Introduction
How many times have you parked your car in a public or private parking area? Shopping center, cinema, condominium, office… all these destinations and many others could have a space to leave vehicles parked.
In these places, colors are generally used to make it easier for motorists. In fact, it could be difficult to orient yourself in a space that is always the same, especially if it is indoors. The wall colors and those on the floor of the parking system guide you in the recovery of your vehicle. Have you ever wondered how you get that smooth and colored bottom that is so particular?
What characteristics must a covered parking lot floor have
Parking system floors must be made in compliance with certain requirements. The stresses they undergo are continuous and constant, since cars and heavy vehicles tread them continuously. It is no coincidence that there are specific certifications to guarantee their reliability.
Regardless of their size and location, parking system floors must have certain functional and aesthetic features:
- elasticity;
- anti-slip properties;
- resistance to wear, abrasion and chemical agents;
- impermeability to water, oil and fuels;
- ductility and ability to absorb the expansion of cracks in the subfloor (so-called crack-bridging);
- ease of maintenance and cleaning;
- the ability to customize.
Whether they are indoor or outdoor parking system, they must all be draining: the bottom of each parking area must guarantee reliability, just like the asphalt used to make roads.
Material for parking floors
The most popular material for the construction of parking floors is resin. It is chosen because it can boast remarkable performance and is highly customizable. Since the base must last over time, withstand continuous stress, have a high resistance to wear and tear and cope with heavy traffic, it will not be possible to use any type of resin but it will be necessary to lay the one certified for works of this type, as established by the categories of Specialized Works OS8, OS9, OS10, OS11.
The application of the resin layer on the simple concrete floor (the most common one used as a base for parking lots) guarantees complete compliance with the characteristics previously listed.
The concrete base is sufficient to absorb intense traffic rhythms and resist bad weather and temperature changes, but it has the defect of corroding over time, undermining its waterproofing and becoming slippery. Resin floors for parking system do not present these critical issues: they last longer, remaining draining for their entire life cycle.
Another possible solution is the use of polyurea: a coating elastomer used by spraying on the parking system floor that allows for a quick creation of the waterproofing coating. This material, less widespread than resin, has good elasticity and high mechanical resistance to traction and compression. Furthermore, it is not afraid of abrasions or acids or hydrocarbons.
How are parking lot floors made?
Parking lot floors are made starting from a concrete screed on which the resin is then applied homogeneously, in order to obtain a flat and draining surface. It must be continuous and uninterrupted, in order to avoid cracking due to the stresses caused by medium-heavy vehicles, such as those that usually move inside parking lots.
Multi-layer polyurethane resin systems, generally applied in covered multi-storey parking areas, are characterised by the considerable speed of installation as well as by their anti-dust properties and respond to all the specific characteristics previously listed.
Usually, the layer laid on the concrete is an epoxy resin (i.e. heat-hardened) that acts as a base for the upper levels. The stratification can be more or less thick. The levels that need special attention, of course, are the first, in contact with the concrete, and the last, on which cars and people move. The others are mainly reinforcements but they also contribute to waterproofing the base and making it more resistant to wear and atmospheric stimuli.
Just as important as the selection of the material ale is the preparation of the underlying ground. Both a long conservation of the covering material and perfect drainage depend on this preliminary work, which must be completed before laying the flooring. The difference between a surface that can remain dry even under prolonged downpours and the floor of an outdoor parking lot that will fill up with puddles near the entrances and exits is often due to greater accuracy in this phase. The porosity of the concrete and the water-repellent properties of the resin could in fact prove useless if the ground is not able to absorb adequately.