Prepare your underground parking garage for safe charging of electric cars

THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLER THAN YOU THINK

Many underground parking garages were built in the last century, when there were only fuel cars. Today, however, there are more and more hybrid and electric vehicles, which pose new risks. These changes require a review of fire safety measures. Fortunately, effective and practical solutions are available.

Today's cars contain up to 75 percent more plastic than before, hybrid cars pose a greater fire risk, and the battery packs of electric and hybrid cars are more difficult to extinguish. Despite this increased fire load, existing garages are still often inadequately protected, and current regulations do not always meet the latest technical findings.

Specific risks in electric charging

Fire incidents at loading points can cause smoke and flame to spread throughout the garage. The resulting fire can also damage the support structure, walls and ceilings in the parking garage. The consequences for a building can be enormous, especially if there are homes or offices above the garage. With insufficient protection, the structure of the building can be compromised, leading to a danger of collapse.

A triple solution

"Many parking garages need to be renovated in the coming years to meet new safety requirements. If this is not done, it really poses a big risk," said Sam De Greave, product manager at Promat. "The solutions we offer are quite simple and very durable. The supporting structure, walls and ceilings can be protected with PROMATECT®-H or PROMATECT®-T fire-resistant boards. In addition, PROMADUCT®-500 smoke evacuation ducts can be installed to exhaust smoke and toxic gases from the parking garage to ensure a safe escape route and allow fire department access. Finally, in order to fully guarantee fire resistance, it is important to also correctly seal penetrations - for example, pipes and cable ducts."

Warranty

Promat's products are manufactured according to strict quality control systems and to the highest standards. A key advantage of the solution is that mounting the sheets against the walls, columns and ceilings can usually be done without having to close the parking garage. Moreover, the products meet the strictest quality standards and are certified for a minimum service life of 25 years. In practice, they often last even longer, as evidenced by applications in tunnels and other high-risk environments. 

New fires

So the solution is simpler than you might think. Henk Winkels, area sales manager at Promat: "We see many fire organizations and municipalities struggling with the question of what is the best way to protect parking garages and apartments above. For them, fires caused by electric cars are also relatively new. We want to give them a piece of mind and point out that there are solutions available with our products." Don't take risks: equip the parking garage so that fire safety is guaranteed. Now and in the future.