Guide for Structural Maintenance of Parking Structures (ACI 362.2R-00)

Description

All parking structures require regular maintenance to pro-vide a satisfactory level of service and meet service-life expectations without premature deterioration, undue repair expense, interrupted service, inconvenience to patrons, or loss of cash flow. Parking structures can develop more dis-tress and deterioration than most types of buildings because of their direct exposure to traffic, weather, deicing chemicals, and snowplows. Poor maintenance increases the likelihood of distress and deterioration and is a potential cause for damage to vehicles and personal injury. A maintenance pro-gram includes timely preventive actions to reduce system failure and premature deterioration, which can reduce theneed for significant and expensive repairs. This guide is in-tended for owners, operators, and consultants for parkingstructures who seek advice on developing and implementinga maintenance program.

This guide emphasizes the maintenance of structural com-ponents to reduce risks associated with structural deteriora-tion. The types and frequency of maintenance required for a structure are directly related to the durability features incor-porated into the structure during design and construction. Deterioration problems associated with parking structures are discussed in Chapter 3. Operational maintenance, house-keeping, and aesthetic maintenance are discussed in Chapter4. Chapter 5 provides a checklist for maintenance tasks and recommended frequencies.

Appendices A and B contain in-formation about snowplowing and deicing procedures. Ap-pendix C also contains a worksheet for making a visualinspection. Different types of structural systems can developdifferent types of deterioration-related problems. ACI362.1R contains discussion of durability considerations forparking structures. An understanding of these issues willprove helpful in developing an appropriate maintenance pro-gram. Refer also to Sound Maintenance Extends Life Spansof Parking Facilities, by Bhuyan.