National Parking Association

1112 16th Street, NW, Suite 300

Washington, DC 20036
800/647-PARK 202/296-4336
Fax 202/331-8523 www.npapark.org

GUIDE TO THE
DESIGN &
OPERATION OF
AUTOMATED
PARKING FACILITIES
JANUARY 28, 2003
This document is a joint publication of the Automated &
Mechanical Parking Association and the Parking
Consultants Council of the National Parking Association.
Principal Author: Donald R. Monahan, AMPA & PCC
Co-Authors:
Vince Walls, AMPA
Gerhard Haag, AMPA
Lee Lazarus, AMPA
Reviewed By:
Gary Cudney, PCC
Abe Gutman, PCC
Stephen Shannon, PCC
Mary Smith, PCC

About AMPA the Automated

& Mechanical Parking
Association

About NPA the National

Parking Association

AMPA, the Automated & Mechanical Parking

Association, is an organization consisting primarily
of manufacturers and distributors of automated and
mechanical parking systems as well as affiliate
members consisting of engineers, researchers, and
other parties interested in furthering the
development of mechanical parking systems in the
United States.

The National Parking Association (NPA), founded

in 1951, is an international network of more than
1,100 parking professionals from across the
United States and around the world. Members
include private commercial parking operators;
suppliers of equipment or services to the industry;
parking administrators for colleges and universities,
hospitals, municipalities, airports, and public
authorities; engineers and architects; and
developers. The Parking Consultants Council
(PCC) is a special professional group within the
NPA, composed primarily of engineers and
architects, who produce a broad range of
technical publications on the design, construction,
and layout of parking facilities, as well as
recommended guidelines for zoning ordinances,
use of handicapped spaces, lighting, and other
issues of importance to traffic engineers, state and
municipal officials, and parking professionals. The
NPA acts as a clearinghouse for parking industry
information, provides special services for members,
tracks federal legislation of interest to parking,
sponsors an annual international convention and
trade exposition, and publishes a magazine ten
times a year.

Automated and mechanical parking alternatives

have, over the years, become more and more in
demand in the U.S. as land becomes less
available and more expensive. While these
systems are a newly emerging industry in the U.S.,
in other parts of the world, these systems have
been established for almost a half century.
AMPA was officially incorporated in February
2001 with two primary purposes:

To serve the public by providing safe and

reliable solutions to urban parking needs
To facilitate the growth and prosperity of
the automated and mechanical parking
industry in the United States.

We want to help solve your tough parking needs

where a conventional garage is not well suited. It
is our commitment as an association to help ensure
that the right solution is provided in the right
application to bring about a high level of customer
satisfaction. This publication is an instrumental part
of our efforts to achieve these goals.
AMPA Officers:
Chairman:
President:
Vice President
Secretary:
Treasurer:

Vince Walls
Peggy Guignon
Arturo Ressi
Jackie Smith
Sei Park

NPA Officers:
Executive Director:
President:
Vice President
Vice President
Vice President
Chairman
Secretary
Treasurer

Martin L. Stein
David C. Groene
Jed E. Hatfield
Stephen E. Long
James V. LaRocco
Geoffrey Shepard
Gill Barnett
Jeff Wolfe

PCC Officers:
Chairman:
Vice Chairman:
East Region Director:
North Region Director:
South Region Director:
West Region Director:

Chris Luz
Stephen Shannon
Stephen Shannon
Stephen Rebora
Matthew Feagins
Scott Herman

GUIDE TO THE DESIGN & OPERATION OF

AUTOMATED PARKING FACILITIES

January 28, 2003

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4

Purpose
Overview
Types of Systems
Benefits

2.0 VEHICLE DIMENSIONS

2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6

Background
Length
Width
Height
Weight
Ground Clearance

3.0 TRANSFER COMPARTMENT DESIGN

3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5

Function
Dimensions
Vehicle Carrier & Alignment
Parking Activation Controls
Accessible Design Requirements

4.0 TRANSPORT DEVICES

4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5

Vehicle Pallet
Dolly
Lifts
Shuttles
Turntables

5.0 STORAGE RACK DESIGN

5.1 Structural Systems
5.2 Construction Tolerances

6.0 PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS

6.1 Service Rate
6.2 Transfer Compartment Evacuation
6.3 System Reliability

PAGE
1

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Peak Hour Arrival/Departure
Traffic Volume
Table 2: Sample Calculation of
Required Number of Transfer
Compartments
Table 3: Allowable Height and
Building Area
Table 4: Fire Resistance Rating
Requirements for Building
Elements
Table 5: Fire Resistance Rating
Requirements for Exterior Walls
Table 6: Allowable Height & Building
Area for Group A-3 & Group B
Occupancies

Page 20

Page 23
Page 27

Page 28
Page 29

Page 30

LIST OF FIGURES

11

14

16

Figure 1: Cutaway View of

Automated Parking Facility
Page
Figure 2: Automated Parking Facility,
Aalen, Germany
Page
Figure 3: Automated Parking Facility,
Hoboken, NJ
Page
Figure 4: Separate Transport Devices
Page
Figure 5: Single Transport Device
Page
Figure 6: Circular Transport System
Page
Figure 7: Rotary Lift
Page
Figure 8: Vehicle Height Study
Page
Figure 9: Vehicle Weight Study
Page
Figure 10:Transfer Compartment,
Aalen, Germany
Page
Figure 11:Typical Transfer
Compartment Design
Page
Figure 12: Transfer Compartment at Underground
Parking Level, Seoul, South Korea Page
Figure 13: Inside of Transfer Compartment,
Aalen, Germany
Page
Figure 14: Inside of Transfer
Compartment, Hoboken, NJ
Page
Figure 15: Parking Access Controls
Page
Figure 16: Trans-lift Transport Device
Page
Figure 17: Circular Transport System
Page
Figure 18: Comb System Platforms
Page
Figure 19: Comb System Dolly
Page
Figure 20: Pallet System Transfer
Device
Page
Figure 21: Turntable at Entry,
Aalen, Germany
Page
Figure 22: Turntable at Entry,
Seoul, South Korea
Page
Figure 23: Shuttles at Each Level
Of Storage Rack
Page
Figure 24: Comb Racks over Metal
Deck in Parking Space
Page
Figure 25: Dolly Sliding off Trans-Lift
to Retrieve Vehicle
Page
Figure 26: Design Queue
Page

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Automated & Mechanical Parking Association

National Parking Association

GUIDE TO THE DESIGN & OPERATION OF

AUTOMATED PARKING FACILITIES

January 28, 2003

7.0 VEHICLE ACCESS DESIGN

20

8.0 BUILDING SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

27

9.0 OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

34

10.0 MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS

39

11.0 SUMMARY

41

7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5

Peak Hour Traffic Projections

Storage/Retrieval Service Rates
Quantity of Transfer Compartments Required
Queuing Requirements
Pre-Sorting of Oversize Vehicles

8.1 Building Code

8.2 Occupancy Classification
8.3 Type of Construction
8.4 Setback Requirements
8.5 Facility Office/Control Room/Lobby
8.6 Fire Protection Systems
8.7 Fire Evacuation
8.8 Guardrails
8.9 Lighting
8.10 Ventilation
8.11 Plumbing
8.12 Security System

9.1 System Control Devices

9.2 On-Site Management
9.3 Software
9.3.1 Parking Facility Management Archive
9.3.2 System Component Commands
9.4 Parking Access & Revenue Control Systems
9.5 Utilities
9.6 Operational Costs

10.1 Equipment Monitoring

10.2 Routine Maintenance
10.3 Equipment repairs

APPENDIX
Abbreviations
Definitions
References

42
43
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Automated & Mechanical Parking Association

National Parking Association

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