BUILDINGS & BRIDGES
Parking Garage Repair With FRP
Repair of beams, corbels and double tees. From prestressed double tees in parking garages to corbels and concrete frames, QuakeWrap® FRP strengthens members across building types and materials.
- Double tees, beams & corbels
- Flexural & shear strengthening
- Minimal disruption to your facility
MATCHING PRODUCTS
QuakeWrap® Systems for Parking Garages
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Wet & Dry Layup FRP
Carbon and glass fabric systems for beams, columns, slabs and walls.
Explore Wet & Dry Layup FRP -
SPiRe®+
Stay-in-place FRP panels for seawalls, piles, beams and girders.
Explore SPiRe®+
Not sure which system fits?
Tell us about the structure and conditions. Our team will recommend the right QuakeWrap® system.
WHY PARKING GARAGES DETERIORATE
Why Parking Garages Deteriorate
Water, chlorides, deicing salts, traffic and temperature cycles lead to corrosion of reinforcing steel and prestressing strands, cracking, spalling and lost capacity.
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Salt carried in by cars
In cold climates, salt-laden snow and ice melt off vehicles onto the deck, day after day, and the water works into cracks, joints and porous concrete.
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Coastal air
Near the coast, chloride-laden humid air reaches beams, floors, columns and walls throughout the open structure.
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Higher loads than designed
New uses, such as a stage on a retail level or fire engine access, can exceed what the double tees and slabs were designed for.
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Design and construction errors
Missing concrete cover, corbels cast differently than designed and other errors can leave members short of capacity.
WHAT FRP CAN REPAIR
Parking Garage Members and How FRP Strengthens Them
| Typical problems | How FRP helps | |
|---|---|---|
| Decks and slabs | Corroded rebar, heavier vehicle loads, new openings, change of use | Carbon FRP bonded to the slab adds flexural reinforcement with very little thickness or weight |
| Beams and double tees | Corroded rebar or strands, cracking, impact, low flexural or shear capacity | Externally bonded carbon FRP adds flexural and shear reinforcement without heavy steel plates |
| Columns | Chloride exposure, vehicle impact, corrosion, higher demands | FRP wraps add confinement, axial capacity and ductility, with minimal increase in size |
| Corbels | Cracking, corrosion, spalling, bearing-zone damage, low shear capacity | FRP wrapped or bonded to the corbel adds shear resistance through the repaired region |
Not sure what your garage needs?
Send photos, drawings or the inspection report. Our team will recommend the right QuakeWrap® system and provide specifications for your engineer.
How a Parking Garage FRP Repair Works
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Evaluate
The engineer of record evaluates the damaged member and its existing reinforcement to set the strengthening required.
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Repair the concrete
Loose concrete is removed, damaged areas are repaired, and corroded reinforcing steel is cleaned or supplemented.
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Prepare the surface
The concrete surface is prepared so the FRP bonds properly to the structure.
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Install the FRP
Carbon or glass fabrics or laminates are installed in the orientations the design calls for: flexure, shear, confinement or axial.
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Finish
Where needed, a protective coating is added for UV, fire protection, appearance or exposure.
ADVANTAGES
Why FRP Suits Parking Garage Repair
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Keeps clearance
Thin FRP on beams and slabs does not reduce overhead clearance.
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Keeps parking spaces
Columns and walls are not enlarged, so the same number of spaces stays available for revenue.
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Does not rust
FRP is suited to chloride-rich garage environments.
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Lightweight
A fraction of the weight of structural steel, carried and installed without heavy equipment.
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High strength
Significant added capacity with relatively little material.
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Garage stays open
Work in localized areas takes fewer spaces out of service.
CASE STUDY
Martini Park Garage: Double Tees Strengthened Before Service
In a new 64,000 sq ft parking structure in Scottsdale, Arizona, 17 prestressed double tee beams spanning 60 ft had been designed before the loads changed: a stage was planned in the retail section on top. The new loads exceeded the design loads, and the beams needed more bending and shear strength.
The owners could discard the double tees and build new ones, or install them and strengthen them before they went into service. They chose to strengthen. One 2 ft wide layer of unidirectional QuakeWrap® carbon FRP was applied for flexure, and the same material was applied perpendicular to it for shear, in 2 ft strips spaced 4 ft on center. The beams were reached from scaffolding, with no scissor lift or man lift.
- in 17 double tee beams
- 34 stems
- section strengthened
- 9,000 sq ft
- with a crew of 5 (August 2008)
- 11 days
PROVEN RESULTS
Parking Garages Projects
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PARKING STRUCTURE
Martini Park Parking Garage
Scottsdale, AZ
Carbon FRP added flexural and shear strength to 34 stems of 17 double tee beams for new loads, in 11 days.
PROJECT SHEET (PDF) -
PARKING STRUCTURE
Panorama Condominiums
Las Vegas, NV
56 double tee stems with little or no concrete cover sealed and strengthened with carbon fabric while residents kept using the garage, in 3 days.
PROJECT SHEET (PDF) -
CORBELS
Banner Desert Medical Center
Mesa, AZ
15 corbels cast separately from their precast columns wrapped with two layers of glass fabric to replace missing horizontal steel, in 2 days.
PROJECT SHEET (PDF) -
CORROSION REPAIR
City Court Garage
Tucson, AZ
Twelve corroded inverted T-beams wrapped with one layer of glass fabric to restore design capacity, instead of a new steel frame, in 3 weeks.
PROJECT SHEET (PDF) -
COLUMNS AND BEAMS
Phoenician Resort
Scottsdale, AZ
45 splitting columns wrapped and 60 beam ends strengthened for shear with carbon FRP, without closing the 422-car garage.
PROJECT SHEET (PDF)
Your garage could be the next project sheet
Share the member type, the damage and how the garage must stay in service. Our team will recommend the right QuakeWrap® system.
Parking Garages FAQs
Can a parking garage stay open during FRP repairs?
Often, yes. Work can be done in localized areas, so fewer spaces are taken out of service. The Panorama Condominiums garage stayed in use by residents, and the Phoenician Resort garage was strengthened without closing.
Does FRP reduce overhead clearance?
No. FRP fabrics and laminates are thin, so beams and slabs keep their clearance, and columns and walls are not enlarged, so parking spaces keep their dimensions.
Can FRP strengthen double tees and corbels?
Yes. Carbon FRP added flexural and shear strength to the double tees at Martini Park, and glass fabric wrapped around 15 corbels at Banner Desert Medical Center replaced missing horizontal reinforcement.
Will FRP corrode in a salty garage?
No. FRP does not rust, which makes it well suited to garages exposed to deicing salts or coastal air.
Can you provide specifications and design details for our engineer?
Yes. Our team will recommend the right QuakeWrap® system and provide product data sheets, specifications and sample design details for your engineer of record.
Related FRP Repair Applications
Have a Project That Needs Repair?
Tell us about your structure. Our team will recommend the right QuakeWrap® system and provide specifications for your engineer.