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Parkd lays foundation for the rollout of transportable carparks

Last updated: 16:54 13 Jul 2018 AEST, First published: 02:54 13 Jul 2018 AEST

large columns being erected
A column being erected at the City Subaru car yard in Perth

Parkd Ltd (ASX:PKD) has laid the foundations at what will be its first transportable carPark in Australia, with the total build time to come in at just 14 weeks.

The Western Australian company started work on May 4 and has installed prefabricated structural components on-site over the past 10 weeks.

Parkd expects to take another four weeks to build the City Subaru carpark in Victoria Park, on the outskirts of Perth’s inner city, shaving months off the build time of a typical carpark.

A milestone event

The Claremont-based company called the assembly stage of the Subaru carpark a significant milestone for Parkd.

Assembly activities to take place over the next month will include the installation of precast concrete and steel columns to which workers will attach Parkd’s Continuously Voided Beams (CVBs).

Construction workers will install lightweight steel and concrete slabs between the CVBs.

First in Australia

Parkd reported that once the structural elements were in place at City Subaru it would be the first time the technology had been used in the country for carpark design and construction.

The Subaru car dealership will be able to increase available parking at its causeway site while maximising the revenue it takes from its land.

Subaru can also send the carpark to another site down the track, to reuse the materials in a new location.

‘Disrupting’ construction

Parkd managing director Peter McUtchen told Proactive Investors the company’s modular carpark system had structural strength, performed well and could be moved around with standard transport.

“What we’re doing is disruptive to the way things are done in construction,” the structural and civil engineer of 15 years said.

The former Concrete Institute of Australia president said the company’s systems could be built and installed quickly — in two or three months — for about 20-30% of the cost of traditional carparks, which often took six months to eight months to construct.

He said Parkd had started constructing its system at the Subaru dealership in early May.

The company expects the build will take another four weeks, putting total construction time at 14 weeks.

Parkd’s systems are designed over a period of about four weeks and take a swift six weeks or so to manufacture before being ready for installation.

The company’s competitive costing figures include all activities - labour, transport, craneage - and are a significant drawcard to companies wanting to minimise downtime.

Quick appeal

The swift build time of Parkd’s system has the potential to help companies who have delayed building a multilevel carpark at their sites rein in the loss of income experienced during construction time.

McUtchen told Proactive the company had received a phenomenal number of enquiries about its system, from each of its target markets, such as the automotive dealerships that are its initial focus, transport departments, local governments, airport operators and shopping centre groups.

He said that the carparks held appeal for business operators who viewed the six-to-eight months build time of traditional carpark as “unpalatable” down-time.

Parkd’s moveable system can be used for a variety of industries, with the company planning to target residential sectors with its commercialisation strategy.

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