http://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/rss/feedsThu, 07 May 2026 10:32:13 -0700http://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/continuing-with-methodisthttp://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/continuing-with-methodistBY LOGAN WEBB East Texas Precast third job for the Houston Methodist hospital system started earlier last week. Last year we completed two parking garages for Houston Methodist hospitals in The Woodlands and Sugarland. This time we've moved to the Willowbrook area located just off the intersection of I-249 and FM 1960. Here the Houston Methodist Hospital system is looking to increase its capacity, but with limited area available for expansion due to the surrounding commercial and office areas their only option is to build up. That is why they have decided to go with a precast parking garage to expand. Contracted by E.E. Reed, designed by PGAL, engineered by Walker Parking Consultants and CEG we have now begun erection on a 5 story, 3 bay parking garage. This garage features 635 pieces of prefabricated concrete that when complete will proved approximately 700 parking spots for hospital employees and visitors. We're incredibly excited to continue supporting the healthcare system for our Houston communities by supporting Houston Methodist, and can't wait to share the project once it's completed. Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:33:00 -0700http://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/the-colorful-side-of-concretehttp://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/the-colorful-side-of-concreteBY LILAH STITES Coloring concrete has long been an option for those who want to add an additional depth to their concrete parking project. But with advancements over time the number and variety of options available to an owner are numerous. One of the most common and well known options is adding colored pigments to the concrete mix. This allows for a consistent and evenly distributed color throughout the concrete mix, and is easily replicated on later projects with a well documented mix design. Historically this has been done with colored oxide powders, but in more recent times liquid additives have been found that can allow for more customized color options. The next option to consider is paint. Now while painting concrete does seem straight forward it should be noted that to paint concrete appropriately additional steps usually have to be taken to prep the concrete that might not be there when having to paint other building surfaces. But the advantage paint has over other coloring methods is that you can achieve a variety of colors on the same piece of concrete, which can allow for more intricate color designs on your project. The final method we will discuss here is staining concrete. This is one of the newest methods used to color design concrete. The process of staining concrete revolves around using an acid based solution that penetrates an existing concrete surface to produce a permanent color. Staining concrete can achieve a variety of colors much like the other two methods, and is a great option to revitalize an already existing concrete project. Wed, 04 Apr 2018 11:48:00 -0700http://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/filling-in-the-gaps-maintaining-your-parking-structurehttp://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/filling-in-the-gaps-maintaining-your-parking-structureBY LILAH STITES Concrete is known for its durability but without a maintenance plan, you will not be able to maximize the lifespan of your structure. In addition, consistent maintenance ensure that your parking structure is kept aesthetically appealing. Generally speaking, maintenance can be broken down into three separate types. First is general housekeeping. The goal of general housekeeping is mainly to enhance user experience. A couple of high priority items are as follows: General trash removal to maintain sanitation throughout the garage. Maintaining any lighting fixtures that are present. This can really help improve users sense of security and the aesthetic beauty of your garage. Re-painting of painted surfaces. This can help users use your garage more efficiently as well as increase performance. At a minimum, a maintenance inspection and general housekeeping should occur once a year. The next type of maintenance is preventative. Although preventative maintenance is very similar to housekeeping, preventative maintenance is less about aesthetic restoration and more about addressing any known structural issues that may occur as your garage ages. Preventative maintenance comprises a visual inspection of all garage elements. This includes anything from checking all precast elements for cracking and/or spalling to making sure that all systems are still working, such as fire suppression and security systems. Most preventative maintenance should happen bi-annual, but can be staggered depending on the size of your structure. The third and final type of maintenance is structural maintenance. Structural maintenance arises upon visual inspections that happen during preventative checks. Structural repairs are wide and varied on a case by case basis, and most occur from a type of chipping or cracking of concrete surfaces. It is recommended that if any structural repairs are needed for your parking structure that you contact an engineer to assess the severity of the problem and to provide a proper repair if necessary. Most but not all structural repairs can be taken care by a patching crew and are not uncommon. Smaller cracks can be injected with epoxy and then smoothed over again with a layer of concrete to make it match again, but for more severe repairs, parts of your structure may have to be temporary closed to complete the required repairs. For any questions, comments, or concerns when it comes to maintaining your precast parking structure feel free to contact any of us at East Texas Precast. Sun, 01 Apr 2018 11:59:00 -0700http://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/lost-and-found-parking-spotshttp://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/lost-and-found-parking-spotsBY LOGAN WEBB Have you ever been in a parking structure where you could not find a parking spot, only to leave and find entire rows where no one has parked? This could be due to poor wayfinding or the ramping system used. You should first consider whether you want one-way or two-way traffic in your ramping structure. Now in some circumstances this decision might be dictated by building footprint. If a building has a small, limited footprint available then you might be held to only using one-way traffic as you might not have the necessary space for a two-way system Both one-way and two-way ramping systems have their advantages and disadvantages we encourage you to look at the below chart to see, which might be most beneficial to your parking structure. Next you should consider using a type of wayfinding system. No matter how simple, any wayfinding system helps. Wayfinding systems help regulate your parking structure. Think of them as the road way signs of your parking garage, because that is essentially what they are. They keep the established and intended flow of your garage working, and they help your customer spend less time looking for parking. Even simple signage like the ones below helps point people in the right direction. In addition, using tools like painted arrows on the ground can act as a further indicator on where to go. There are even automated parking systems that use electronic indicators and sensors to not only indicate where parking is located, but can also give you an indication of how much parking will be available in a certain area. Smart Parking Solution We hope that this has helped you learn the basics on why considering the appropriate wayfinding and ramping system for your parking structure can help optimize your investment. If you have any further questions feel free to contact any of us at East Texas Precast for more information. Mon, 26 Mar 2018 12:08:00 -0700http://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/parking-gets-the-green-lighthttp://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/parking-gets-the-green-lightBY LOGAN WEBB Just like LEED building structures, there has been a movement to certify parking structures that make their parking environmentally friendly. When it comes to parking structures, the largest carbon footprint marker is what structural material the project is designed with. It is believed that concrete is a material that has a negative impact on sustainability. To address this hypothesis, The Precast Concrete Institute (PCI) performed a full life-cycle assessment (LCA) on precast concrete and other similar structural systems, steel and cast-in-place concrete, to measure and compare the environmental impact of each building material. They found that despite most perceptions of precast concrete being environmentally unfriendly that it has a similar carbon footprint to other building materials. It even outperforms other building materials in what is called, "the gate to the grave", phase of a buildings life. If you want to know more about this study you can read the full report here. To accomplish and oversee the process and verification of greener parking garages the Green Parking Council was established by the International Parking Institute. The Green Parking Council, also known as Parksmart, came up with lists of discrete technologies and integrated systems to not only help reduce a garages environmental impact, but also help improve user experience. Found below is a list of all the technologies and systems that Parksmart looks at when judging a parking structure for certification as well as the grading scale. While not every garage needs these features incorporating even just a few into your next parking structure is a great way to reduce the environmental impact. If you are interested in learning more about Parksmart or even how you can submit your job for Parksmart certifications we suggest you check out their website here. Tue, 20 Mar 2018 12:13:00 -0700http://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/parking-materializeshttp://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/parking-materializesBY LOGAN WEBB When designing a parking structure, the first decision that needs to be made is what structural material will be selected. Structural material on most parking garages will represent 50% of your total budget. There are three primary options to consider: Cast-in-place (CIP) concrete, steel framed, and precast concrete. Each one of these building materials has its own advantages and disadvantages. The first material you can consider is precast concrete. Almost all garages that can be constructed using precast concrete are currently precast because of its architectural versatility, reduced construction time, and managing risk on job sites. Because precast concrete is produced off-site in controlled conditions and cast face down to the form, which allows for high architectural capabilities. This allows precast concrete garages to match the surrounding architecture in an area more easily than with cast-in-place or steel. In addition, since these pieces are produced off-site, this allows for shorter on-site construction schedules. Precast allows job sequences that historically have needed to be done sequentially to now happen in parallel with one another. This is because precast concrete facilities are manufacturing the structure while items such as foundations are being completed on the job site. Once the job site is ready for installation, pieces can be shipped out and construction can start immediately. Now having said this pre-cast concrete also has its disadvantages. Some of the most noticeable disadvantages would be reduced interior spaces, and some potential for higher maintenance costs. Pre-cast pieces usually have to follow a pre-engineered standard and because of this many times you will have less flexibility in making the interior of your garage have an open floor plan. Often times you will see pre-cast parking garage have associated cast-in-place elements such as curbs, and foundations. Because these elements can typically not be achieved with pre-cast elements. The next material designers typically consider is a cast-in-place systems one of the main advantages of a cast-in-place system would be the open floor plan. Because a cast-in-place system uses much larger construction areas with fewer breaks and joints it allows for many more and larger open spaces in your parking structure. This open area often allows for better lighting, and an overall larger feeling to the interior of the garage. This is a direct advantage to precast as precast struggles to maintain open spaces over large distances. Now one of the most notable downsides to a cast-in-place system would be the higher construction costs, and longer construction times. The primary reason for these downsides is because most if not all the fabrication when erecting a cast-in-place garage has to be done on site. This is because you only have so long before concrete sets up and hardens. This limits options because you will have to ship concrete from some what near by locations for use on your job site. In addition to this you have to spend time waiting for the lower levels of concrete to set before you can start casting on top of it. For these two simple reasons you are looking at drastically increased construction times, and have limited options in pricing due to location restraints. Finally, you could consider a steel framed system, which rely primarily on steel to steel connections. If you wanted to expand your garage you simply can just add on more levels vertically to your garage through steel to steel connections. Along with this advantage like a cast-in-place system you can have very large open spaces in a steel frame garage. Now one of the disadvantages of a steel framed system comes from using steel itself. Because many times a steel framed parking structure will be exposed to outside elements its has the potential to corrode and rust over time. To prevent this from happening continual maintenance, such as painting and coating all exposed steel beams, will have to be done to ensure the structural integrity of the parking structure remains. Thu, 15 Mar 2018 12:18:00 -0700http://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/ask-the-experts-how-to-start-a-parking-projecthttp://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/ask-the-experts-how-to-start-a-parking-projectBY LOGAN WEBB East Texas Precast is the leader in precast parking structures in Texas, but we get questions from all over the country about parking projects. We took some of our most commonly asked questions, and went to the experts for the real answers: Cesar Diaz, Noli Alarcon, and Chad Snyder (Bios below). 1. How does someone determine the number of parking spaces they need? Cesar: Typically, this answer would come directly from the Owner who would, at that point; have a very good idea how much parking they would want at the very least. We would check this wish list item against local codes to assure that we are providing, at the very least; the minimum required parking for such building typology. Noli: Number of spaces typically comes from the owner based on supply and demand. Sometimes, we will do a supply and demand study to determine this. Chad: The number of parking spaces are determined by where the development is located or zoned, and the demand generators that the project will have. As the future of the automobile evolves municipalities have been looking at reducing required parking in some locations. Many cities have enacted no parking requirements in locations zoned as downtown business districts to encourage development and promote alternate means of transportation to reduce vehicle congestion in downtowns. Other areas of dense development have utilized methods such as special parking districts or areas to reduce parking requirements. Once the zoning has been determined these demand generators are applied to parking requirements for each demand generation type. The base parking requirement is generated through the city zoning regulations. Every city has base parking ratios identified for most uses. The parking ratios are applied based upon the type of use that it is: square footage of office space, square footage of retail and restaurant space, number of keys for hotel, number of bedrooms for multi-family residential are but a few of the use types. Most cities allow for a further reduction through the implementation of shared parking or reductions for adjacency to mass transit such as rail. Shared parking, a concept pioneered by the Urban Land Institute, is the ability of mixed-use types in a single development to effectively share parking resources due to various factors such as: the peak usage time of the various uses, the reduction for alternate means of transportation to the development and accounting for the number of vehicles that are already parked on-site for one use and visiting another use without the need to move their vehicle. Some cities have provisions for the calculations within their ordinance, but a parking study by a professional parking consulting firm can be provided to assist with defining the correct number of spaces that the development will need. 2. If you had a client who was considering either a parking lot or a parking garage, how would you help them make that decision? Cesar: We would run different scenarios playing both; the amount of land required for each versus the budget necessary to support such decision. In some instances, the obvious tends to jump out – especially when land is scarce. Noli: Obviously, parking lot is much cheaper than structured garage but it really depends on their location, master planning and type of patrons. In urban location, real estate is premium and structured garage maybe more practical. Ditto with healthcare and retail business who want to attract and cater to clients and patrons. For schools located in suburban or rural areas, parking lots could be the norm. Chad: The determination between a parking lot or parking garage should be based upon the correct parking solution for that particular development. Sometimes proving new parking is not always the answer. The first determination in order to expend capital costs should be to investigate if there is a real demand or perceived demand. If there is a demand can the demand be solved with the construction of new parking or utilizing transportation demand strategies. If there is a perceived demand can you enhance the wayfinding to the available parking. There is a definite capital cost difference between a surface lot and structured parking garage. Some factors to consider are the price of the land, density of development and walking distance that you expect your users to walk. If the price of land is inexpensive then a surface parking lot is a more viable solution. The issues associated with surface parking is the lack of development density that it provides, less sustainable development due to the large footprint of surface parking and the longer walking distances required for the users. Traditional malls in suburban environments are an example that highlights these issues. 3. Are there any guidelines for when parking users should have free vs. paid parking? Cesar: Typically, in a retail scenario (at least for our area) parking tends to be a free amenity since it is viewed as paid parking would dis-incentivize potential clientele. Such is not the case up North where land is more scares and land is more valuable. Having said this, in a public office building scenario, where the Owner does have much control over its employees’ parking, it is very typical to see third-party ran paid parking garages. In closing, there are no established guidelines as to the when; this decision is driven by the business model the future Owner brings to the table. Noli: There many factors to this but it will boil down to the owner investment. If the garage is part of a bigger establishment like hospitals and malls, free parking can be afforded by their other business. Airports and offices and some urban schools are typically the uses that can demand higher fees for parking. Chad: The debate of free versus paid parking is a contentious issue amongst many. Most places that have paid parking do so because of several factors. If surrounding properties have paid parking, then your development has to have paid parking in order to make sure the parking you have is used for your development. If your parking is free then there is a risk, depending upon location, that it could be being taken up by employees or visitors that are willing to walk to find free parking. Paid parking is used to help turnover in the spaces for visitors. Paid parking is also used as a revenue source. In most instances, parking has to be subsidized by the development. There are maintenance, operating and security costs associated with parking. Implementing paid parking can provide a revenue source to offset these costs. In some cases parking can provide a significant revenue source, such as airports. 4. How can I optimize a parking lot/garage for both long-term renters and daily users? Cesar: Accessibility, security and control. These three points are typically very high in the requirements list of every Owner. Noli: This is usually done with shared parking analysis coupled with supply and demand study above. Chad: Parking for daily and long-term require two different approaches. If the parking facility has controlled access and paid parking, the access and revenue approach should be considered. Long-term, residential or contract parkers utilize proximity or automated vehicular identification (AVI) to control access. These systems should allow for the ease of operation and use for the frequent parkers. Daily or transient parkers require a revenue collection system that utilizes a pay-on-foot machine or cashier in the lane. Automating the revenue collection system reduces the labor required to operate the garage and increases the throughput for exiting, but there is a reduction in customer service. If customer service is a priority then there should be a parking ambassador available to assist patrons when necessary. The segregation of these two user groups is preferred if the layout will allow for it. This not only enhances the entry and exit experience for the frequent parkers, it can provide an enhanced sense of security for instances such as residential parkers that prefer to have a dedicated parking area or space which is segregated form transient users. This increases the user comfort level and passive security within the parking garage. Another avenue for enhancing the user experience for transient or daily parkers is the use of technology. The implementation of a Parking Guidance System can improve the parkers experience by directing the motorist to the available parking spaces without having to drive down the parking aisles searching for the available space. These system utilize technology such as ultrasonic sensors or camera-based technology to monitor the spaces for occupancy and feeds data to directional signage boards mounted in the garage to direct the motorist to the space. These systems can utilize a multitude of colors to identify spaces such as accessible and reserved. The systems increase the overall efficiency of the garage and provides for a more sustainable approach to the operation of the garage. These are a few items that can enhance the overall experience for the parker. 5. Are there any other questions you get asked in your introductory meetings frequently? Cesar: Very often Owners want to feel that they are getting the best value for their money. They want to make sure that the consultant they hired is working for them and their best interests. They want their consultants to run all different type scenarios and bring all the results to the table so the Owner can make a well-informed decision. Noli: Things like traffic impact study, air quality monitoring, latest tech on parking guidance systems, pro forma financial analysis to determine revenue collection rates, ROI, etc. Note that some of these are not in my wheelhouse but we have other office expertise for them. Chad: The number one question is related to the cost and how the efficiency of the design can improve the overall construction cost. Such as, what are the primary differences between and precast and cast-in-place parking structure If you have any more questions that you'd like to ask feel free to contact us at East Texas Precast or any of our friends in the parking industries below. Cesar A DiazArchitecture graduate from the world famous University of Houston with over 25 years of experience at various levels and project phases. Currently works at Goree Architects on various building and construction typologies include: Office, Commercial, Retail, Restaurant, Industrial. Noli Alarcon Principal and Vice President at TimHaahs, Inc. Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering, Columbia University, more than 30 years experience in parking planning, design, and consultation. Chad Snyder Senior Parking Consultant for the Parking Services Group at Walter P Moore in Houston, Texas. He has 25 years of experience associated with master planning, design, and technology in the parking industry. Chad is involved with projects from conception to completion, with a resume that spans domestically and internationally. Mon, 12 Mar 2018 12:25:00 -0700http://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/why-we-have-to-parkhttp://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/why-we-have-to-parkBY LOGAN WEBB Did you know that roughly 30% of our cities lands are used up by parking? Parking is an essential need for almost any land development in America, and many places have requirements for parking that have to be met depending on what your building is. The video below by Vox describes how this process works and how it came about. The high cost of free parking One of the best ways to meet these requirements with the ever shrinking land available to us is with parking garages. Parking garages give the advantage of being able to put more parking spots in a smaller footprint saving valuable space over the conventional parking lot. Tue, 06 Mar 2018 12:23:00 -0700http://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/block-94-elevates-to-new-heightshttp://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/block-94-elevates-to-new-heightsBY LILAH STITES East Texas Precast is starting one of the tallest above ground parking structures in the United States. Located on the 94th block in Downtown Houston we are starting our newest 1151 piece, 13.5 level structural precast garage. This garage was contracted to use by Hoar Construction, designed by Gensler, and was engineered by Walter P. Moore. The 94th block in Houston is in the heart of downtown. This parking garage is surrounded by hotels, apartments and restaurants. It is located directly across Rusk Street from the historic Texaco building, which is now The Star Apartments. It should really serve a vital role in facilitating parking needs for the Downtown Community of Houston. The 13.5 level garage will have a 252' x 120' footprint, and will be made out of a standard grey precast concrete with no sandblast finish to later be painted after the erection process is through. The erection process for this job will be no small task. As in all urban erection processes the limited space available in an already developed area of the city makes for tight spaces for our cranes to move and place the precast pieces into place. Despite this challenge the entire erection process is expected to take around 90 work days to reach substantial completion, and with minimum disruption to the surrounding downtown area. Wed, 10 Jan 2018 11:40:00 -0700http://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/riverwalk-medical-garage-gets-brick-finishhttp://www.easttexasprecast.net/blog/post/riverwalk-medical-garage-gets-brick-finishBY LILAH STITES This week East Texas Precast is glad to have finished an amazing parking garage for the Flower Mound community. This 333 piece, 3 bay garage was built for Riverwalk Medical Park in Flower Mound, Texas. The garage features a brilliant thin-brick exterior. This brick finish is a great example of precast concrete's versatility in design. As you can see in the photos below we are able to achieve the aesthetic beauty of brick in a parking garage, while also having the usual benefits of precast concrete like strength and production speed. We hope that the over 450 parking spaces in the garage helps provide adequate parking for the surrounding medical facilities, and helps to improve the Flower Mound community. We'd like to thank our partners Schwob Building Company, Datum Engineers, and Architeriors for helping in this project. Tue, 26 Dec 2017 12:24:00 -0700