Introduction
The term car lift identifies a real car lift. It is generally made up of a platform, or a platform in chequered sheet metal with a steel load-bearing frame where the vehicle is placed, on it we find two blocks, one front and one rear, in correspondence with the wheel axles, called to guarantee the safety of the vehicle by avoiding any movement during vertical movement. Outside the compartment there is a service room where the control panel and electric control unit are located.
Characteristics and dimensions of a car lift
Svecom Parking Solutions car lifts, like any type of lift, have different dimensions and characteristics, often customized based on the place where they will be positioned. Typically, a 65-70 centimeter housing pit is dug and the supply voltage is maintained at 220 single-phase volts or 380 three-phase volts. The lifting capacity is around 2,500 kg and the standard speed is around 15 centimeters per second.
These devices require specific safety requirements, such as an emergency generator that allows automatic return to the floor and opening of the door in the event of a blackout, mandatory on every car lift, or buttons for blocking, alarm and anti-theft. Depending on the model, the car lift can work with or without a driver on board and have a cover or not.
The lifting system in these parking systems is often hydraulic and the hydraulic power unit, high pressure, or electric traction. The use is simple: just position yourself on the platform and allow the computerized system to authorize parking in the first available space (if there is more than one). Each space will be marked with an identification code to allow the safe recovery of the vehicle. The completion times of the operation are rapid, between five and eight minutes, during which noise and vibrations are reduced to a minimum.
Why a car lift is the best solution
In our increasingly crowded cities, the number of cars continues to grow while the availability of space becomes increasingly smaller. To overcome this problem, you can use alternative car parking systems, such as the car lift. The advantages offered by this solution are in fact multiple in terms of better space management.
A car lift not only makes your life easier, allowing you to park without having to perform any complicated maneuvers, but also protects the environment and architecture, especially in the case of a retractable model.
In a historic center, for example, it is possible to maintain the original structure of ancient or protected buildings, without sacrificing the installation of modern parking systems capable of holding a large number of cars. The space needed to install a car lift is rather limited: normally, it is enough to have 5.5 meters in length and 3 in height, a smaller area than that needed for the construction of a concrete ramp.
Cost and rules for use of a car lift
How much does a car lift with the characteristics highlighted cost? Establishing this is not easy, since there are numerous variables. The aspects taken into consideration in the estimate phase are the following:
- Type of operation: car lifts are not all the same. They can be rotating, translating, with lateral pistons, pantograph and so on… depending on the specific choices, the cost of assembly varies;
- Technical features: dimensions, capacity, number of stops, power supply and height of the difference in level… even from this point of view, there are numerous expense items that can increase the final price;
- Finishes and aesthetic choices: another amount to consider; optional and customizations can be really expensive.
In a very indicative way, it can be said that the price for the installation of a car lift in a single-family home starts from 20,000/25,000 euros plus VAT, excluding doors and installation.
The legislation obliges anyone who chooses to equip themselves with car lifts to comply with the environmental sustainability and energy saving requirements indicated in the ministerial decree of 1/2/1986 and its subsequent implementations. The measure refers explicitly to garages without a ramp with access from a mechanical car lift at point 3.7.2, indicating that an underground parking lot with parking for no more than 30 vehicles must ensure that it comply with the following conditions before being able to insert a lift:
- The car lift compartment must be protected from the parking area by fireproof separation structures (REI 90) and the adjoining room must be uncovered or equipped with the same protection measures;
- The car lift must be equipped with an automatic auxiliary device for the power supply in the event of a power failure, with generator power sufficient for all safety systems;
- The autonomy of the emergency lighting system must last at least 30 minutes;
- The regulations for using the system, with the limitations and operating requirements, must be visible and consultable from the outside;
- A fixed automatic sprinkler-type extinguishing system must be installed on the entire area intended for parking vehicles.
As a rule, every six months the company that built the car lift is required to carry out routine maintenance operations, which include various interventions such as cleaning the perimeter channel, checking the sealing of the closing cap, ensuring the roof is correctly centered and checking the leveling of the floor. By carrying out these operations, extraordinary interventions will be avoided, the costs of which could become onerous.