An increase in the use of heavy electric vehicles poses a risk to car parks, structural engineers have warned.
The average vehicle’s weight has risen from 1.5t in 1974 to almost 2t today due to electric and hybrid batteries and the increasing size of cars.
New guidance published by the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) says that the structural design of car parks needs to be ‘carefully considered’ to ensure they are fire-safe, sustainable and secure for public use.
IStructE fellow Mark Punsdack, commented: ‘As we move to using more electric or hybrid cars, we are now exposed to risks from vehicle compositions and propulsion systems which current design guidance does not acknowledge.
‘We have moral and legal duties to make buildings accessible for all — and car parks are no exception.’
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