At first glance, an underground car park doesn’t look like much. It might even be dark and somewhat dreary. Unlike its counterpart, the parking lot, underground parking garages often have issues with ventilation.
Car Park Ventilation Problems
When the car park is constructed with the only purpose being to have a place to park cars, the ventilation system suffers. This in turn leads to numerous issues for people who use these spaces.
For starters, exhaust emissions can cause a buildup of carbon monoxide from vehicles. This could have harmful and long-lasting effects on people and the environment.
The major emission culprits in car parks are carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxide, which can create a dangerous and flammable environment that increases the risk of fire. While an under-ventilated car park with a short supply of oxygen reduces the spread of fire, there is a production of harmful gases and intense smoke [1].
Getting the ventilation system of your car park right
Car parks can be naturally or artificially ventilated. Let’s take a quick look at the types commonly found in the Gold Coast:
- Natural ventilation – these car parks utilise natural air for ventilation. It’s great but not always feasible, especially when it’s an underground parking garage.
- Traditional systems – these use ducts to transport fumes or smoke outside. Here, smoke gases rise towards the ceiling to be removed by the ducts. This system requires several ducts that must drop low for extraction of smoke.
- Jet fan systems – this is a more modern option for ventilation. This has fans installed in central shafts directed outside. When smoke is detected, the fans are switched on to remove the smoke from under the ceiling. This gives people time to leave the car park safely [2].
The modern jet system seems to have more benefits compared to the others; it doesn’t take up as much space, it’s less expensive, and it remains highly effective.
Pro tip: Add a carbon monoxide monitoring system to your car park. It ensures the ventilation system works only when it is necessary, thereby saving energy costs. It also helps you maximise the ventilation system as you are certain of its efficiency.
You can choose what ventilation system to use, but you are better off working with the experts on this one.
Do you need effective car park ventilation repair in the Gold Coast? Contact us now at Alpha PMS to help you make the right choice on which system to go for and also get you started on the right car park ventilation.
References
- Review on Fire Safety in Car Parking. Deepanshu Rajora and Bikarama Prasad Yadav. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332233093_Review_on_Fire_Safety_in_Car_Parking. Accessed: 27-10-2020.
- CAR PARK VENTILATION. https://alphapms.com.au/car-park-ventilation/. Accessed: 27-10-2020.
- Alpha PMS. https://alphapms.com.au. Accessed: 27-10-2020.
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