Tag Archives: facility

Member News: Park Assist has been Chosen to Upgrade Parking for Salmaniya Medical Complex

MANAMA, BAHRAIN – April 8th, 2020 – Park Assist® has been awarded the Parking Guidance System (PGS) contract for Salmaniya Medical Complex’s new carpark development, located in the Salmaniya district of Manama in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Owned by Edamah (the Real Estate investment arm of the Bahrain Government) and operated by Bahrain Carparks, the facility will serve one of the largest and busiest hospitals in the country. This installation will be the second project with Edamah and the third PGS deployment in Bahrain, all of which are Park Assist systems.

Due to Park Assist’s previous success at “The Terminal” in Adliya, Edamah chose to implement Park Assist’s parking guidance technology at this groundbreaking carpark as well. Equipped with Park Assist’s camera based M4 PGS, this new facility aims to provide the Salmaniya Medical Complex community with a sustainable parking facility that will both relieve congestion and facilitate a smooth flow of steady traffic.

Park Assist’s exclusive M4 PGS will be used to help quickly and seamlessly steer visitors to available parking spaces. Upon entry, the patented, camera-based technology guides parkers using color-coded smart-sensors. The smart-sensor’s LED lights are triggered to change from red to green when spaces become available, allowing visitors to pinpoint exactly where to park, saving them valuable time and providing a more efficient parking journey.

“We are honored to again be working with Edamah on another prestigious project in Bahrain. We thoroughly believe that the deployment of our technology will significantly improve the user experience for patients, visitors and staff whilst simultaneously achieving the sustainability objectives of the project.” Said Adam Fitzgerald, Regional Account Manager – MENA.

Partnering with BAK Group’s Mantech Commercial services company, Park Assist’s site work began in March 2020 and is slated for completion by July.
 
About Park Assist
Park Assist® is the parking industry’s leading camera-focused innovator with the most camera-based parking guidance installations in the world. Our patented technology helps customers effortlessly find parking spaces in real-time as well as find their cars when they return. Simultaneously, we provide parking operators with tools to improve customer satisfaction, create new revenue opportunities, realize greater operational control, capture parker analytics and expand CCTV capabilities. Park Assist is part of the TKH Group (Euronext: TWEKA), a $1.8 billion publicly traded company headquartered in the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.parkassist.com.

Contact
Katie Rodenhiser
Global Marketing Manager
katie.rodenhiser@parkassist.com

Member News: Trinitas Regional Medical Center Implements TIBA Parking Solution

March 5, 2020 (Union County, New Jersey) — Trinitas Regional Medical Center (TRMC) TIBA Parking Medical centerwas established in 2000 following the consolidation of Elizabeth General Medical Center and St. Elizabeth Hospital. Trinitas, a major center for comprehensive health services for those who live and work in Central New Jersey, with 11 Centers of Excellence across the continuum of care.

With TIBA Parking’s smart technology, TRMC is now able to efficiently manage the rigors of parking operations, while balancing the priority of customer service. The campus, consisting of a parking garage and surface lot parking, incorporates fully automated parking technology consisting of the following.

  • Automated Parking Equipment – TRMC selected TIBA to install the most reliable equipment in the market that performs longer and with less maintenance. Built with exceptional and intuitive design, TIBA is focused on clients’ efficiency and profitability, maximizing ROI with fast and flexible solutions. This project incorporates fully automated entrance and exit lanes, pay station kiosks with VOIP Intercoms, barcode scanners, proximity card readers, and much more.
  • SmartPark Management Software – SmartPark monitors and controls all aspects of the facility including occupancy, system alarms, VMS signs, equipment status, and lane traffic. TRMC can also open and close barrier gates, restart lane equipment, or send a lost ticket fee to a pay station kiosk. Additionally, key facility personnel can receive email alerts and/or reports for virtually any system activity.
  • Web-Based eValidation Program – Through a module in TIBA’s SmartPark management software, TRMS has the capability to extend mobile and internet validations to their patients, families, doctors, employees, and visitors. With the various doctor’s offices, it is important to implement a secure and cost-effective validation solution. Now any computer with an internet connection can become a validation unit.

The TIBA Parking Systems solution at Trinitas Regional Medical Center is successfully operating since January 2020.

About TIBA Parking Systems: TIBA Parking Systems provides innovative hardware and software solutions for the parking market. Based on the latest generation of processors, cloud-based services and physical/wireless credential technologies, TIBA products are reliable, user-friendly and simple to install and maintain. TIBA Parking Systems continuously improves and develops its’ products with the aim of lowering the price of initial acquisition and the cost of ongoing maintenance. TIBA has successfully implemented this through a focus on quality development, while continuing to listen closely to customer requirements and requests. This allows owners and operators to keep the capital investment down while still enjoying all the latest functionality. With extensive global experience, TIBA’s robust, scalable cloud architecture enables parking operators to keep pace with the latest trends in centralized operations, automated smart facilities, ticketless and frictionless parking, web reservations, and mobile payments. TIBA’s flexible systems facilitate IoT-connectivity and leverage big data to increase revenue. TIBA’s agile integrations with third party systems empower parking operators to be an integral part of the growing smart cities ecosystem.

For over 30 years, TIBA serves parking operators and owners globally, both directly and through its extensive network of Value Added Resellers across diverse industries such as hotels & hospitality, airports, universities, shopping centers, hospitals & medical centers, and local, state & federal governments. For more information about TIBA Parking Systems, visit www.tibaparking.com.

About Precision Technology Solutions: Precision Technology Solutions has continued to be an industry leader specializing in the design, installation and support of parking equipment, access control systems and security related products since 1982, and whos’ core focus is creating value added services through state-of-the-art technology coupled with advanced IT expertise allowing for unique client focused solutions. Whether a Mixed-Use Facility, Medical Center, University, Commercial Office Building, Residential Community or any other area requiring a specialized Parking or Security solution, Precision Technology Solutions is committed to offering “best in class” products and support. It is PTS’s goal to help every customer enhance their operation, maximize profitability, increase efficiency, reduce risk and of course, be successful. We have successfully installed parking equipment and access revenue control systems in the Tri-State, Mid Atlantic, and Delaware Valley area.

 

Case Study: Putting the Pieces Together

By Cali Yang

A winning combination of features makes a transit-oriented development work.

THE WALNUT CREEK TRANSIT VILLAGE IN WALNUT CREEK, CALIF., is an urban mixed-use development that includes studio apartments, retail, restaurants, and public plazas. This is one of the first of many new Transit Villages being planned by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). The new South Garage is a five-level, 920-space structure that serves residents, visitors, and BART patrons and features artwork installations created by an award-winning artist.

Putting the Pieces Together

The garage is developed on an existing surface lot and involves access and traffic circulation improvements, including a BART patron kiss-n-ride drop-off, landscaping, and a 2,200 square-foot, single-story BART police building.

The garage is developed on an existing surface lot and involves access and traffic circulation improve­ments, including a BART patron kiss-n-ride drop-off, landscaping, and a 2,200 square-foot, single-story BART police building. The police facility includes administrative offices, a locker room with restrooms, kitchen and dining area, and detention and interview rooms. Included in the project scope are enhanced bike and pedestrian paths and a bus facility expansion with 15 new bus bays for the Central Contra Costa Tran­sit Authority. Other features include a car counting system, provisions for electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations, and bioretention planters in the bus area that collect rainwater from the rooftop.

Location

The Walnut Creek Transit Village is a premier lifestyle center being developed in two phases. With direct con­nection to BART, commuters can easily access various forms of transportation that connect to the entire Bay Area and its major businesses, attractions, and air­ports. Also located near the Transit Village is the Iron Horse Regional Trail, which offers pedestrians, bicy­clists, and horseback riders a safe thoroughfare.

The project is located at an extremely busy com­muter intersection: Ygnacio Valley Road and the exit ramps of I-680 and CA-24. The early involvement of onsite construction and design team members pro­vided a coordinated site logistics and construction management plan. The plan meets the requirements of the City of Walnut Creek and BART and maintains no impact to BART patrons and commuter traffic during peak times. The logistics plan was circulated to all team members and trade partners to help create trans­parency on the requirements of the plan and led to an efficient delivery and pickup schedule without any effects on the project.

Features

The purpose of the Transit Village is to create a gate­way to Walnut Creek’s downtown core and integrate with the city and surrounding communities. The complex features an active street level with public plazas, central paseo, and a hub to encourage residents and visitors to ride public transportation. The garage can be easily accessed by two vehicular entry points and features dynamic wayfinding signage that dis­plays availability of parking for the new and existing  parking facilities. In keeping with the city’s public arts master plan, the garage features several Dan Corson sculptures and art installation pieces mounted to the facade facing the BART station and trackway. Be­cause the Transit Village is a priority public art site, special design features were included with the vision of the garage to ensure the facade was aesthetically complementary to the surrounding neighborhood and future buildings.

The parking facility also features 15 bus bays to accommodate Contra Costa County regional transit buses and the Walnut Creek Trolley Bus. The city trol­ley buses are powered by electric induction motors for which the parking facility provides two charging pads.
The kiss-n-ride patron drop-off is a beautifully landscaped zone to the north of the existing parking structure. This amenity was a relocation of an existing patron drop-off adjacent to the BART station entrance. The zone includes enhanced lighting and pavement materials, as well as seating for BART patrons awaiting pick-up. This kiss-n-ride is also the newly established location for all ride-share pick-ups and drop-offs to the station.

Challenge

The parking garage was developed in stages to mini­mize effects on existing BART operations, as well as pedestrian and vehicular access to the existing facili­ties. This included permitting make-ready work so all of BART’s services could be maintained in operation uninterrupted, relocation of the patron drop-off, and rerouting of the storm drainage of the existing garage to conform to current state requirements. The project program also included the requirement to tie the new facilities into the existing BART infrastructure. An example of this was that the new police facility had to have direct communication from the new facility and could not be tied into or routed through the garage systems. The challenge was that the new garage was between the new police building and the transit station and existing parking structure, which required separate routing of all communication and power feeds to the station, as well as emergency power connections to the existing parking facility gener­ator. This equipment needed to be coordinated and installed without disruption to existing facilities while avoiding the new south garage project.

New overhead high-voltage lines needed to be chan­neled within the existing parking facility, then out and around the south garage, as well as communication trenching through existing pedestrian plazas and fare gate locations without disruption to ongoing opera­tions. These were very difficult challenges as BART is heavily used at this location and has stringent re­quirements for work hours and measures for meeting patron expectations.

Read the article here.

CALI YANG is marketing manager with International Parking Design, Inc. She can be reached at cyang@oc.ipd-global.com.

 

TIMBER! Considering cross-laminated timber as a solid strategy to future-proof parking

By Chelsea Webster

BUILDING A PARKING FACILITY IS EXPENSIVE—not only because of the land, permits and 19-10 TIMBER articlered tape, and technology you have to incorporate into the facility, but also because of the material and construction costs. To make matters worse, after sinking piles of money into the project, some parking structures end up being pretty ugly—think the common six-story, 25-year-old cracking concrete monstrosities. They’re not really what you’d want to showcase your newest parking technology and investments in.
There is also a huge push from many direc­tions to be more environmentally conscious in our endeavors—things such as LEED certifica­tion, Parksmart certification, sustainability, and new tech, including solar panels that shade park­ing lots and putting lights on a sensor system.

We recognize that we need to make changes in parking. But what?
A term we’ve heard a lot lately is “fu­ture-proofing.” A couple key trends the parking industry has seen for new parking facilities are:

1. Mixed use developments: parking, commer­cial, residential, or some combination of these all under one roof.

2. Convertibility: meaning that at the end of their parking lifespan, with some modifications, ga­rages can have another purpose, such as retail, public gathering places, or special event space (stadium, concert hall, etc.).

I am not discounting the value and purpose of our existing parking structures. But as new ones are built, we need to plan for their futures better than we did for those of their predecessors.

So how can we plan for the future of parking infrastructure while making it cost less, be more environmentally friendly, and look nice enough that people want to use it for more than just tem­porary vehicle storage?

Enter Cross-laminated Timber

Cross-laminated timber (CLT, also known as mass timber) is an engineered wood product made by gluing planks together to form layers and gluing layers together (perpendicularly) to form panels. Think of the board game Jenga. The panels are used in construction for walls, floors, and framing, either exclusively using CLT or in conjunction with other building materials (steel, concrete, etc.).

CLT performs similarly to traditional concrete elements and was meant to replace all sorts of materials, es­pecially stone and masonry components.

More facts:

  • More layers means greater strength, with the typical panel consisting of three to seven layers.
  • Panels range anywhere from 2 to 18 feet in width and 40 to 98 feet in length, depending on the production facility and purpose of the panel.
  • Load-bearing for large panels is around 82,000 pounds.
  • It’s great for buildings in the 40-story or 500-foot-tall range.
  • It has comparable structural performance as traditional concrete elements.

Why Use CLT?
The most common benefits of CLT are its light weight, faster construction time, environmental impact, and cost savings during construction and installation. Let me explain:

  • Weight: Significantly less weight is held by the CLT structure than one with traditional building mate­rials such as concrete. Less weight means fewer de­mands on the foundation, and the ability to build tall structures as the base can support a higher volume of materials. It’s also less dense, which means it does not transmit as much noise.
  • Speed: CLT is a prefabricated material, so panels that meet exact sizes and specifications (such as lo­cations of door or window openings) can be made in advance. This reduces construction time, especially because there are many production facilities across North America.
  • Environment: Mass timber is a renewable re­source, in that trees used to make the panels come from sustainably managed forests that are planted and regrown (tree harvesting is currently outpaced by tree replanting in the U.S.). Trees are also CO2 negative, meaning wood absorbs the gas rather than contributing to our pollution problem (900kg of CO2 absorbed per ton4). Each cubic meter of wood saves two tons of emissions, resulting in a savings of 50,000 tons for a 40-story building.5 And best of all, it’s made primarily from trees infected with moun­tain pine beetle that would have had to be removed and destroyed regardless.6
  • Cost: Foundation requirements are reduced signifi­cantly when CLT is used for building thanks to de­creased weight. Labor requirements are also reduced as specialists aren’t required,7 and construction can be completed sooner, meaning the building can open and start generating revenue faster. Finally, CLT has excellent thermal insulation and air tightness and can help save on related costs in colder climates.

Why Not Use Mass Timber?

CLT is a relatively new development in building materi­als. Although it has been used successfully across Europe for more than a decade, North America has been slow to adopt the technology. That’s partly due to a previous lack of production facilities and partly due to a lack of exam­ples and case studies proving the success of CLT.
Although mass timber is certainly catching on, there’s still a great deal of research to be done on the longevity, durability, and conditions under which CLT would be a good choice of building material.

I spoke with John Nairn, professor of mechanical engineering at Oregon State University and an avid researcher of CLT.9 When it comes to mass timber, his biggest concern with the structural functionality of the material is cracking. If not dried properly, or exposed to changes in moisture content, the wood cracks and loses structural integrity.

I also asked John if cars constantly driving and park­ing in the structure cause vibrations, noise, or other me­chanical stress issues. It turns out that vibrations and noise are actually dampened by wood constructions, so this is actually a benefit over other materials.

Addressing the Elephant(s) in the Room

It’s made of wood. Will my parking structure catch fire?
It’s understandable that many people would assume that because it’s made of wood, it’s easily combustible. In reality, CLT is actually difficult to set on fire, and one of the best properties is that it attempts to put itself out if it catches fire.

When designing a CLT-based building, it’s import­ant to note that thicker panels (due to more layers, not thicker boards) are more fire-retardant than thinner ones. Also, vertical panels (such as walls) are more resistant to flames than horizontal panels (such as ceilings).
I hope it goes without saying that you should con­sult a professional in the field and follow all building standards. For those interested, CLT is recognized in the international building code, and both the U.S. and Canada have handbooks on building with CLT.

Can CLT Be Used for Parking Structures?
My answer for you (after much research and interview­ing Nairn) is a definite yes—with some considerations.

The first thing to think about is your climate. Wood components of CLT are ideally dried to within 1 to 3 percent moisture and then remain at the same mois­ture content. So, if you’re in a humid location such as New Orleans, La; Atlanta, Ga.; or almost anywhere in Florida, you’ll need to have the panels made nearby so they don’t absorb the moisture in the air once shipped and used in construction.

That being said, rainy climates such as Vancou­ver, Canada, and Seattle, Wash., are some of the most prominent (North American) pioneers when it comes to building projects using CLT. Issues occur when there is a change in the environment—the resulting residual shrinkage and expansion causes problems, not any given climate itself.

Also of note are particularly snowy climates, but effi­cient snow removal (as in before it melts into the wood) should combat this issue. Another option is coating the panels to be waterproof, although this would add to the cost of the material. Salt and sand used to combat snow are unlikely to be an issue if panels are properly sealed.

The second thing to think about is maintaining a consistent temperature. CLT cracks the least when it’s kept at a relatively consistent temperature. So, if you’re in a climate that varies drastically between seasons, it would be necessary to manually control the tempera­ture on an ongoing basis.

The third consideration is the quality of the CLT panels. A CLT panel with thinner but more layers is better resistant to fire and cracking, can handle more weight, and is generally better prepared to handle other issues. However, these quality concerns often come at a higher price, and it may also be more difficult to find a production facility willing to accommodate.

Mitigating Challenges
Considering the above challenges, there are several ways to address the potential issues and overcome them. Each of these items can also be monitored on an ongoing basis as a preventive maintenance plan, and any issues can be addressed before they develop further.
Let’s start with cracking. If (or more likely when) cracking does occur, it isn’t necessarily a problem. Panels can lose up to 50 percent of their strength and weight-bearing ability once cracked, but if you build to only ever use the panels up to 50 percent of their rated capacity, you won’t have an issue with cracks. A dura­bility analysis is a good step to figuring out the rate at which cracks are likely to occur, and planning occupan­cy and use around the results will mitigate any issues.

Next up is the consistency of the temperature. If you live in a moderate climate, you’re set. If you don’t, one option is to use mass timber on the inside of a structure—for walls, floors, and ceilings. CLT is a great candidate for an indoor application where temperature is regulated. For parking, a heated or temperature-con­trolled garage is an ideal use case. Even better, mass timber products work great in conjunction with other materials. So, you could build a concrete foundation and exterior walls and use CLT for the elevator shafts, stairwells, ceilings, and other indoor components.
Finally, let’s tackle the quality and availability of CLT. The industry is growing quickly both abroad (Europe and Japan in particular) and domestically (production facilities are opening and expanding on a monthly, if not weekly basis12). With new facilities opening regularly, product technology will improve, competition will bring down costs, and new locations will broaden availability and reduce shipping challenges. The logical progression will be that CLT panels will increase in quality (thinner layers, and more of them, with new coatings to prevent delamination and other deterioration) and availability.

Example Structures
Still a bit unsure about mass timber as a building ma­terial? Here are some examples from Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. showing successful construction projects.

1. Dalston Works: Apartment complex in London, England, made of a cluster of buildings ranging from five to 10 stories high. 33.8 meters tall, 374 days to complete (pre-fab­ricated pieces made offsite), 121 apartments total plus restaurant and retail space.

2. Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre: Located in Brant­ford, Ontario, Canada, this project used CLT in ex­pansion of the preexisting facility for ceilings, out­door shelters, indoor panels, and design elements.

3. Albina Yard: A four-story office building in Portland, Ore., which was the first U.S. building to use a domes­tically made CLT structural system.

4. Riverfront Square: 2 million square feet of offices, 2,000 residential units, a hotel, public space, and cultural facilities comprise the three-building proj­ect. This is slated to be the biggest CLT project in the U.S. to date.

These are just a select few of the projects already planned or completed using mass timber.

What’s Next?
More research is definitely on the agenda. Organiza­tions such as the Softwood Lumber Board, Binational Softwood Lumber Council, United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Canada, and Canadi­an NEWBuildS Network are supporting considerable research around the use of CLT and other mass timber systems.13 Things such as lifespan, load bearing, and durability all need to be carefully researched, and con­ditions for proper use documented.
Expanded mass timber production is also on the horizon. Canadian company Structurlam is on the fore­front of the mass timber revolution. It produces CLT for projects across North America (Microsoft, Vancouver Convention Centre, Raleigh Durham Airport, Ronald McDonald House, recreation centers, Art Gallery of On­tario, and more) and is supplying materials to all sorts of projects across Canada and the U.S. Structurlam is set­ting the stage for many successful companies to produce and supply this reinvigorated building essential.

Partnerships are developing among key players as well. Architects, engineers, wood producers, and builders are working together to design and produce sound structures with an environmentally conscious backbone. It’s only a matter of time before government becomes involved and starts to regulate (maybe even mandate) eco-friendly building materials such as mass timber. We’re at the precipice of a new wave of carbon emission regulations and other restrictions on tradi­tional construction techniques. If all parties come to the table, safety, environmental protection, profits, ur­ban living, and other priorities don’t have to compete.
Overall, cross-laminated timber is a promising new application of wood as a safe and efficient building mate­rial for residential, commercial, recreational, and park­ing buildings. It lowers the cost of the project, speeds up construction time, and is environmentally friendly.

By incorporating mass timber in this way, we meet a lot of needs in parking: We stay relevant and innovative for our customers, we meet environmental regulations, and we implement new overhead cost-reduction op­tions. When it comes down to it, who wouldn’t like to be on the forefront of bringing these benefits to the parking industry?

Read the article here.

CHELSEA WEBSTER is a marketing specialist at ParkPlus System. She can be reached at chelsea.webster@getparkplus.com.

References
1. Think Wood: www.thinkwood.com/products-and-systems/cross-laminated-timber-clt-handbook

2. CORE: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82228698.pdf

3. American Plywood Association (APA) www.apawood.org/cross-laminated-timber

4.www.architectsjournal.co.uk/buildings/feature-just-how-sustainable-is-cross- laminated-timber/10024485.article

5.CORE: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82228698.pdf

6.www.bdcnetwork.com/5-myths-about-cross-laminated-timber

7.www.bdcnetwork.com/5-myths-about-cross-laminated-timber

8.www.iafss.org/publications/fss/9/1279/view/fss_9-1279.pdf

9.Personal interview with John Nairn, professor of mechanical engineering and chair in wood science and engineering at Oregon State University; he can be reached at www.cof.orst.edu/cof/wse/faculty/Nairn/

10.www.bdcnetwork.com/5-myths-about-cross-laminated-timber

11.www.iafss.org/publications/fss/9/1279/view/fss_9-1279.pdf

12. www.eesi.org/articles/view/domestic-mass-timber-industry-expands-with-two-new-planned-clt-facilities-f

13.www.structuremag.org/?p=10054

APA—THE ENGINEERED WOOD ASSOCIATION

Riverfront Square: 2 million square feet of offices, 2,000 residential units, a hotel, public space, and cultural facilities comprise the three-building project. This is slated to be the biggest CLT project in the U.S. to date.

APA—THE ENGINEERED WOOD ASSOCIATION

Additional Resources
As always, I’m not a subject matter expert on CLT. I think it’s a great technology we can implement in parking, and I’d love to talk more about it with anyone who’s interested. Email me at chelsea.webster@getparkplus.com. If you want to research deeper into mass timber, below are some of the sources I recommend.
•GreenSpec: Everything from the history, manufacturing process, use, and performance of CLT. www.greenspec.co.uk/building-design/cross-laminated-timber-design/

•The Future of Timber Construction: Report addressing wood as a building material, trends of the future, the market for wood products, impact of demographics, and changes in society that affect building materials, purposes, and technology. www.clt.info/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Stora-Enso-The-future-of-timber-construction-EN.pdf

•Naturally Wood: Document reviewing wood in an industrial building use case, best practices, applications, and case studies. The main website also provides insights in emerging trends, design, sustainability, and connects you to suppliers in the industry. www.naturallywood.com/sites/default/files/documents/resources/bc_wood_industrial_buildings_0.pdf

APA—THE ENGINEERED WOOD ASSOCIATION