High Importance Parking?

[KootK]

If an open air parkade serves a high importance hospital, should the parking structure be considered high importance as well? I've assumed not but I can see how one might make an argument to the contrary.

The greatest trick that bond stress ever pulled was convincing the world it didn't exist.

 

[SLTA]

I would say not, because the high importance buildings are usually where either a) emergency operations are run or b) people who can't get themselves out quickly either live or stay. But, best way to get your answer is call your building department and ask their opinion!

 

[JayZ12]

You wouldn't classify the parking the same as the high importance structure unless one of these occur:

- They share the same structural system.
- Where building systems such as required egress, HVAC, or electrical for the higher classification pass through or depend on other portions of the lower classification.
- The building official determines that it needs the higher classification.

 

[TDIengineer]

Jay Z post is relatively correct although I don't think the building official can just deem it needs to be I=1.5.

A parking structure (that is seismically separated) and does not have egress through it in order to enter a hospital is not under OSHPD's jurisdiction. It is under the local building authority. I don't believe a local building authority can force an I=1.5.

On the other hand, I saw a project where the owner wanted I=1.5. for his parking structure because the CEO figured what good is my ultra expensive base isolated hospital if the parking structure is red tagged.. no parking, no patients..So, we were instructed by the owner to design for 1.5 and the building was under the local building department. When the concrete compressive strength tests came out low, we tried to justify wall shear by assuming a the typical 1=1.0. But since we had already permitted and obtained our design with an owner selected 1=1.5, they would not let us back pedal. We ended up having to remove a few shear walls and replace the concrete where the shear stress was high and we need the f'c=5ksi.

Lessons learned... 5 ksi was not very workable.. it was easy to form rock pockets etc... make sure you have a great mix and concrete supplier if going with high strength concrete!

 

[dhengr]

My parking spot is the most important, to me.

 

[steellion]

The code does not require a structurally independent parking structure to match the importance of the building serving it. Unless it is driven by an owner's requirement like with the poster above, I=1.0. Think about it this way: we're protecting people, and people are generally only in the parking garage when entering or leaving the garage.

 

[TomDOT]

TDI, did they not use sufficient superplasticizer?

 

[KootK]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll check with my building department but assume a normal importance factor.

@Steellion,

Interesting rationale. I don't agree 100% however. There are some facilities, like schools, where we are trying to protect the occupants. With something like a hospital, however, I feel that the goal is not just to protect the occupants, but to ensure on going facility access to the community in the event of a calamity. To some degree, I feel that lack of parking impairs accessibility. As a hypothetical, consider a new hospital constructed on a floating barge 500m off shore from the coastal city that it serves. What should be the importance factor for the bridge connecting the hospital to the mainland? High I would think.

Of course, the main concern code-wise is probably main entry ambulance access, not John Doe driving his kids in for tetanus shots. In that light, I can see how a parking garage wouldn't warrant the extra attention.





The greatest trick that bond stress ever pulled was convincing the world it didn't exist.

 

[steellion]

KootK, I can see your side of the argument. I suppose the answer is, as it often is, "it depends". If the parking garage is essential to the function of the hospital in an emergency situation, for instance, in an urban setting where it is the only place to park or it sits above the emergency drive-aisle pull-up, then the importance matching the hospital's importance would be justified. If the hospital is located in an area with ample parking, and the collapse of the parking garage would not inhibit people from getting the emergency help they need, I think I=1.0 would be justified.

 

[jvvse]

If the egress of the hospital goes into the parking structure then it will share the same Risk Category. I've had that come to me from both schools and hospitals. If it is completely a separate building and some reasonable distance away, then it should be it's own Risk Category/Importance.