By Daniel L. Helmick, PE
When urgently arriving at a hospital, no one wants to think about where to park or whether it’s safe. With the recent flooding in South Florida, garages have been riddled with structural cracks causing leaks inside the garage, deteriorated caulking and pools of water lingering on the floor. Parking garages are unrelentingly used and continuously exposed to the outdoor elements, but that’s even more reason to ensure that hospitals and medical facilities invest in high-quality parking structures and regular maintenance to ensure their long-term health.
Now with the start of hurricane season, it’s even more important for hospitals and medical centers to consider the overall condition of their parking garages and make sure that the necessary preventative maintenance is in place to reduce long-term costly repairs and ensure user safety and functionality. Preventative maintenance is always less expensive than being forced to take corrective action.
Preventative maintenance is key.
To keep structures in good working condition to withstand the weight of vehicles and inclement weather, such as high wind speeds and excessive rain, it’s important to invest in a preventative maintenance program.
Make sure to choose a parking structure expert for the job and not just a handyman. High-end design build companies with extensive background building precast parking structures, like FINFROCK, are the best choice. The company’s preventative maintenance program is designed to increase the longevity of a parking structure and includes annual inspections. If major structural deficiencies are found, a structural audit will be done by a qualified engineer. In general, audits should be done every three to four years and at shorter intervals for garages older than 10 years. Cleaning and restoring of structural, architectural and mechanical components such as drainage, joint sealants, architectural metals, access control systems, HVAC systems and life safety and security systems are also included.
Unfortunately, if a parking structure has been neglected too long it may be too late for minor repairs. When major repairs are required, or a complete rebuild is the better choice, hospitals and medical facilities should choose a knowledgeable builder for the job who will serve as a trusted business partner.
Design-build companies help to cut costs.
Since time is often one of the greatest integers in any financial equation, choosing a fully integrated design-build company that understands how to maximize the efficiency of a parking structure and complete it in record time is always the wisest decision. Hiring one company to do the job from start to finish also means that there is a single source of responsibility for any changes to the project.
Companies like ours, who have erected more than 300 precast parking structures across the country, offer in-house design, manufacturing and construction services under one roof, which lowers the overall construction costs while ensuring that the parking garage is both functional and aesthetic.
Design-build companies who routinely design and build parking garages understand the process and often have years of experience allowing them to identify what works and what doesn’t to ensure a durable, low maintenance structure with reduced lifecycle costs. Because of this expertise, they can price and prepare orders early in the design development process with absolute cost certainty using an integrated cost-estimation system.
Time, waste and disruption can further be reduced when a modular construction method is used to build a parking garage, which reduces the construction costs associated with transportation, storage and waste. The modular construction process begins off-site with the manufacturing of all the precast concrete components. Once complete, the building pieces are transported to the construction site where they are stacked and assembled in a Lego-like fashion for efficient project completion.
Design-build experts offer better design choices for the future.
Once the decision has been made to build or rebuild a parking structure, planning for longevity should be top of mind. Not only is the quality of the new parking garage important, but hospitals and medical facilities will want to consider all the new available technology. Providing in-depth information and competitive pricing on these features is where a well-versed design-build company can really shine.
New parking guidance systems and sensors can indicate when space is or is not available on certain parking levels, making parking in an emergency faster and more efficient for patients and visitors who are in a hurry. Access control, security, revenue collection, charging stations and photovoltaic panels are also innovative new features to consider that streamline the parking experience and even generate additional revenue for a hospital or medical center.
Parking facilities that include environmentally friendly options can also promote cost-savings and long-term value. FINFROCK, for example, has installed solar roof panels on some parking garages to provide power to buildings and offset energy costs. The company also works with clients to integrate energy efficient LED lighting that often leads to a reduction in energy costs and substantial tax credits.
The long-term health of a parking garage should weigh heavily on any hospital and medical facility that seeks to provide the highest quality patient experience.
A strong design-build partner is the ideal business partner to provide quality structural maintenance, safe repairs and state-of-the-art parking garages at a reasonable cost.
Daniel L. Helmick, PE, Executive Vice President, Project Development at FINFROCK, can be reached at dhelmick@finfrock.com.
