Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Free Visual Guide & Checklist for Parking Garage Inspections

  • 03/23/20

ST. LOUIS, MO – Maintaining multi-million-dollar campus parking garages can be a daunting task for building owners and facility managers. To make identifying and tracking problem areas within parking structures easier, St. Louis-based Western Specialty Contractors offers an online Visual Guide & Checklist for parking garage inspections.

Available for free download, building owners and facility managers now have available a visual reference for easily identifying and tracking damage to a parking structure’s main components, including the concrete slabs and beams, support columns, walls, drainage, and expansion and control joints.

“Our easy-to-use guide takes the guesswork out of identifying damage and hazards within parking structures so that a routine maintenance program can be established and the structure can be kept in a safe condition for users,” says Carter Pogue, Western Specialty Contractors, sales/project manager.

The guide includes a list of simple questions and check boxes to help facility managers identify damage to each component of a parking structure and includes detailed photos of damage such as rust and water stains, exposed rebar, efflorescence, and spalling and cracking so facility managers know exactly what to look for.

All types of parking structures — the three most common types being double tee precast, conventional and post-tensioned — are subject to deterioration from environmental stressors, wear-and-tear and deicers tracked in during the winter months.

An ineffective maintenance routine on a parking structure can quickly lead to costly repairs and restorations that can be disruptive to tenants and cause unexpected costs and safety concerns. 

"The damaging and compounding cycle of water infiltration and wear-and-tear to a parking structure never improves on its own, and the longer that warning signs are ignored, the more serious and costlier the repairs can become," says Pogue.

A concrete maintenance and restoration specialist is recommended to confirm problem areas and hazards within the garage and recommend a repair plan and maintenance schedule that will:

  • Delay or avoid costly restoration,
  • decrease liabilities,
  • retain ideal parking volume and rates,
  • adhere to local permitting guidelines, and
  • maintain the property's value.

Download the visual guide and checklist here.

About Western Specialty Contractors
Family-owned and operated for more than 100 years, Western Specialty Contractors offers a nationwide network of expertise that building owners, engineers, architects and property managers can count on to develop cost-effective, corrective measures that can add years of useful life to a variety of structures including industrial, commercial, healthcare, historic, educational and government buildings, parking structures, and sports stadiums. Western is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, with 30 branch offices nationwide.

 

Featured

  • Photo credit - Chuck Coates

    Florida District Modernizes Central Energy Plants at Two High Schools

    Flagler Schools, a public school district in Flagler County, Fla., recently partnered with Matern Professional Engineering to modernize the central energy plants at two of its high schools, according to a news release. The project is part of a larger, district-wide effort to reduce energy costs and operational expenses.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.