Composite completes 4-storey car park and supermarket for Waitrose adjacent to busy railway line.

We have a wealth of experience in the design, supply and construction of single and multi-storey car parks. Since 1989 we have completed over 70 such projects.

Whether responsible for the complete specialist package or acting as the specialist designer and constructor of the structural frame, we work closely with the architect, engineer and quantity surveyor to provide a solution that always meets, and frequently exceeds, the client’s expectations.

At the forefront of our proposals are the Health & Safety aspects which relate to both the construction process and the car park’s use. Our designs and procedures fully recognise the way in which the car park should be constructed and how it will be used by both vehicles and pedestrians. We also recognise the requirements laid down in ‘Park Mark® Safer Parking’.

As our preferred structural solution, precast concrete allows us to provide a robust, durable and economic facility capable of enduring a car park’s harsh environment and working life. However, our major strength is that we provide clear, flat soffits in all we do.

We recognise that when designing a car park it has to:

• be user-friendly and functional, with a readily identifiable entrance, and efficient and easy-to-use traffic paths and egress/exit routes
• have unobstructed and easily accessible parking bays
• be light and spacious, providing a safe and secure environment
• be sympathetic with its surroundings by being architecturally appealing and well landscaped
• provide the owner with a facility that is fundable and insurable, requires minimal maintenance and achieves effective ‘whole-life’ costs

Within our design solutions we are able to accommodate the commonly recognised parking bin widths of 2.3m, 2.4m and 2.5m for long, medium and short stay usage. Typically a span of 15.6m will accommodate bin lengths of 4.8m and an aisle width of 6.0m, but other permutations can be factored in to our design.

As our preferred structural material, precast concrete is manufactured under factory-controlled conditions, has a design life in excess of 50 years and creates a robust, durable building form. Features of our precast concrete frame designs include:

• clear and propped configurations
• clear, flat soffits through the use of hollowcore prestressed concrete floor units spanning between edge and spine beams / walls
• spandrel beams, columns and walls designed to resist vehicle impact, thus eliminating the need for secondary crash barrier systems
• minimal maintenance costs
• ledge-free structural framing which removes the opportunity for birds and vermin to nest / pollute the premises, thus minimising maintenance costs and reducing health risks