Comparison
Each parking system has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages and the onus is on the user to decide which are priorities and accordingly choose the one that suits best. Since each system is a self-proprietary knowledge, it is not possible to bring them on par for the purpose of comparison. The price of each system would also vary accordingly with each requirement adding to the cost of the basic system (similar to add-ons while buying cars).
Whilst each of the mechanical system may have advantages in specific circumstances, it is our opinion that the Simplex Technologies offers the greatest overall advantages.
Conventional Parking Systems
The technology adopted in the company cannot be compared to any conventional and mechanical parking systems and the fact that no mechanical parking systems within themselves can be put under simple comparison.
Conventional parking systems will normally include ramp type parking, where the car ascends circular ramps in order to arrive at the floor where parking is available. In this conventional type of parking building, provision has to be made for Up and down ramps, Avenues on each floor for cars to maneuver in and out of parking spaces, Passenger Elevators and steps, Air ventilation and lighting, Air Extractors to extract carbon dioxide, etc. Other systems will include valet parking, where cars are parked without leaving space between them, and where attendants have to move the cars consistently in order to release a specific car. Systems using elevators to raise the car to the particular floor avoid the need for ramps, but maintain the need for attendants to sit in the car, in the elevator and park, it on the floor on which there is space.
Normally the space per parking on average in these systems is between a minimums of 40-45 Sq. Meters. There are instances where there is a central ramp that allows for slower entrance and exit, in which case, average space could reduce to 30 – 33 Sq, Meters.
Mechanical Parking Systems
Mechanical Parking systems were introduced many decades ago, but it has only really taken off in significant quantities in the Far East. These systems, largely, have the following disadvantages compared to the SimPark Basket of Parking systems:
Most mechanical parking lots have many moving parts; maintenance requirements are stringent and potentially expensive. Should any part of the mechanical parking garage breakdown, the entire parking garage will be inoperative.
Whilst they may in certain cases become more efficient, height might become a limiting feature and so is lesser efficiency in terms of the exploitation of the ground area- using a maximum of 67-70% of the ground area.
The speed of parking and /or retrieving cars. As most of these systems will have only one entrance/ exit for two rows or columns, compared to the company basket of technologies providing separate entrance/ exit (at least one) for each circuit. This is compounded by the fact that individual carrier movement on each floor or each circuit operates independently and it is therefore possible to park a number of cars simultaneously via more than one lift.
Must “Fits-In” Everywhere
The technologies will be competitive in the following situations:
- Where the cost of land is high.
- Where the ability to fully exploit building FAR/FSI is dependent upon the standard requirements for parking spaces as determined by city planning statutes.
- Where the plot is too narrow to allow effective usage of any other parking system. For example, if the cars are to be parked lengthways, the plot can be as narrow as 3.7 meters.
(If, on the other hand, the cars are to be parked width ways, 7 meters will be sufficient.) - Where the plot is too long, the greater the length, the greater the number of parking spaces sharing in the cost of the carrier.
- Where flexibility is needed because of traffic flow demands requiring the placement of the entrances and the exits according to flexible constellations.
- Where there is possibility of constructing higher building, whether by increasing the umber of floors under the ground, or by being allowed to build a greater number of floors above the ground.
- Where it is necessary to add additional number of floors and/or columns as demand increases.
- Our technology modularity allows this advantage and allows maximum usage of all sites.
- Our Technology does not require driveways as in conventional systems thus resulting in savings in land to car park ratio.
- As the system is mostly hydraulic in nature, for the carrying, lifting and lowering, security systems allow great savings in the weight of the system. In practice, there will be no Mechanical maintenance.