Steel Framed Parking Structures—40 Years of Figuring Out What Went Wrong and How to Avoid It

Steel framing systems can offer an efficient structural system for use in parking structures, but there are unique considerations for garages constructed in harsh winter environments to consider during the design, construction, and maintenance of these structures to ensure successful long-term performance. Open web steel joists and composite metal deck are sometimes used in parking garages. These elements have limited cross-section thickness, and a small amount of section loss can result in a significant reduction in capacity. Typical cracking in slab surfaces in composite steel beam and concrete on metal deck slab construction will offer a pathway for water and road salts to penetrate the deck, resulting in through deck corrosion and deterioration of the supporting framing. In the assessment of in-service steel framed parking garages, care should be taken to evaluate components with limited redundancy and limited cross-section. The top surfaces of steel beams are also subject to corrosion and cannot be easily accessed for repair, necessitating wholesale removal and replacement of supported decks. Corrosion at connections can produce expansive forces which can increase the stresses in the connecting elements. At column bases and where fireproofing of steel framing is present or when embedded in asphalt, potentially corroding elements are concealed from view. This paper offers lessons learned through the investigation of failures of steel-framed parking structures located in the United States over the last 40 years that can provide insight for the design and assessment of steel-framed parking garages to ensure long-term performance and public safety.