Basement car park facilities are provided for commercial buildings, shops, offices and apartments. They have a wide range of services for both residential and commercial complexes. Basement car park mechanical ventilation design encompasses all major aspects that are vital for the construction and maintenance of such structures.
Mechanical ventilation is of the most important factors while planning the construction of any such facility in the building. Ventilation system helps in maintaining the appropriate indoor temperature in the building and thereby prevents deterioration and long term damage to the building materials and structures.
To provide adequate ventilation to the basement car park, many factors need to be taken into consideration. Materials and nature of the use of the basement car parking facility will have a great role to play in determining the ventilation requirements of the structure.
Important Considerations
Materials like concrete, clay, masonry, brick, timber, asphalt, metal, stone, glass and other combustible materials require proper ventilation to make it an ideal place for parking cars. The basement structure is made of porous materials to allow adequate air circulation but materials like bricks, clay, tiles, concrete, etc that are not porous and are hard, will not help in providing the required ventilation to the basement.
The basement car park should have proper basement waterproofing to keep water away from the car storage area. It should also have a means of exhaust ventilation to remove exhaust gasses from cars. A proper ventilation system keeps the basement from experiencing high humidity levels and extreme heat or cold conditions.
The basement car park should also have a proper electrical ventilation system to ventilate the space to the fullest extent possible. An air conditioning system will be needed for a comfortable temperature.
Insulation
There are several advantages associated with a well-insulated car parking structure. Proper ventilation helps in keeping the air clean. The heat from car engines will escape through the vents and will help in keeping down the inside temperature. This will prevent the formation of mould and other fungi which could pose serious threats to the health of people using the carpark.