Bright, clean and clearly delineated car parking spaces, white walls and soffits, improved lighting and signage, and decorated stairwells will be what customers notice when they enter a car park, and remain important elements in attracting shoppers. However, it is the underlying structure which should be the main concern, according to Makers' divisional technical manager, Peter Cowlard.

Cowlard says that car parks in need of refurbishment are usually 30 years old and well into their design life, and as such Makers always looks at a refurbishment project from a technical point of view. "We look at what the issues are in terms of the materials first," says Cowlard. "How degraded is the concrete? What are the mechanisms of deterioration? We always make sure we address these vitally important elements. Aesthetics are obviously important, but shouldn't always be the primary concern."

Cowlard has worked with Makers - a structural refurbishment company - for the last 22 years. Like many in the car parking world, he fell into the industry by chance rather than design. Trained as a mechanical engineer, Cowlard made a slow transition from mechanical to civil engineering after getting involved with a coating company.

In the last 10 to 12 years Makers has set up a dedicated car park division, having identified that the refurbishment of car parks needs some sort of consistency in approach.

Makers' specialised experience means that the company is well positioned to give advice and assistance to clients who are looking to refurbish and improve their car parking facilities.

The company deals with everything involved in a refurbishment project, from protection of surfaces and concrete repair issues - commonly caused by chloride ingress or by the fact that modern-day cars are heavier than the original design allowed for - all the way through to improved signage, lighting, markings and payment systems.

One of the biggest changes that Cowlard has seen during his time in the industry is the fact that car park structures are often overseen by people with little or no structural expertise. Where the local authority's structural engineer used to inspect and look after all car parks, this duty is now in the hands of the car park manager, who is often the same person as the centre manager.

"I think this change may initially have slowed the business down a bit," explains Cowlard. "A car park manager or owner without engineering knowledge sees a hole in the ground and has it filled in. These people have a fixed budget, and if an unexpected fault arises, funds may not be available to fix it."

However, Cowlard believes that many centre managers are now beginning to understand the intrinsic importance of these issues, and there is evidence of greater attendance by managers at dedicated conferences such as Parkex. He has also noticed an increase in the number of managers opting for the potentially preventative measure of regular material assessment - asking Makers to look at their car park to ascertain its condition and plan for future repairs.

Two new associations are also set to make an impact on the industry, according to Cowlard. The Concrete Repair Association focuses, unsurprisingly, on concrete repair, while the European Liquid Waterproofing Association (ELWA), which has just been established, includes a section on car deck waterproofing.

"That's looking at standards and codes for materials that are used in an attempt to make sure the materials are more properly fit for purpose," says Cowlard. "I think that will be a good thing, and it's something the industry's needed for a long time.

"You see a car deck wearing out in three years and that's not on. It's not what the industry wants and it won't do anything for our reputation or that of shopping centres. We need to ensure that surfaces have at least a 10-year lifespan and we must ensure that the materials we use are durable enough to achieve that.

"With standards and codes, owners and managers will understand what they're required to achieve"

With car parking an increasingly important issue for shopping centres, the auto-regulation of the repair and maintenance industry is a development to be welcomed.

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