By: Nam Shiu and Laurence C. Susmarski, Walker Consultants
Restoration of existing parking structures is unavoidable and something that needs to be done regularly. With the advent of the concrete repair industry, a majority of maintenance and repair work is fairly straightforward. There are many readily available resources from professional organizations and technical committees outlining how parking structures can be kept in good condition to extend their service life. Typical maintenance and repairs usually include various types of concrete repair, sealing cracks, replacing sealants, applying concrete sealers and maintaining traffic toppings. Although the unit costs for these work items are fairly uniform among repair contractors, the total repair costs could vary depending on specific site conditions and how the repair-phasing plan is developed.
There are at least five factors that can significantly affect the cost of restoration:
- Available space for repairs
- Optimizing operation income
- Maintaining level of parking service
- Life cycle cost analyses
- Specific requirements for ingress and egress