A new generation of parking
Automatic and mechanical parking solutions are spreading in cities all over the world. The advantages of creating such infrastructures are many.
Technology has paved the way for a new concept of the garage, based on pillars such as lower environmental impact and the reduction of the quantity of materials needed for containment works, low construction costs and high speed of execution, reduced volume for the same number of parking spaces and, last but not least, the general improvement of local environmental quality.
The legislation dating back to 1989, the so-called Tognoli law, trying to provide an effective response to the parking problem caused by car overcrowding, authorized property owners to “build, in their basements, or in the rooms located on the ground floor of the buildings, parking lots to be used for the individual real estate units.” Municipalities were also allowed to “provide, within the urban program, the construction of parking lots to be used for the pertinence of private properties, on municipal areas or in the basement of the same.”
This decree encourages solutions of this type. Rather small basements are sufficient to insert an automated garage: a space of 8×8 meters is enough. A considerable advantage of these structures is their flexibility. Underground mechanical parking is adapted to every need and peculiarity of the specific lot.
This is just one difference between mechanized and ramp parking, the main one, but there are also others.
Ramp or automated parking?
Before highlighting further differences between ramp and mechanized parking, let’s see what is meant by these terms.
Ramp parking
Let’s think of a ramp parking lot. We think of a bulky infrastructure that requires large spaces. Its environmental and visual impact is considerable. In cities, and in large commercial complexes, parking areas of this type are very common. The difference between this concept and that of mechanized parking lots (sometimes also called mechanical) or automatic parking lots is considerable. The latter use technological systems that are not provided for in ramp stalls.
When we talk about automation for parking, there is a further difference to highlight.
Mechanized parking systems
Generally, a mechanized or mechanical parking lot is recommended for smaller spaces. These are areas developed vertically, for parking a single vehicle or a few more, moved from the surface to a basement. It can include only a car lift to arrange the cars or the addition of a space that allows the vehicle to move above it. It is the ideal solution for medium-small parking lots, located in basements, courtyards or gardens. It consists of a single mechanical device: single doubler, battery-powered, car lift, mushroom or retractable system.
Automated parking
When you have to accommodate many cars, it is advisable to install an automated parking. These systems are divided into three categories:
- systems with vertical movements consist of a car lift that positions the cars by moving up and down, parking them in the first available space. Visually, it performs the same operation as the employee who places goods on the shelves;
- stacker cranes, similar to the previous ones, use a moving tower that moves horizontally on a track, on board of which an elevator goes up and down. It is the same system that transports the cars and then lifts them, in order to park them in a free space. Automation is, in this case, more streamlined and efficient;
- rotating elevator systems use a rotating plate to deposit and collect the cars from the parking areas. This optimizes the space even more, allowing a large number of cars to be stored in a small space, taking advantage of the rotation of the plate.
You can think of an automated parking lot as a large container, inside which not only the parked cars are placed, but also the entire apparatus necessary for their movement. The construction of these areas includes civil, plant and finishing works, generally carried out together. The times depend on the size of the area and the number of parking spaces.
Systems of this type are particularly suitable for medium-large car parks.
The most advantageous choice
Having clarified what mechanized and automated car parks are, let’s now see what differentiates them from a conventional ramp parking space.
By opting for a mechanical system, you can forgo the helical ramp, or the sloping one, inside the car park. In their place, you can place other parking spaces. With the same volume, a mechanized area will contain many more vehicles: in some cases, it will be possible to gain up to 40% of space! This implies the possibility of installing automated car parks even in areas restricted by a ramp system, or wherever there are constraints that do not allow their elevation, such as historic centres or protected areas.
Another difference between lots with a ramp and automatic or mechanized car parks is the lower need for excavation depth. This aspect may seem marginal but in reality it not only involves a saving of money for those who take charge of the work, but also a greater stability of the building, as the underlying layer will not be affected. Since these are less invasive construction sites, the time needed to complete the works will be shorter.
Then there is a considerable list of advantages for the motorist. First of all, convenience: a mechanized parking lot does not involve difficulty in maneuvering behind the wheel: the system will park for you, safely and with the engine off. No emissions of any kind will be released while parking, as the car will in fact already be stationary and the translator will take care of moving it, which does not produce environmental or acoustic pollution. Even in this case, we are faced with a big difference.
If you are interested in the possibility of installing a system of this kind inside your property and would like to find out more, contact the workers at Svecom Parking Solutions today.