VersaCAD/Parking Structure

VersaCAD/Parking Structure is a complete system for automating the process of designing, detailing and drafting rectangular shaped, multi-story, reinforced concrete parking structures.  The software has been developed jointly by Archway Systems, Inc, the developer of VersaCAD, and Gary Miller, parking structure design expert.    Gary Miller, with a degree in structural engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, worked for several firms before starting his own firm in partnership with Ronald James.  Their company, James and Miller was a very successful parking structure design and engineering firm for 20 years.  They were an early pioneer in the use of computers in their profession.

VersaCAD/Parking Structure accepts 112 pieces of data and from that data, automatically calculates all the necessary dimensions and outputs drawings of a finished design to meet the input requirements as well as quantity calculations.   Here are examples of the input:

This example output includes 3 plan drawings, a site plan, four elevations organized on one sheet and a longitudinal section drawing.
 

Note the line work and attention to detail in this larger scale view of a corner of the section drawing:
 

Gary Miller has this to say about the new VersaCAD/Parking Structure:  “the program draws what I consider a fully detailed set of preliminary parking structure plans, suitable for contractor estimating and end-user presentation, consisting of a Site Plan, Ground, Typical and Roof Level Plans, four Elevations and six Building Sections along with elevators and handicapped parking  In addition, the program produces a quantity takeoff suitable for material and cost estimation.  All of this from about 5 minutes of input (not counting time for collection of data which is necessary in any case).

For all of the above, the computer takes about 10 seconds to produce all of the drawings consisting of 20,000 objects and 3,000 symbols.    These are complete, fully dimensioned and annotated drawings ready to be output to the plotter. 
  
I would estimate that a user would require 4- 8 hours to make revisions on note placement, drawing positioning and other tweaking operations.  The Site Plan would probably have to be enhanced, but that would be true for both program runs and manual CAD drawing.

I estimate 60-80 hours for straight CAD to produce the same drawings, using a library of symbols.  A resourceful CAD user would gain speed as he became more familiar with each drawing.  For instance, the Typical Level Plan should be drawn first and very accurately, as the Ground and Roof Level plans can be generated from a modified Typical Level Plan.  The Site Plan can be generated the same way.  There are also some time saving techniques in producing the elevations and sections.

But, very conservatively, the program saves at least 40 and maybe as much as 60 manhours over contemporary CAD based designs.  And, keep in mind that each structure project is designed as many as four times per project accounting for revisions and changes which leads to some multiple of the savings. “

Some additional comments from Gary Miller based on years of experience with James and Miller:

- In my pre-CAD days I hired a number of manual draftsmen and I would always give them a trial period.  I would have them draw the building sections from the parking plans and grades.  It was surprising how many could not understand or accurately draw the ramping sections.  The same could apply to a CAD user not familiar with parking structure framing.

- One advantage of the program is to rapidly produce accurate alternate schemes.  Many times a client would want to see the ramifications of adding more or less compact stalls, deleting a parking bay, adding a level, changing stall sizes, reversing the ramps, etc.  All these requirements require a new complete set of drawings. 

- Adherence to office CAD drafting standards is another advantage to the program.  All objects and symbols have consistent levels, colors, names, styles and pens.  My system may not be the best, but these attributes can be customized, although it would take some effort to change all the "setprops" variables and symbols.

- One limitation of the program is that it currently only draws a 3 bay wide garage.  If I had a 2 bay garage to design, I would still use the program and then modify the drawings.  My old program was only a 2 bay garage but I would still use it for a 3 bay garage.  I once designed a triangular shaped garage (at Loyola Maramount) but still used my programs initially.  I never used pre-defined plans or pre-set parking schemes and dimensions as there were always too many variables and the modifications were too time consuming.  Starting from scratch and insuring accuracy was always the better solution.