An Introduction to the Most Worth-Collecting Types of Multi‑Level Parking Structures

1 Lifting and lowering

Lift-and-traverse parking equipment

A mechanical parking system that uses lifting or lateral movement of vehicle‑carrying platforms to store and retrieve vehicles.

Features: Due to their diverse designs, scalable sizes, and strong adaptability to various site conditions, they are widely used. Components include the steel structure, vehicle‑carrying platform, chain‑drive system, control system, and safety protection measures. They account for approximately… of the parking equipment market share. 70%.

Shortcomings: Each set of equipment must have at least one vacant parking space; the chain-driven operation does not include a mechanism to prevent tilting or falling.

2 vertical

Vertical circulation-type mechanical parking equipment

A mechanical parking system that uses vertical reciprocating motion to store and retrieve vehicles.

Features: Provincial and local A large-scale vertical‑circulation mechanical parking garage has been constructed on a 58 m² site, accommodating 34 passenger cars and significantly reducing land‑acquisition costs. The company’s share of the parking‑equipment market is approximately 3–5%.

Shortcomings: The equipment has a complex structure and lacks a comprehensive interlock and monitoring system; despite the implementation of adequate safety measures and fire‑protection systems, it still exhibits a relatively high failure rate. At the farthest parking position, retrieving a vehicle typically requires… After two minutes, during peak periods, the time required to pick up a vehicle becomes excessively long; by the time you reach the 20th vehicle, it can take over 30 minutes. This poor usability has led some users to begin dismantling the system.

3-level loop

Horizontal rotary mechanical parking equipment

A mechanical parking system that uses a horizontally circulating car‑storage mechanism to retrieve and store vehicles.

Features: It can eliminate the need for entry and exit lanes, making it suitable for sites with narrow, elongated layouts and reducing the cost of ventilation systems. When arranged in multiple stacked levels, it can accommodate large parking facilities. However, since it typically has only one entrance and exit, vehicle access and retrieval times tend to be longer. Its market share in the parking equipment sector is approximately… 3-5%.

Shortcomings: However, since there is typically only one entrance and exit, vehicle retrieval can take longer, and the farthest parking spaces often require a single trip to retrieve the car. After two minutes, during peak periods, the time required to pick up a vehicle becomes excessively long; by the time you reach the 20th vehicle, it can take over 30 minutes. This poor usability has led some users to begin modifying the system.

4 Multi-layer loops

Multi-level rotary mechanical parking equipment

A mechanical parking system that achieves multi‑level vehicle storage by driving the vehicle platform in an up-and-down reciprocating motion.

Features: No ramps required, saving floor space; automated storage and retrieval; designed for sites with elongated topography where only a single entrance is permitted. The market share of this parking equipment accounts for approximately… 1-2%.

Shortcomings: The equipment has a complex structure and a relatively high failure rate. The farthest parking space typically requires one trip to retrieve the vehicle. After two minutes, during peak periods, the time required to pick up a vehicle becomes excessively long; by the time you reach the 20th vehicle, it can take over 30 minutes. This poor usability has led some users to begin modifying the system.

5-planar motion

Flat‑moving mechanical parking equipment

On the same level, vehicles or parking plates can be moved horizontally using conveyors or cranes for access and retrieval; alternatively, mechanical parking systems employing conveyors and elevators enable multi-level horizontal movement for vehicle storage and retrieval.

Features: Typically installed at ground level or semi‑underground, these systems operate in a quasi‑unmanned mode, with the ground floor designed for self‑driving vehicles. This not only reduces the capital cost of constructing multi‑storey parking facilities but also allows the ground floor to accommodate larger‑sized vehicles. They currently account for approximately… of the parking equipment market share. 2-3%.

Shortcomings: The equipment has a complex structure and a relatively high failure rate. Parking exceeds When there are 20 vehicles, the peak‑hour pick‑up times become excessively long; by the time the 20th vehicle is retrieved, it takes more than 30 minutes, resulting in poor practicality.

6 Stacking

Stacking-type mechanical parking equipment

A mechanical parking system that uses aisle stackers or bridge cranes to move vehicles horizontally and vertically into storage bays, with a retrieval mechanism for loading and unloading the vehicles.

Features: Aisle‑type automated parking system equipment is Since the 1960s, Europe has developed a specialized automated multi‑level parking system based on the principles of automated high‑bay warehouses, designed specifically for storing compact cars. This fully automated facility integrates mechanical, optical, electrical, and control technologies, addressing the longstanding challenge of large‑scale automated parking. It features enclosed garages that ensure secure vehicle storage. Such systems are particularly suited for high‑density, large‑scale parking applications and currently account for approximately 3–5% of the parking equipment market share.

Shortcomings: The equipment has a complex structure, equipped with comprehensive interlocking and monitoring systems, and incorporates adequate safety measures and fire‑protection systems; however, it tends to have a relatively high failure rate. At the farthest parking spot, retrieving a vehicle typically requires… After two minutes, during peak periods, the time required to pick up a vehicle becomes excessively long; by the time you reach the 20th vehicle, it can take over 30 minutes. This poor usability has led some users to begin modifying the system.

7 Vertical Categories

Vertical-lift type mechanical parking equipment

Vertical‑lift car parking systems, also known as tower‑type automated parking systems, use a lifting mechanism to raise and lower vehicles or vehicle‑carrying platforms, while a lateral‑moving mechanism mounted on the lift horizontally shifts them, thereby enabling automated storage and retrieval of vehicles.

Features: The entire parking garage can accommodate up to On 20 to 25 floors, it can accommodate 40 to 50 vehicles while occupying less than 50 m², achieving maximum space utilization. It is ideally suited for construction in highly bustling urban centers and at high‑density vehicle‑parking hubs. Its market share in the parking‑equipment sector stands at approximately 3–4%.

Shortcomings: The equipment has a complex structure, equipped with comprehensive interlocking and monitoring systems, and incorporates adequate safety measures and fire‑protection systems; however, it tends to have a relatively high failure rate. At the farthest parking spot, retrieving a vehicle typically requires… After two minutes, during peak periods, the time required to pick up a vehicle becomes excessively long; by the time you reach the 20th vehicle, it can take over 30 minutes. This poor usability has led some users to begin modifying the system.

8 Simple Lift

Simple vertical-lift mechanical parking equipment

Parking spaces are arranged in two or more levels, and a simple mechanical parking system that uses lifting or tilting mechanisms to store or retrieve vehicles is referred to as a simple lift-type mechanical parking system. Such systems typically operate in a semi‑automated mode, meaning the vehicle is moved after the operator has departed.

Features: These parking systems feature a simple structure and easy operation, making them widely used in private residences, enterprises and institutions, basements, and other settings. They make efficient use of underground space, increasing the number of parking spaces by at least twofold when the available area remains constant. Their market share accounts for approximately… 5–8%.

Drawbacks: The overall structural design is unscientific, and the mechanical configuration is flawed. While the lower floors perform adequately, the third floor exhibits excessive sway during vertical lifting operations, and significant shaking occurs under strong wind conditions—so severe that even the designers themselves are concerned. This poses a substantial safety risk, making the equipment a product in need of technical upgrades; otherwise, it will be phased out.

9 for cars only

Automotive lift

A vehicle‑specific lift is a specialized elevator designed to transport cars between different levels; it serves solely for transportation and does not provide direct access or storage.

Features: A ramp that can replace a car‑access driveway, significantly saving space and boosting garage utilization; vehicle‑specific elevators are commonly used in underground or multi‑level garages, as well as on rooftops or within buildings, to transport cars in and out of self‑driving parking facilities.