Parking structures Size matters In the second feature in our series, Chris Whapples, parking and structural consultant at Stripe Consulting, discusses the changing needs of car park structures sk any motorist and they will tell you that not being able to find a parking space is annoying and frustrating, but even worse is finding a space and not being able to fit your car in it. Most of us have experienced damage to our cars by careless door opening, but is this just inconsiderate behaviour or a result of spaces being too small? It is hard to believe that the width of spaces hasnt changed for 100 years. Cars typically change form every 10 years, while car parks tend to stay the same. In 1920s America, the peoples car was the Model T Ford, which was around 1,675mm wide. At that time, American design standards recommended a parking lot to be 2,285-2,590mm wide. Britain followed suit and, by the 1930s, had constructed a number of self-park, multistorey car parks (MSCPs), several of which are still in use today. The internal layout of these car parks is essentially the same as when first constructed, as shown in the example of the recently refurbished 1930s-era Talbot Road MSCP in Blackpool. In 1976, the first edition of the I Struct E Design recommendations for multi-storey and underground car parks A was published, with a recommended width of bays between 2,300mm for long-stay parking and 2,500mm for short-stay parking. The standard bay for general parking was 2,400mm wide, similar to the style used in 1920s America, and hasnt changed to this day. The trend in the 1970s was for smaller cars, but as motorists became richer they demanded increased levels of luxury. By the 1990s, they were choosing 4x4s and multi-purpose vehicles over the hatchback or saloon. Soon, these evolved into sports utility vehicles (SUVs) that could do everything from the school run to holidays in the Alps. Needless to say, combining everything in one vehicle, along with additional safety features, meant that it became larger. The shrinking car-door gap When a car door is opened, a gap of around 400mm is needed between the inside of the door and the body of the car for the driver to get out. Add the thickness of the door, which is around 200mm, and the projection of the open door from the side of the car becomes around 600mm. This is to the first 26 britishparking.co.uk PN Apr 2022 pp26-27 Car Park Sizes.indd 26 24/03/2022 11:01