Parking Garages

Parking structures are subject to heavy, cyclic loading from vehicles and harsh environmental conditions from rain, snow, deicing chemicals, and wheel traffic. When located under a plaza with a failed horizontal waterproofing membrane system, water leakage through the plaza can cause extensive damage to the structure.

Maintenance of parking garages is often overlooked, and normal wear-and-tear and aging of the structure can create significant structural problems. In certain instances, these problems can pose a safety issue. In many cases, such as concrete structures with embedded steel post-tensioned systems, structural problems are concealed from view. If left unchecked, these problems can increase in severity on an accelerated basis. The costs associated with repairs to parking garages are often linked to the level of routine and preventative maintenance, or lack thereof.