MCC proposes innovative precast multi-level parking

• Mayor, officials inspect spot near KSRTC Suburban Bus Stand; approve DPR preparation
• Council’s consent to be sought for new technology project that can house over 500 vehicles

By S.T. Ravikumar

Mysore/Mysuru: With increasing problems of finding parking space in the Central Business District, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) is coming up with a multi-level car and two-wheeler parking facility in front of the KSRTC Suburban Bus Stand. It will not be any other structure but a precast (prefabricated) structure that can be built fast, easy to maintain and modern.

While a multi-level parking lot typically takes years to complete — for example the Town Hall Multi-level Parking facility that began in 2011 is still not fully complete — the precast parking system adopted at many cities and by IT conglomerates and super speciality hospitals is quick to build and can more efficiently provide the much-needed parking space.

The MCC has a large portion of land in front of the Suburban Bus Stand on the Bengaluru-Nilgiri Road, adjacent to People’s Park and this precast parking lot will come up here. On Friday, a team, led by Mayor Shivakumar, Commissioner G. Lakshmikantha Reddy, Superintending Engineer Mahesh, Executive Engineers, Development Officers and Zonal Officers visited the site and inspected the area.

Engineers who have knowledge on the precast technology and Commissioner Reddy briefed the Mayor about the advantages. They said that the most preferred building system for parking garages now-a-days is a precast concrete structure made of precast concrete columns, beams, slabs and walls.

Reinforced concrete building components

It is a technique where reinforced concrete building components are manufactured off-site and thereafter these precast components are transported to the construction site where they are erected by cranes.

Precast concrete building components can either be reinforced with normal reinforcing bars or with high-tensile prestressed strands. Apart from saving time, the structure can be designed for dynamic vehicular loads, the engineers told the Mayor. A feasibility study will be done soon and bids will be invited for the project. Some of the materials used in the technology are large-span double T slabs, hollow core slabs, precast columns, beams, retaining walls and even precast facades and compound walls. This project will be path-breaking as its materials are all precast components, they said.

Giving a patient ear to the officials and the engineers, the Mayor and the Commissioner asked the Development Officers to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the extent of the area needed for the precast parking lot, number of vehicles intended to be parked — both two-wheelers and four-wheelers — the estimated cost and other details.

Mayor Shivakumar told SOM that once the DPR is prepared, it will be sent for approval and tenders will be called in the due course. “This is a new project for Mysuru and we have weighed-in the advantages. If constructed in front of the Suburban Bus Stand, the parking will be centrally located and it can accommodate more than 500 vehicles,” he said and added that the approval from the MCC Council will be sought for the project. Once the prefabricated parking lot becomes a reality, parking woes for most of the office-goers who park their vehicles now in the cellar of the bus stand can be eased considerably.

“These parking lots under the bus stand are managed by contractors and there have been complaints of rude behaviour of parking attendants and also damages to the vehicles after parking there,” officials said.