Car park construction civil and structural engineers in-house effectively, working as one team. Although used in other areas of the construction industry, Simmons believes this approach is unique in the parking world. Weve been planning it for about five years, but it has taken time to make sure everything is in place, he says. The first job Stripe has managed fully in this way is the design of a new multi-storey car park for the University of Brighton, with space for 550 cars and 330 bicycles. The benefits are the efficiency of time, and the appropriateness quality of design, Simmons says. You can work collaboratively immediately and design out issues that become apparent as you go along. It is far easier to achieve BIM because you can ensure all data and information is joined up, and we can carry out clash detection much earlier on. It also helps to deliver the employers requirements the brief to ensure the client is getting exactly what they want. Future space One of the noticeable changes in recent years has been the increase in the size of motor vehicles. Simmons says bays are now often designed 100mm wider and 20mm longer than the traditional 2.4m by 4.8m bay. Obviously, this means fewer vehicles can be accommodated so there is a higher cost per space but Simmons believes bigger spaces make a car park more attractive to drivers. It is also building in future-proofing from day one, he explains. A lot of local authority planning departments are now saying you must go above and beyond the traditional size so the car park will remain fit for purpose for decades to come. Fire risk Since the fire at Kings Dock, Liverpool, on New Years Eve 2017, Simmons who is chair of the BPA Fire in Car Parks Working Group says there is a heightened awareness of fire risk in car parks. The group, which was in place before the Liverpool fire, has said for some time that the current guidelines on fire-safety strategy Approved Document B is outdated and based on unsuitable research and data. We are meeting the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to discuss this topic, with a view to updating Approved Document B, Simmons says. We are of the opinion that research testing needs to take place, because there is not enough data out there for us to understand risk properly. Electric cars and energy storage are going to change the profile of the risk; that needs to be defined so it can be taken into account when we design and operate these buildings. Already proven. Always innovating. Increased revenues Get more income from your garage via premium and conditional pricing. Our Park SelectRate API is all you need. No need for expensive gate systems and costly loss of spaces. Patented parking guidance system (PGS) solutions, with prominent field-proven installations in 35 countries and counting. The worlds only patented camera based PGS Our award winning smart-sensing technology redefined all expectations for a PGS. Already patented in the US, UK & AU with additional patents pending. Added security and safety With our Park Surveillance API, our smart-sensing systems can capture streaming video whenever motion is detected in a space. Or continuously if desired. Find Your Car completes the wayfinding loop. 57 West 38th Street, 11th Floor New York, NY 10018 +1 917-793-5400 www.parkassist.com A member of the TKH Group With our breakthrough Park Finder API, parkers can locate their vehicles by simply typing their plate number into a touchscreen kiosk, a smartphone app or an enabled pay station. 38 britishparking.co.uk PNFeb19 pp36-38 Construction.indd 38 23/01/2019 13:03