Building architects should know how to calculate slopes and gradients in differing situations when designing a car park (multi-storey or just two levels). Slopes can be measured in angles, percentages and ratios to avoid a very expensive damage like this one.
The problem is, some inexperienced architects calculate the angle of the ramps based on the boring mundane cars that they drive without considering supercars and also lowered sports cars or low riders that some people love and own.
This picture shows clearly how an architect failed with their calculations or maybe the building owner did not care about his car park users and instructed the architect to save space by raising the gradient of the ramp to provide more inner space against providing a better ramp angle to allow for sports car drivers and lowered car owners to drive in and out without damaging their prized rides.
A parking ramp slope of 5% or less is preferred, although parking ramp slopes up to 7% are tolerated by the public in very dense urban areas. Parking ramp slopes should not exceed a 6.67% slope, which is the maximum parking slope permitted in the International Building Code (IBC).
Non-parking ramps are often employed at airports, casinos, large retail structures, for special event structures, and on small and irregularly shaped sites. Non-parking ramps consist of circular helixes (most common), express ramps (external), and speed ramps (internal).
Non-parking ramp slopes should have a maximum slope in the 12% to 14% range. Non-parking ramp slopes up to 20% are sometimes considered if covered.
Parking structures with non-parking ramps tend to be less efficient in terms of square feet of structure per parking space which directly increases the construction cost per parking space.
A grade difference of 8% or more requires transition slopes so vehicles do not “bottom out”. Recommended are minimum 10’-0” transition slopes at the top and bottom of the ramp that are one-half of the differential slope. For instance, two 10’-0” transition ramps sloped at 6.25% would be required at the bottom and the top of a ramp sloped at 12.5%.
Well, this McLaren owner will have to convince his insurance company to pay for this expensive damage as the car park/building owner will not be liable for this damage at all.
