University of Colorado Translucent Canopy

• Location: 2249 Willard Loop Dr Boulder, CO 80309

  

• Project Type: New Installations
• Project Status: Completed
• Products Used: Custom Canopy-Walkway, Kingspan L+A, Pentaglas®, Polycarbonate Canopy

How to Protect an Outdoor Ramp with a Translucent Canopy

University of Colorado Center for Community built a new parking garage that was located underground that incorporates a translucent canopy over the entrance/exit ramp.

Problem:

How to get cars safely in and out of an underground parking garage in an area that has very tight space restrictions. Typically the ramps for underground parking is located within the parking structure itself. In this case there was not enough room for the ramp within the parking  structure and so the ramp had to be built from the street to the underground structure utilizing a space outside the confines of the building. However the architect had to deal with weather issues since this ramp is located in Boulder, CO where snow and ice could and would accumulate and cause problems on the incline.

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Solution:

• Using the CPI 16mm standing seam polycarbonate panels on this translucent canopy, we were able to allow the light to broadcast evenly into the descending concrete ramp into this underground parking structure. It also sheltered the ramp from rain and snow.

Product Used:

• Manufactured by CPI Daylighting, 16 mm Nano-Cell Polycarbonate panels. Single sloped canopies with a modified ridge piece to connect the two slopes, creating a ridge.

Results:

• CPI Daylighting’s advanced translucent glazing technology ensured that the structure was covered by a translucent canopy system that provides unequaled durability and daylighting performance, supplies all the daylight desired without glare.
• The vehicle ramp is protected from all kinds of weather issues.
• The maintenance department can avoid costs of clearing the ramp of snow and having to supply either ice melt or sand to provide traction to the cars navigating the incline.

Benefits:

• Healthy, natural daylight in the space with soft translucent light and accurate color rendition.
• No required maintenance or re-coating costs—individual exterior panels  are easily replaced.