A Flood-Proof ​Parking Garage ​That Rises as ​It Rains ​

Published on by in Technology

A Flood-Proof ​Parking Garage ​That Rises as ​It Rains ​

Third Nature (Tredje Natur) releases a groundbreaking solution to major cities’ challenges with flooding, parking and lack of green spaces.

By stacking water reservoir, parking facility and urban space, the project POP-UP solves three challenges at once. As heavy rain falls, stormwater fills the underground reservoir and the parking structure will pop up in the cityscape, highlighting the adaptation to the forces of nature.

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Image source: Tredje Natur

 

3 CHALLENGES IN 1 SOLUTION
Today car parking, water reservoirs and urban spaces occupy three functions independent of each other. As opposed to using resources to establish three individual features needed by the city, we propose a single solution that can maximize the usage of m2, user value and minimize the overall construction- and operating cost.

Instead of constructing a rainwater reservoir that will be empty 99% of the time, a monofunctional parking facility – often too expensive to build underground where it does not occupy space, and an active urban space fighting for m2 in the dense cities, we suggest POP-UP. An climatic, vibrant and innovative solution that meets all three needs in one solution.

THE PRINCIPLE IS SIMPLE
POP-UP combines a large water reservoir with a parking structure that moves up and down as the reservoir fills and empties with water. Like stated by Archimedes principle of flotation POP-UP works because the buoyancy of parking structure corresponds to the weight of the displaced water – just like a piece of cork in a glass of water.

 

On a normal day, the water reservoir below the parking facility will be empty, and the parking structure functions as a regular underground carpark with access via a ramp on groundlevel. In the event of heavy rain, cloudbrusts or rainstorms, the rainwater is led through the sewers overflow system into reservoir, and by means of hydrostatic buoyancy from the water the parking structure rises up and perforates the terrain.

The hydraulic/mechanical lifting- and steering bearings balances the weight ratios from parked cars in the structure and ensures that the structure moves securely and evenly up and down with the changing waterlevels. The two lowest levels in the parking structure are closed and always remain underground to ensure buoyancy and stability.

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Image source: Tredje Natur

The parking system’s retaining walls and supplementary guide tracks mean that the structure moves steadily and safely when the water level increases and decreases in the reservoir. The round shape of the parking structure and of the water reservoir makes the parking facility lighter and thus helps the buoyancy, while the reservoir with help from the ‘hoop’ effect of the circular form of the retaining wall protects against water- and earth pressure.

As the parking structure rises, the docking guarantees that the structure remains accessible for cars and pedestrians alike, regardless of the water level in the reservoir. Once the sewage system subsequently has capacity to handle the rainwater, the water is slowly returned to the sewer network, after which the parking structure is lowered back into the ground.

POP-UP will be a temporary but visible player in the cityscape and in a positive way illustrating how our cities can change characters and function as the weather changes.

Find out more: Tredje Natur

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