the garage.

Visit our website to read the entire list and learn more about parking garage restoration!

IEI Specializes in Parking Garage Restoration

We’ve been helping owners reduce parking garage restoration costs since 1995. Unlike most other building systems that are protected by a conditioned building envelope, parking structures are directly exposed to the elements which results in exponential or accelerated deterioration. Therefore, early and inexpensive parking garage restoration practices produce a ROI much higher than that of other building systems.

Contact us today for a quote.

Protect Your Parking Garage From Heavy Snow

Winter is far from over in the Northeast and Midwest!

Is your parking structure properly prepped for any inclement weather?

Have you noticed in between snow clearings that your parking structure is starting to show spalls or leaks?
Before the snow hits, there are some items to add to your to-do list that will help ensure you avoid costly repairs when the snow finally melts.

Visit our website to read the full article about winter parking garage restoration!

IEI Specializes in Parking Garage Restoration

We’ve been helping owners reduce parking garage restoration costs since 1995. Unlike most other building systems that are protected by a conditioned building envelope, parking structures are directly exposed to the elements which results in exponential or accelerated deterioration. Therefore, early and inexpensive parking garage restoration practices produce a ROI much higher than that of other building systems

Our engineers are glad to walk your facility and let you know of any conditions that require immediate attention and what maintenance activities you can perform now to extend the life of your facility. Since the back of IEI business cards contain a crack gauge, you can easily evaluate any cracks within your structure to determine if it is of concern. Give us a call today!

Consequences of Putting off Major Parking Structure Restoration Projects

If problems are ignored, the harsh environment in garages, including corrosive deicing chemicals, freeze-thaw cycling, and the stress of thousands of vehicles traversing the deck, will quickly accelerate deterioration into hazardous conditions.

Many see the outwardly rugged nature of a parking structure and assume that they are indestructible and require little maintenance. Unfortunately, this is simply not true.

Many parking structures lack a true building envelope, and instead leave their structural components exposed to the elements. This leads to deterioration before construction has even completed. This deterioration is often ignored until a critical failure has occurred, resulting in much higher maintenance costs and risk of property damage, injury, or even death.

Don’t Defer Routine Parking Structure Maintenance!

Reactive maintenance represents the cost of doing nothing. If routine maintenance is deferred for too long, the costs will add up, leading to a situation in which maintenance costs outprice those of demolition and construction of a new structure. This leads to a smaller amount of parking spots for your facility, and potentially unhappy visitors.

If you own or operate a parking structure, a good maintenance program is required to prevent costs from adding up exponentially down the line. A plan should be developed to account for the structural, operational, and aesthetic components of the parking structure’s design. Maintenance should be performed proactively rather than reactionarily!

Read the full article on our website!

The IEI Structural Engineering Advantage

Our engineers at IEI specialize in parking structure restoration. We’ll walk your facility and let you know of any conditions that require immediate attention and what maintenance activities you can perform now to extend the life of your facility. Give us a call today!

Don't Put off Routine Parking Structure Restoration Projects!

There are many factors that influence the prediction of how long a parking structure will last and at what point you will need to tear it down and rebuild.

Parking structures are unique in that the structure is directly exposed to the elements, unlike a building structure that is protected by a Building Envelope. Exposure includes moisture, freezing temperatures, deicing salts, thermal expansion and contraction, and dynamic vehicle loads.

All these elements work to degrade the structure and start doing so even before the structure is open to patrons. After that, degradation accelerates over time. The only way to extend the life of a parking structure is with maintenance, the cost of which can be minimized with proper timing and help you avoid parking structure restoration projects.

Whether your parking structure is a multi-level garage or a few below-grade levels under a high-rise building, proactive condition assessment and diligent maintenance are imperative.

Read the full article on our website! 

The IEI Structural Engineering Advantage

Our engineers at IEI specialize in parking structure restoration. We’ll walk your facility and let you know of any conditions that require immediate attention and what maintenance activities you can perform now to extend the life of your facility. Give us a call today!

 

Indications You Need Parking Structure Restoration

Parking structures are an integral part of cities all across the country, providing visitors and their vehicles with a place to park and shelter from the elements. They also often provide access to offices and housing.

The challenging part of maintaining a parking structure is the onslaught of environmental stressors like moisture, expansion and contraction, carbonation, and everyday wear-and-tear. Vehicles regularly entering parking structures cause dynamic loads, and leave oil, water, and other debris behind, not to mention the salt and de-icers in winter climates that are left behind during inclement weather.

Facility managers have a tough job when it comes to maintaining parking garages and protecting them from deterioration. How can you avoid costly repairs?

• Ponding: Standing water is a huge issue in parking structures that can cause a tremendous amount of damage over time if not addressed early. Drain installation can prevent future, larger problems.
• Expansion joint failure: Detecting expansion joint problems and reacting quickly to make repairs is very beneficial in the long run. Failed joints provide another avenue for water to reach the reinforcing steel and connector plates.
• Horizontally or vertically cracked concrete: Concrete that has spalled or is cracking represents areas of potential structural damage that needs to be addressed. Cracks let water reach the structure’s reinforcing steel causing it to erode.
• Exposed rebar: If you can see rebar, it deserves immediate attention. Introduced to water, rebar corrodes and expands up to eight times its original size. This is due to water penetration into the concrete.

Read more about protective coatings and parking structure restoration on our website!

Avoid Costly Repairs by Maintaining Your Parking Structure

Water is the number 1 cause of parking structure deterioration. Water-saturated concrete can freeze, expand, and spall. Combined with oxygen, water can also cause corrosion of the concrete reinforcing.

Exposure to deicing salts accelerates this process. As reinforcing steel expands as it rusts, this process also leads to concrete spalling. Spalled concrete provides less cover or protection of the reinforcing which leads to further (and accelerated) deterioration if not repaired in a timely manner.

The IEI Structural Engineering Advantage

Our engineers at IEI specialize in parking structure restoration. We’ll walk your facility and let you know of any conditions that require immediate attention and what maintenance activities you can perform now to extend the life of your facility. Give us a call today!

Protective Surface Coatings for Parking Structures

A parking structure provides an essential service. Whether your parking structure is a multi-level garage or a few below-grade levels under a high-rise building, proactive condition assessment and diligent maintenance are imperative.

If problems are ignored, the harsh environment in garages, including corrosive deicing chemicals, freeze-thaw cycling, and the stress of thousands of vehicles traversing the deck, will quickly accelerate deterioration into hazardous conditions.

Did you know a protective coating in your parking structure can keep your facility performing well and save money? The right coating can reduce your maintenance over time by keeping your surfaces clean, good-looking, and intact. They can also safeguard your building’s interior and exterior from the elements and mishaps that can occur because of constant vehicle traffic.

What are the options for parking garage coatings?

You should explore a variety of coating options, including those meant for extreme environments:

1. Epoxy: Untreated concrete can wear out easily, and polished concrete lacks the traction necessary to make smooth turns in the confined spaces of a busy garage. Epoxy flooring can increase the strength of the flooring while ensuring the underlying slab is protected from damage. Epoxy can help repel oil, grease, brake fluid, and de-icing salts.
   
   
2. Slip-resistant floor coatings: From wet spots under leaky vehicles to coffee spills, garages with slick floors can be dangerous. An aluminum oxide additive to a floor coating helps prevent dangerous slip and falls.

Read more about protective coatings and parking structure restoration on our website!

The IEI Structural Engineering Advantage

Our engineers at IEI specialize in parking structure restoration. We’ll walk your facility and let you know of any conditions that require immediate attention and what maintenance activities you can perform now to extend the life of your facility. Give us a call today!

Best Practices for Snow and Ice Removal on Parking Structures

Do you maintain a parking structure or parking garage at your facility?

When winter hits, are you truly prepared to take care of the snow and ice buildup?

Before the snow hits, there are some items to add to your to-do list that will make snow clearing easier and will help ensure you avoid costly repairs when the snow finally melts.

1. Don’t use metal or steel snowplow blades in the garage! Use urethane or heavy rubber edges.
   
   
2. Only use de-icing agents that are parking garage-friendly! Sodium acetate, potassium acetate, and calcium magnesium acetate are good to use in advance of snowfall. Avoid sodium chloride (rock salt), calcium chloride, and ammonium nitrate in a garage as these accelerate corrosion of reinforcing!

Visit our website to read the entire list, and learn more about parking structure inspection!

Innovative Engineering Specializes in Parking Structure Inspection

Innovative Engineering has been helping owners with parking structure inspection since 1995. Unlike most other building systems that are protected by a conditioned building envelope, parking structures are directly exposed to the elements which results in exponential or accelerated deterioration. Therefore, early and inexpensive parking garage restoration practices produce a ROI much higher than that of other building systems

Our engineers are glad to walk your facility and let you know of any conditions that require immediate attention and what maintenance activities you can perform now to extend the life of your facility. Since the back of IEI business cards contain a crack gauge, you can easily evaluate any cracks within your structure to determine if it is of concern. Give us a call today!

Prep Your Parking Structure for Snow and Ice

Is your parking structure properly prepped for any inclement weather?

Have you noticed in between snow clearings that your parking structure is starting to show spalls or leaks?

Before the snow hits, there are some items to add to your to-do list that will help ensure you avoid costly repairs when the snow finally melts.

Visit our website to read the full article about winter parking structure inspection!

Innovative Engineering Specializes in Parking Structure Inspection

Innovative Engineering has been helping owners with parking structure inspection since 1995. Unlike most other building systems that are protected by a conditioned building envelope, parking structures are directly exposed to the elements which results in exponential or accelerated deterioration.

Therefore, early and inexpensive parking garage restoration practices produce a ROI much higher than that of other building systems

Our engineers are glad to walk your facility and let you know of any conditions that require immediate attention and what maintenance activities you can perform now to extend the life of your facility. Since the back of IEI business cards contain a crack gauge, you can easily evaluate any cracks within your structure to determine if it is of concern. Give us a call today!