I need some ideas on green design

Hello, I'm designing a parking structure for a hospital as my senior project. I'm going to use one way prestress slab and beams, and reinforce concrete column and footings design. The problem is, another group is also designing a parking structure for an airport, so I need to make my parking structure stand out! I did some research and I liked the idea of green roof and solar panels, also 5% recycled fly ash in the concrete mixture. Anyone has any unique, fresh, green idea to share? thanks!!

Riceman said:

Hello, I'm designing a parking structure for a hospital as my senior project. I'm going to use one way prestress slab and beams, and reinforce concrete column and footings design. The problem is, another group is also designing a parking structure for an airport, so I need to make my parking structure stand out! I did some research and I liked the idea of green roof and solar panels, also 5% recycled fly ash in the concrete mixture. Anyone has any unique, fresh, green idea to share? thanks!!

Click to expand...

Parking garage, open air, set up solar panels. Have them overhang over the structure to provide shade for the cars and add supplemental power for outside lights at night, or put the power back into the grid.

There are LEED points for having designated parking spaces for hybrid/electric vehicles and/or carpool participants. There is also a LEED point for having an alternative fuel filling station (like hydrogen). Other points are given for using permeable paving surfaces, but that would only apply to a surface parking lot, not a multi-level garage.

Kind of a new one getting some attention is photocatalytic concrete. The downside of it is that it is pretty expensive. The upside is that it actually cleans itself and the air around it. The proprietary cement mixes contain a titanium dioxide of some sorts. This concrete has been used in major cities around the world to help curb smog and other pollution. Here in the states, it was recently used in the decorative monuments on either side of the I-35 Bridge in Minneapolis. Small amounts of it can be used economically around a project. The tests that I have seen and heard of it are pretty cool. One guy dumped a cup of coffee on a sample, essentially staining it. A few hours later, it looked like the day it was poured. The stain had gone away.

http://txactive.us/images/concrete_international.pdf

http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/conte...nv.g3a.rss1109c

http://www.cement.org/tech/self_cleaning.asp

http://cementamericas.com/mag/minneapolis_..._concrete_1108/

Build it out of soy.

Be a literalist. Paint it lime green.

don't put any car parking spaces, only bike racks.

Check out Europen garages, they're much better.

MA_PE said:

don't put any car parking spaces, only bike racks.
Check out Europen garages, they're much better.

Click to expand...

I think that MA_PE is onto something but I am going to go under the assumed constraints that the need for the parking garage is primarily for automobile storage. There are a lot of under utilized areas in a parking garage due to low clearances under ramps. There is the possibility of putting bike racks, bike lockers or other bicycle storage where there is not enough room for the Capt's SUV. Below is in example in S.F.

http://www.bikeparking.com/sfgarages/

Take the power system off the grid; power it with rainbows.

Make the entrance dimensions slightly larger than the front view of a Toyota Prius.

these are great suggestions! great ideas! thanks a ton guys!

I was going to say build an anaerobic digester for the bathrooms so you can generate methane from the fecal material. Then burn that methane in a gas turbine generator. For the low cost of approximately $18.3 million you can generate 0.05 kW of electricity.

And I say power the rest with unicorns.

African or European?

European are better.

European is always better.

but swallows are always good.

Here's another couple LEED points: Paint your garage with a low reflectance material to cut down on the heat island effect. Limit light pollution at the property line using full cutoff light fixtures and the like.

The bike racks, alternate energy parking spaces, etc. are all good ideas. Green roof will get you points. Put an oil/grit separator in the floor drain to improve stormwater quality.

Oh, and sprinkle pixie dust over everything.

mandatory wheat grass shooters at the gate.

VTEnviro said:

Here's another couple LEED points: Paint your garage with a low reflectance material to cut down on the heat island effect. Limit light pollution at the property line using full cutoff light fixtures and the like.
The bike racks, alternate energy parking spaces, etc. are all good ideas. Green roof will get you points. Put an oil/grit separator in the floor drain to improve stormwater quality.

Oh, and sprinkle pixie dust over everything.

Click to expand...

Just make sure the pixie dust has a low VOC content.