The Search for Parking Perfection
Over the past forty or more years there have been companies trying to develop the perfect parking solution. This solution has to be:
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Efficient with space
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Easy to implement
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Expandable
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Easy to maintain
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Affordable
While no parking solution could be considered 100 per cent "perfect”, great strides have been made towards this lofty goal. These new parking systems show just how outdated the older parking models have become in regards to how efficiently they park vehicles.
Older methods of parking such as parking lots and parking garages rely on the model of one vehicle being parked in one parking space. For a very long time this model, though inefficient, was used because the availability of land was high and the prices were reasonable. With increases in population and more buildings being constructed, this available space is quickly decreasing and driving up prices.
It was obvious that a newer, more streamlined parking model was needed in order to limit the amount of space wasted by parking. The main problem with the older parking models was that they never took advantage of the vertical space that was available. In order to fully maximize the use of available space and increase parking efficiency, vertical space must also be used and maximized.
These new systems employ vehicle lift systems in order to be able to make use of vertical space by stacking cars on platforms on top of each other. This application of stacking is considered to be one of the most critical advances ever in parking.
Applications of Parking Systems
The evolution of the parking system has led to a varied lineup of parking systems with the idea that there is a type of system suitable for every parking need. These parking systems specialize in the following implementations:
As the different implementations show, these parking systems can be used for parking needs regardless of size. They also offer different levels of customization so that they can be modified for specific parking needs if necessary. The systems can be altered to tilt in an advantageous manner if available height is an issue.
In the case of larger implementations like condominium buildings or large office buildings, the space savings can be so substantial that additional units can be added to the floor plans. Not only do these systems offer the most efficient manner of parking available, but also can provide additional income opportunities that can in turn pay for the implementation of the parking system.
Types of Parking Systems
Years of evolution have made it possible for many different types of parking systems to be invented and developed. The most popular types of parking systems are:
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Stack Parkers
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Semi-Automatic Parkers
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Fully Automatic Parkers
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Puzzle Lifts
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Pallets
As a further convenience, most of these systems offer some level of computer automation. This means that they use a computer program to decide where vehicles are to be parked and to retrieve these vehicles when needed.