Importance of Considering Car Parking At Early Stages of Architectural Project Planning

Parking is one of the crucial issues of our times. According to World Energy Outlook (WEO), a recent study by the International Energy Agency (IEA),passenger car ownership in India will grow by 775 per cent over the next 24 years. Mind boggling, but hardly surprising, since passenger vehicle ownership has nearly tripled in the last decade! The WEO report adds that the number of vehicles will grow from the current “20 per 1,000 inhabitants to 175 per 1,000 people in 2040, and overall road passenger vehicle activity increases more than six-times”.

Car Parking

In such a scenario where cities get more crowded and space is limited, sustainable planning and development becomes increasingly more important. Automated Parking Systems are the obvious solution for sustainable car parking, and in many cases, more cost-effective to install and maintain.

Automated facilities reduce cost as they require less lighting and ventilation since they have very little human intervention or access. There are many other advantages such as more cars per site area, no pedestrian access to the facility and very few attendants.

The onus for this planning lies with the municipal authorities – and to a large extent, with the realty industry along with architects. As more and more residential, commercial and infrastructure projects come up, builders/developers and architects need to give, serious thought to car parking for their occupants, users and visitors.

Consideration must be given to “parking” and its relationship to the built environment which it serves. The form and function of the car parking system can have a determining influence on the successfulness of the project design concept.

Parking should not be considered in isolation from other design considerations. Parking has often been reduced to the construction of the most basic stand-alone structure or parking lot without human, aesthetic or integrative considerations.

Designing a parking facility requires an integrated design approach of many professionals. Architects, engineers and planners need to work together with parking system providers to create the appropriate solution.

There are innumerable aspects and elements to be considered and planned. Functional requirements of spatial needs, lighting, ventilation, etc.; structural integration issues such as concrete bays, drainage and slope, environmental protection, etc.; safety & security features such as cleanliness, vandal-resistant lighting, etc., way finding and much more.

So it makes more sense to plan and incorporate the automated parking system into the overall architectural project planning to ensure the optimal design and fit. Architects and builders should realize that car parking planning is part of the palette that makes for a high quality environment, enhancing functionality and project value, instilling pride of ownership.

Wohr Parking Systems is a leading parking system manufacturer India with more than 100,000 multilevel parking spaces installed nation-wide. Wohr offers design flexibility to help in terms of both feasibility and profitability by enabling automated car parking to be installed in areas where conventional parking won't fit.

Wohr partners with architects and builders through all stages of the project: from consultancy in the design stage of the real estate project through planning, construction, installation and commissioning. Wohr also undertakes maintenance and running of the system, ensuring operations are smooth and trouble-free.

Talk to Wohr about your car parking space requirements today, and build Wohr’s various car parking solutions in to into your blueprint.  Get a Quote.

Advantages of Automated Parking Systems

Advantages of Automated Parking Systems

A News18 report states that in January 2019, more than a million-and-half (1,607,315) new vehicles were bought and registered with various regional transport offices across the country. That comes to an average of more than 51,000 new vehicles bought across India, every single day of January.

This mind-boggling number shows that Indian roads will continue to get more congested with each passing month, as people buy new cars, scooters and bikes (also new commercial vehicles like taxis and trucks) without necessarily junking older vehicles.

While this phenomenon is benefiting the automotive industry, it is causing problems for town planners, municipal corporations and building developers. With more cars on the road, they now need to provide ample parking on top of tight budget and space constraints, particularly in congested cities.

Automated parking systems offer developers several benefits, including:

Improved space utilization

Compared to conventional parking facilities, Automated Parking Systems require an area approximately 60% smaller and a 50% smaller volume on average to park an equivalent number of cars. The space saved can be used for other options such as adding more parking spaces, utilising more area for non-parking purposes such as retail stores, amenities or green spaces, etc.

Architects are finding difficulty in planning parking the building within the restricted margins and then only the Automated Parking Systems plays a very vital role in building designing. The area and volume required to park a vehicle is drastically reduced to approx  40%.

Automated parking systems are also feasible for extremely small sites that are unable to accommodate a conventional ramped parking structure.

Automated Parking Systems are used in a very congested plots where the building can be stretched vertically up and cannot afford to have conventional ramps to reach various parking levels.

Cars are parked at one point and then the system decides the location of car parking slot automatically.

Safety & security

Compared to conventional parking garages, Automated Parking Systems are inherently much safer and more secure because they remove driving and pedestrians from the parking area. Patrons do not actually walk to and from their car parking space so the risks of walking through dim and shadowy parking areas are eliminated. Also, there are less chances of vandalism or theft so users can rest assured their car is safely stored within a reliable system.

Since the driver parks his/ her car at entrance room which is conveniently located at Ground floor or suitable location within the building premises, it avoids walking through steep ramps and drive ways crossing the incoming or outgoing vehicles.

Less environmental impact

With an automated parking system, there is no need to drive around or idle while searching for an empty slot, so fuel consumption and polluting emissions are greatly reduced. Cars are turned off before they enter the system so the engines aren’t running while the car is being stored and retrieved, reducing the amount of pollutants by 60 to 80 percent.

Reduced costs

For parking garage development, developers save on construction costs through fewer building materials, reduced excavation volume and shorter construction time. There is a minimal staff requirement if it is used by known parkers. Lighting costs are also less which results in substantial savings.

Luxurious user experience

Users of automated garages always park and retrieve their cars in well-lit, comfortable transfer areas. It would be relatively inexpensive for developers to create a luxurious experience for users here. Developers can implement slick touch screens and mobile apps for quick retrieval to make for a comfortable user experience that customers will gladly pay for.

Conclusion

With the number of cars increasing exponentially, parking will continue to be a huge challenge. With automation, developers can confidently handle any volume of cars within a given space and drivers will not need to waste time and fuel looking for parking.

With the number of cars increasing exponentially, parking will continue to be a huge challenge. With the help of Wohr Design team one can be rest assured to find a most suitable and optimum Car Parking Solution.

But how do you know which parking system is right for your project? A well-versed and innovative parking system manufacturer can help review all your options and choose the automated parking system that is best suited for your application.

Wohr Parking Systems has over 5 decades of experience and more than 600,000 multilevel parking installations to their credit. Wohr offers design flexibility to help in terms of both feasibility and profitability by enabling parking to be located in areas where conventional parking won’t fit. The possible locations for automated parking systems are virtually unlimited: above ground, underground, freestanding, underneath or integrated into existing buildings and even very narrow or irregularly shaped areas.

Wohr partners through all stages of the project: from consultancy with architects in the design stage of the real estate project through planning, construction, installation and commissioning. Wohr also undertakes maintenance and running of the system, ensuring operations are smooth and trouble-free. Talk to Wohr about your car parking space requirements today.

Automated Car Parking Systems A Historical Review

Automated Car Parking System

If you think automated parking systems (APS) are a modern innovation, think again. Just because we suddenly see a spate of car parking systems across cities worldwide doesn’t mean they are a recent development. Let’s take a walk down history to find out more about the origins and development of parking systems through the years.

According to The Mechanical Parking Guide 2011 by Leon Hamelink, the earliest reference of something akin to an automated parking system was the Garage Rue de Ponthieu constructed in 1905. The systems consisted of a lift in the center of the structure to move cars up one or two floors. Attendants on the floors would then park the cars. While this would technically be considered a semi-automatic system, the Garage Rue de Ponthieu contained many elements found in modern automated car parking systems.

It’s hard to imagine that the early 1900s could have had parking problems. However, in USA and France, mass production of cars was underway and urban residents welcomed them as they considered cars desirable and environmental friendly.

Horses and horse carriages were the mode of transport then, and for urban citizens living in crowded cities, horses and their upkeep were inconvenient. Moreover, horse droppings made the city dirty and unhealthy. So consumers welcomed cars as cleaner, more convenient alternatives.

A ‘Paternoster system‘was built to park cars, around 1920. It was structured like a Ferris wheel that could fit eight cars in the space of two. The structure became popular as it was easy to operate and occupied less space. It could also be incorporated into a building. Concurrently, an APS with the ability to park more than a thousand cars were being installed by Kent Automatic Garages.

In the 1940s-50s, automated parking systems captured the attention in the US. Some of the systems installed then are still in usage today. These systems included Bowser, Pigeon Hole systems, and Roto Park. However, frequent mechanical problems and long waiting periods to retrieve cars led to a loss of interest in automated parking systems.

The UK got its own Auto Stacker in 1961 in Woolwich, London. In the 90s, while there were installations of more technically advanced APS in Europe, Asia, and Central America, Japan was building around 40,000 parking spaces annually, using paternoster APS. In the 2000s, economic prosperity in the USA resulted in a massive increase in the number of cars, reviving interest in APS. USA got its first robotic parking garage in 2002 in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Conclusion

Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities. By 2050, the UN projects that figure will increase to about 70%. Whatever the actual figure ends up to be, one thing is irrefutably true: all of those cars and people will exert a heavy burden on our mobility systems and infrastructure.

Thankfully, automated parking systems are yielding greater convenience for drivers and less congestion for cities.

An automated parking systems company like Wohr Parking Systems is innovating and installing automated parking systems across India to help combat parking problems in this overpopulated country. Wohr has over 5 decades of experience and lakhs of multilevel parking installations to their credit. Wohr’s automatic parking systems deliver easy operations and a high level of operating and functional safety according to EN norms. Wohr also partners and consults to recommend, design and develop the most suitable parking system for individual needs.

5 Misconceptions about Automated Parking Systems

Automated Parking System

Automated Parking System

With rising land prices and limited space, traditional parking garages are becoming a far less attractive option with the invention of new automated parking systems (APS). These automated parking systems are designed to be efficient and can typically park the same amount of cars in half as much space. And we’re seeing more and more of these APS around the world.

Yet people have doubts and fears regarding APS. In this blog, we will discuss five of the main misconceptions about APS, and hopefully dispel all doubts.

1. APS is expensive

Price and operating costs may differ, depending on whether you opt for a fully automated parking system, semi-automated parking system or manual stackers.

Studies have revealed that construction cost of automated parking systems is comparable or less than traditional garages. In fact, construction hard costs are saved by eliminating an entire floor of concrete, an elevator stop and ramps.

When comparing cost per space of an automated parking system with the cost per space of conventional parking, it’s important to analyse potential savings offered by APS. These include reduced construction time, reduced excavation and land cost, reduced operator requirements, etc. Moreover, there’s added value from the space gained which can be sold, leased or used for green space. Also, since parking systems are classified as equipment, they can be depreciated, providing an upfront tax incentive for developers.

Don’t forget other advantages such as LEED points, no car theft, increased driver’s safety, reduced carbon emissions, etc. When you consider all these aspects, in the face of decreasing availability of space for parking, APS surely makes sound business sense.

2. APS is new technology, so unproven

APS was first introduced in 1905 in Paris, France at the Garage Rue de Ponthieu. It was a multi-story concrete structure with an internal elevator to transport cars to upper levels where attendants parked the cars. A ‘Paternoster system‘was built to park cars, around 1920. It was structured like a Ferris wheel that could adjust eight cars in the space of two cars. The structure became popular as it was easy to operate and occupied lesser space.

Over the years, many innovations and technologies for parking systems have come and gone, but since the 1990s, there has been a spate of installations across Europe, USA, Japan, Asia and Central America. So while modernization and technology enhancements continue, APS is not really new. It has been up and running for decades.

3. APS is unsafe

If you think about it, automated car parking systems are just elevators and conveyor systems. We don’t think twice about riding an elevator, so why worry about safety of APS? APS are in fact safer than traditional garages because customers leave their vehicles at the entrance of the facility and there’s no need to wander the aisles of a structure looking for one’s parked car. Since the facility is inaccessible to pedestrians, the potential for accidental damages such as scratches or dents, or the potential for vehicle theft or vandalism is almost non-existent.

As far as safety of vehicles is concerned, there is the possibility of glitches or malfunctions in the mechanical or hydraulic operation, but ever-evolving technology and stringent safety standards minimize such risks. The world’s leading manufacturer of automated parking systems, Wohr is setting industry standards with its High German quality and safety standards.

4. APS is not durable

As discussed in point 3, APS technology is not new. If APS did not perform with efficiency and reliability for years, we would not see sales of such systems increasing worldwide. The growing popularity of APS across the world speaks for itself, and there are good examples of durability of APS. The silo-type vehicle towers in AutoStadt (car city) in Germany have been operative for almost 20 years, and some ‘Pigeon Hole’ systems installed in USA in the 1950s are still working today. In Japan too, there are systems still operative after 3 decades.

5. APS is costly to run

Automated parking facilities can park twice as many vehicles as same-sized traditional structures, so revenue opportunities are much greater. The growing popularity of such systems in public pay-n-park facilities is proof of profitability.

Sure, there are some operating costs, including labor and total electricity, but when you calculate the sheer convenience and safety such systems deliver, you’ll find it is well worth the investment.

Maintaining these sophisticated systems can be expensive, as servicing and repair costs can be steep. Signing up for a good maintenance contract can help prevent break downs and minimize downtime.

Conclusion

Trust Wohr Parking Systems to optimize your parking space and return on investment with their world-class, globally proven automated car parking systems.

Wohr has over 5 decades of experience and more than 600,000 multilevel parking installations to their credit. Wohr partners through all stages of the project: from consultancy with architects in the design stage of the real estate project through planning, construction, installation and commissioning. Wohr also undertakes maintenance and running of the system, ensuring operations are smooth and trouble-free.

Talk to Wohr about your car parking space requirements today.

Automated Car Parking Systems the smarter way to park

Automated Car Parking Systems

Automated Car Parking Systems

The Smart City Mission by the Government of India is an urban renewal and retrofitting program aimed at making 100 cities across the country more citizens friendly and sustainable. The objective is to drive growth and improve quality of life, enabling local authorities and municipal corporations to provide better amenities by harnessing technology to create smart outcomes for citizens.

Car parking is a huge challenge in most Indian cities. Growing traffic and car volumes, increasing carbon emissions and insufficient infrastructure plague Indian cities. As per IBM Global Parking Index 2011, an average urban motorist spends 20 minutes more on the road due to parking problems. This is not only a waste of commuters’ time and fuel but also loss of productivity. Today in 2019, the problem has worsened considerably.

A smart parking solution cannot solve all these challenges on its own. But it will always definitely contribute to making the city or municipality more modern, more attractive and more environmentally friendly.

Smart parking uses an electronic parking guidance system, which uses parking sensors, dynamic real-time message signs and a mobile-friendly website and application to direct drivers to available parking at the nearby area. This results in fewer cars circling looking for space. The method can also be used to tell commuters if the parking area is full on weekends so that commuters can plan their trip accordingly.

Civic authorities in some Indian cities such as Surat, Delhi, Dehradun, Chennai and Bangalore have plans to set up intelligent parking system for their pay-and-park facilities across the city. Pilot projects are being implemented in other cities and towns.

Meanwhile, Wohr’s Automated Car Parking Systems are doing their bit to tackle the parking crisis across India. Manufactured at Wohr’s state-of-the-art facility outside Pune, the parking systems are designed and manufactured to the highest German standards of quality and safety.

Established in 1902 in Germany, Wohr has been in the business of designing smart parking systems since 1959 and has pioneered the art and science of installing attached parking slots to commercial or residential complexes utilizing minimal space availability.

Wohr’s multi-level parking system, Combiparker 556 can be arranged over-ground with 3 to 6 parking levels stacked on top of each other and 1 to 3 rows one behind the other. All parking places can be selected and used independently. Compared to the existing technology of over-ground puzzle parking, the column-free construction ensures that vertical supports are only required at every 2 or 3 parking places next to each other. This means an increased comfort for vehicle parking and retrieval operations and sufficient space, to be able to access parking places in the second or third row. Furthermore, the new Combiparker 556 always offers one additional parking place on the highest level.

Additional adaptation options offer different platform widths, varying lengths for larger vehicles, and different parking level clearances for the required vehicle heights. Moreover, platform loads up to 2000kg or up to 2600kg suitable for heavy vehicles, are also available.

Combiparker 556 is just one of the many offerings from Wohr Parking Systems. Automated parking systems, semi-automated parking, stack parking,puzzle parking, tower parking the list goes on.

Wohr also partners and consults to recommend, design and develop the customized parking systems for customers. Architects and builders can collaborate with Wohr to design and build-in the optimal solution for their project needs.

For optimum space utilization, flexibility and feasibility, automated parking systems prove to be the most advantageous choice. To know more about the possibilities for your site, contact Wohr Parking Systems.

Automated Parking Systems: solution for urban India’s parking woes.

Automated Parking Systems Solution

Across Indian cities, there’s been an explosion in the number of cars on the road. But what about a proportional increase in parking spaces?

Today, so often, we avoid going to certain areas because there’s no parking available. Or every now and then, we spend precious minutes driving around in circles looking for a parking spot. Or we simply wait with idling engine for someone to vacate a parking spot. It’s precious time and fuel we can hardly afford to waste.

Scarcity of land in our cities is an unavoidable reality and optimal usage is a dire need. Environmental sustainability is an issue too. Systematic, planned, automated parking systems (APS) can provide a solution.

What is APS and how does it help?

According to Wikipedia, “an Automated (car) Parking System (APS) is a mechanical system designed to minimize the area and/or volume required for parking cars”. It works like an automated storage and retrieval systems common in factories and warehouses…except it’s designed for cars.

Compared to conventional multi-storey car parks, automated parking systems offer undeniable advantages. Automated parking systems require up to 70% less land area and up to 50% smaller building volume. It is estimated that these systems reduce CO2 emissions by up to 85% as they eliminate the need for cars to keep idling or driving around when they search for parking space.

Safety is another important advantage of using automated parking systems. That’s because the driver and passengers are removed from the car before it is parked. With fully automated or semi-automated APS, the car is driven up to an entry point, the driver and passengers alight, and the car is then moved automatically or semi-automatically (with some attendant action required) to its parking space. Moreover, there are no pedestrians, ramps or driving lanes, so APS is safer, more secure.

Feasibility of Automated Parking Systems

Today, car parking has a direct effect on the feasibility of a real estate project. Whether it is a residential complex, infrastructure project or commercial centre, buyers demand adequate parking space. Automated parking systems prove advantageous by virtue of their feasibility and flexibility. They can be built in areas where conventional parking won’t fit. Above ground, underground, freestanding, integrated into existing buildings or even in narrow, irregularly shaped areas, APS can be installed.

A multi-level parking system results in optimum space utilization as multiple cars can be parked in the same amount of space. It also comes with lower maintenance, operational, and construction costs. It leaves more open spaces for landscaping and greenery, and reduces illegal or haphazard parking.

Conclusion

Urban India needs smart parking and strict enforcement. Conventional parking is neither feasible nor practical. Smart Parking accommodates a larger number of cars in smaller space, and reduces instances of vehicular emissions as the time wasted in searching for a parking space is omitted. By utilizing vertical rather than horizontal space, automated parking systems enable optimal utilization of existing and new spaces. In fact, as demand for parking space increases and we strive to convert our old cities into ‘smart cities’, automated parking systems becomes imperative.

An automated parking systems company like Wohr Parking Systems can help. Wohr has over 5 decades of experience and more than 600,000 multilevel parking installations to their credit. Wohr’s Combiparker and Slimparker series of automatic parking systems deliver easy operations and a high level of operating and functional safety according to EN norms. Wohr also partners and consults to recommend, design and develop the most suitable parking system for individual needs.

To know more, www.wohrparking.in

Automated Parking System: Boon for architects and builders

The exponential increase in car ownership and acute shortage of usable space is causing huge problems for car owners and commuters. Car parking is a major concern in urban areas in both developed and developing countries. Time and fuel is wasted as drivers search for parking space, traffic congestion increases and parking tariffs soar, making both environmental pollution - and human tempers - rise!

Automated Parking System

According to Wikipedia, "an Automated (car) Parking System (APS) is a mechanical system designed to minimize the area and/or volume required for parking cars". It works like an automated storage and retrieval systems common in factories and warehouses…except it's designed for cars.

Benefits of automated parking systems
Compared to conventional multi-story cars parks, automated parking systems offer undeniable advantages:

- Up to 70% less land area needed

- Up to 50% smaller building volume

- Up to 12% ROI

- Up to 85% fewer CO₂ emissions as they eliminate the need for cars to keep idling or driving around when they wait or search for parking space

Boon for architects and builders
As populations and construction in urban areas continues to grow; as more residential apartments, shopping malls, office blocks and infrastructure projects such as hospitals, airports, metro stations, etc. come up; architects and project developers need to give serious thought to the question of parking for the end-user.

Provision of ample parking space is a necessity and an obligation. And done well, can enhance the project and the reputation of its creators.

For architects and builders, automated parking systems are the solution to their parking space challenges. Automated parking technology combines maximum storage capacity and optimum user comfort, with zero compromise on vehicle or customer safety.

The space saved by automated parking systems gives the real estate developer options to add more parking spaces, create green spaces or develop the area for other non-parking facilities & amenities.

Automated parking systems provide more flexibility for architects since they can make use of space above ground, underground, underneath existing buildings, narrow areas.  What's more, automated parking systems are safer than conventional parking spaces. They remove pedestrians and eliminate driving from the parking area, so life is more secure.

Conclusion
Choose an automated parking systems partner like Wohr Parking Systems, and you get a company with over 5 decades of experience and more than 600,000 multilevel parking installations to their credit.

Wohr prefers to control all stages of the project: from consultancy with architects & builders in the design stage of the real estate project through planning, construction, installation and commissioning. Wohr also undertakes maintenance and running of the system, ensuring operations are smooth and trouble-free.

Trust Wohr’s automated parking systems to optimize your parking space and return on investment.

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