The partial collapse of Wolverhampton's Pipers Row car park in 1997 triggered several initiatives concerning the safety of concrete in multi-storey car parks.
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) responded by forming a national steering committee (NSC), responsible for producing recommendations for the inspection, maintenance and management of car park structures. A resulting key recommendation was that a life-care plan (LCP) should be produced for each structure. An LCP is a statement of the present and predicted condition of the car park, based on regular inspection, structural assessment and maintenance needs. It also sets out a management strategy for achieving long-term serviceability and safety, with minimum cost and disruption.
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initial review of documentation |
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condition survey including visual inspection and on-site testing and sampling |
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laboratory testing of samples |
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structural appraisal |
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preparation of initial LCP review documents detailing prioritized maintenance and repair actions |
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development of the final LCP |
