Multi-level parking.
Today, many multi-level parking lots are being built. This is especially true for large cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and other megacities. This is primarily due to the increasingly noticeable shortage of land for development and, at the same time, the ever-increasing fleet of cars. Add to this the rapid growth in the construction of commercial real estate, and it becomes clear why multi-level parking has become one of the main challenges faced by both parking manufacturers and installers.
Most business centers and shopping facilities, by their configuration, must have parking lots according to regulatory requirements. And the lack of free space forces these parking lots to be made multi-level — above-ground or underground. At the same time, more above-ground parking lots are being built. This is technologically simpler, much cheaper, and, accordingly, the required investments are orders of magnitude less. .
I would like to immediately point out a common problem for installers and companies that manufacture and supply equipment: the installation of the actual parking systems is extremely rarely included at the design and construction stage of the facility. That is, when an installer of technical parking equipment comes to the facility, as a rule, even the finishing work has already been completed. The situation when the designer says — here it is necessary to mount such-and-such a device in the ramp covering to control the passage of vehicles — and hears in response that, firstly, this will spoil the expensive tiles, and secondly, there are generally heated floors here to prevent ice from forming in the winter, is quite typical. As, incidentally, in many other facilities where it is necessary to install security systems. .
Usually, the owner of the parking lot tries to retroactively implement his vision of the organization of accounting for the passage and distribution of transport using technical means, while the existing architectural structure, unfortunately, does not always fit his vision. .
Therefore, equipping almost any multi-level parking is a non-standard task. Each new project contains a lot of nuances. .
The main difference of a multi-level structure is in the methods of transport access to the floors, as well as its distribution and accounting by floors. It should be said that there are GOSTs for the construction of parking lots. In accordance with them, parking lots must be equipped with fire alarm systems, drainage systems, etc. I will also note such an important requirement as the presence of separated entry and exit lanes. Reversible lanes in a multi-level parking lot are unacceptable, because during rush hour, when a large number of cars enter or leave the parking lot, the probability of traffic jams is very high. .
Another point is the need for bright and clear means of designating and distributing cars across floors. A good multi-level parking lot should have large signs indicating the further movement of a car moving along a ramp to a floor, there should be a bright indication of the availability of free spaces on this floor. Navigation between floors is also important, because even an experienced driver, having found himself in a confined parking space, can get confused. Therefore, it is necessary to work out the routing of each floor in advance, in which cars are parked on the floor as quickly and conveniently as possible and just as quickly leave the parking lot, preferably along separated routes. The fewer intersections, the better. It is clear that you cannot do without intersections at all, and their presence, as well as the search for paths and the choice of means for regulation are the main headache of installers of parking systems. And the root of the non-standard nature of any parking solution. .
It is completely understandable and explicable that the owner wants to have as many parking spaces as possible in his parking lot. But such an approach, as a rule, leads to overcrowding and the appearance of a considerable number of intersections. They need to be regulated. It is clear that you cannot appoint a traffic police officer, and the proposal to use special means, of which, by the way, there are many, often causes discontent and bewilderment of the customer. He is not always ready to pay for it. .
Technically, these problems can be solved by installing driveway sensors, such as the same induction loops that react to the appearance of vehicles. Regulation is carried out using traffic lights. But, I will not be afraid to repeat myself, if the parking lot is completely ready and the interior decoration is complete, it is not always possible to convince the customer that induction loops built into the floor are a reliable and proven means. Then you can use photocells. They are also cheaper. True, in terms of reliability, they are still inferior to induction loops. For example, in such an important indicator as the number of false alarms. People, and in open parking lots — and animals often provoke these very false alarms. .
You can use video analytics, but video surveillance requires good lighting, and it is not always available in the parking lot. In general, video surveillance at the same parking intersections should be in order, for example, in the event of damage to cars and litigation on this matter, there is a real picture. But it is expensive. Few customers agree to this. .
When equipping intersections and exit points from a floor to a ramp, we recommend installing, in addition to traffic lights, barriers (barriers) that open on command from a photocell or induction loop. This disciplines traffic participants, does not allow them to break the rules, drive in the oncoming lane, etc. These are additional expenses, but the owner can be calm about some difficult sections. .
As for the accounting of parking spaces on each floor, the situation is as follows. The standard option: floor-by-floor accounting, when a car, entering a floor, passes through a section of photocells or induction loops, and the cars that have entered are counted. When leaving, the situation is reversed. It is quite easy for the operator to count the number of free spaces. There are other options. For example, an ultrasonic sensor and a bright LED indicator are hung above each parking space, glowing green when the space is free and red when it is occupied. What possible problems should be taken into account? First, the frost resistance of the system. Second, the correct selection of cables and design of the cable system, with the help of which all sensors and indicators are collected in a hub, which is connected to the computer. Plus, a dynamic board is hooked up to this system, showing how many free or occupied spaces there are in the parking lot at a particular moment. There are other problems. The main one is cost. According to experts, the cost of equipping one such parking space is about 10,000 rubles. .
Other options are offered by manufacturers of digital video surveillance. Cameras with motion detectors that monitor a certain sector and transmit information about whether there is a car at that moment or not, in multi-level parking lots, as a rule, are not applicable due to the rather specific geometry of the space and low ceilings. .
Reflective reflectors, various warning and guiding signs, spherical mirrors in blind turns, and speed bumps are important accessories. In single-story parking lots, all of these are additional elements. In multi-story parking lots, they are vital components of the system. .
Another point is the organization of the payment system, if the parking is paid. Payment points should be taken out of the traffic zone, but located close enough to the parking lot itself, so that a person, having paid for parking services, can immediately leave. The main thing is that payment points should not be located at the points of passage. There should only be identification: whether the parking has been paid for or not. Queues on the ramp should not be created. .
It is imperative to designate the time of free exit. Depending on the complexity and configuration of the parking lot and its occupancy at different times of the day, it can be different. .
If we talk about parking lots with permanent parking spaces, the situation is simpler there. Owners or tenants of parking spaces are more disciplined. The recommendations for equipping with navigation tools are approximately the same. But accounting of free/occupied parking spaces, of course, is not necessary. .
There are usually VIP sectors in such parking lots. They are closed with blocking devices, primarily barriers, and access control systems are mounted on them, with the help of which access to vehicles of a particular organization or persons of a certain status is provided. .
This is already a parking system, more biased towards access control systems or vehicle accounting systems.
