Recommendations for the Inspection, Maintenance and Management of Car Park Structures, Second edition provides technical guidance, and establishes a benchmark for good practice for car park owners, operators, and engineering consultants. Against the background of new health and safety legislation, this second edition of the guidance has been extensively updated to provide advice on the development of an effective life-care plan based on regular inspection, assessment, maintenance and management, and incorporates a risk-assessed approach to help ensure car park structures are safely maintained.

Recommendations for the Inspection, Maintenance and Management of Car Park Structures, Second edition

• provides unique guidance on asset management and life-care planning
• focuses on structure, cladding and edge protectio
• includes surface, temporary and demountable car park
• details workplace and public safety issue
• advises on undertaking inspections, surveys and structural appraisals
• delivers guidance on cost-effective repair and maintenanc.

The Recommendations are split into two parts. Part 1 is intended for use by owners and operators and advises on responsibilities, actions and legal obligations. Part 2 is intended for professional engineering advisors, and includes guidance on the processes of structural deterioration and different types of car park structures. These recommendations address the need to plan and implement safe and effective management regimes for both new car and old parking structures, taking into account lessons learned from past experience and the impact of both good and poor historic practice.

Book Reviews

Over the past two decades there has been a shift towards more proactive and engaged maintenance regimes for car parks. A key influence on this sea-change was the publication Recommendations for the Inspection, Maintenance and Management of car park structures in 2002 by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). Written by the ICE’s National Steering Committee for the Inspection of Multi-storey Car Parks, the recommendation addressed the need to plan and implement safe and effective management regimes for both new and old car parking structures. 

The ICE has now updated this technical guidance document. The new recommendations taking into account lessons learnt from past experience and the impact of both good and poor historic practice. The new edition provides technical guidance and establishes a benchmark for good practice for car park owners, operators, and engineering consultants. 

The updated edition has been produced by engineers Chris Whapples of Stripe Consulting and Leo McKibbins of Mott MacDonald against the background of new Health and Safety legislation. The book now provides advice on the development of life-care plans for car parks based on regular inspection, assessment, maintenance and management. The new guide incorporates a risk-assessed approach to help ensure car park structures are safely maintained.

Mark Moran, Editor, Parking Review
 

Like the first edition, this book is clearly separated into two parts. Part 1 contains recommendations for owners and operators to inform of responsibilities and management practice for car park structures. Part 2 contains recommendations for engineers and professional advisors, including the development of life-care plans. 

(...) Updated references to new legislation and standards are provided, such as CDM Regulations, Working at Height, as well as a completely revised and comprehensive chapter on repair and rehabilitation options, with extensive reference to BS EN 1504, including residual life assessment. New guidance is provided on risk-based evaluation techniques reflecting changes in asset management strategies and reduced budgets. 

A set of very useful appendices is provided, including a typical life-care plan format and a life-care plan example with whole-life cost model. 

In summary, this book remains essential reading for all those involved in car park structure asset management and provides best practice guidance to help ensure car park structures are safely maintained.

Amrit Ghose, Waterman Infrastructure & Environment Ltd, UK 

This updated version of the Recommendations for the Inspections, Maintenance and Management of car park structures is a must have for both car park owners, operators and also engineers and professional advisers. The guidance has been updated to reflect new H&S legislation and now includes details on the development and use of a life care plan for car parks, offering a much more flexible and real world risk-based approach to the management of an asset. There is a comprehensive set of appendices which provide a number of useful starting points and example documentation for life care plans, references for additional information and also defect and testing advice. As an owner / operator, this guide is helping us to develop a well-defined strategy for the safe maintenance of our assets and ensures we have detailed guidance to work with our engineers and asset teams.

Paul Plumbley, Landsec, Head of Commercial Parking and Transport