Presenting a New Internal Traffic Design to Increase Parking Capacity in Space‑Constrained Buildings

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Ph.D., Student, Department of Civil–Transportation Planning, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran.
2 Department of Civil Engineering, Imperial College, London, England.
3 Professor, Department of Transportation Planning, Faculty of Engineering, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran.
Abstract
With the increasing urban population and the rise in vehicle ownership rates, providing parking in buildings has become one of the most significant challenges for engineers due to spatial limitations. Traditional solutions such as increasing the number of floors or horizontal expansion of buildings are often largely ineffective due to land constraints, high costs, and urban planning regulations. Today, the use of mechanized systems and new technologies, especially hydraulic ramps and modern traffic solutions, has gained attention. This research examines the design and localization approach of modular traffic ramps suitable for Iranian buildings by carefully reviewing the Iranian national standard and analyzing successful global examples.

The proposed model is based on the combination of safe hydraulic ramps with load locking systems and smart control systems, which, while increasing parking capacity and spatial efficiency, ensures safety requirements and ease of operation. Performance simulations and economic evaluations of implemented projects show that using this system increases parking capacity by up to 27 percent compared to current designs and has a suitable return on investment period (approximately 3.8 years). Furthermore, these systems are fully consistent with national and international standards and have the ability to be implemented in small-scale residential and commercial projects. Finally, potential weaknesses such as initial cost and the need for specialized maintenance are discussed, and solutions for future improvement are provided.
Keywords

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