Aging Multi-Level Parking Structures and Electric Vehicles

Authors: Priya Iyer, Jay Iyer

Abstract:

Electric vehicles (EVs) are heavier than Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles of the same size and class. Embracing EVs can impact the structural integrity of multi-level parking garages, particularly those built decades ago for a much lighter fleet than now. Using the Gumbel probability distribution, extreme live loads on a parking slab in a parking garage are analyzed for forward-looking periods until 2075. Results show that EVs have 50% higher maximum live load bending moments than ICE vehicles. Further, the dead weight loads of the parking slab and the increased live loads from EVs are applied to an initiated crack. The resulting stress intensity factor of the crack exceeds the critical value. This indicates parking slab collapse across all return periods.

Keywords: Aging parking structures, American Concrete Institute, electric vehicles, parking garage, structural failure.

References:

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