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Indoor Parking Stacker and/or Parking Platform Lift Systems

All indoor parking stacker and/or suspended platform lift systems are evaluated by OTCR on a site-specific basis. Parking stackers and suspended parking platform lift systems are separate from automated parking systems and semi-automated parking systems. Submittal requirements are listed below.

Submittal Requirements

  • Submit the OTCR2 Application Form with the $600.00 processing fee made payable to the NYC Department of Buildings at the below address:

NYC Department of Buildings
Office of Technical Certification and Research
280 Broadway, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10007

  • Required Documents: OTCR will formally request these documents after receipt of the OTCR2 application and fee.
    • General information:
      • Address
      • DOB Job#
    • Project Narrative:
      • Filing Information – project type (NB or Alteration); installation floors (i.e., cellar, subcellar, ground floor, etc.)
      • Building Information – building Owner and operator; main building description (construction type, occupancy classification), parking floor description (construction type, occupancy classification); fire protection info (suppression, alarm, smoke detection, mechanical ventilation); CO detection; floodplain installation
      • Parking stacker or parking platform lift information: Manufacturer make and model; system type (e.g. three-level, multi-vehicle suspended platform lift…); attendant/non-attendant operated; vehicle capacity of parking garage; process for parking and retrieval; safety measures for protecting and separating the public from the active parking system (gates, sensors, etc.)
    • Proposed Plans:
      • Site plan
      • Parking plan (include layout on all floors)
      • Zoning plans: Accessory off-street attended parking facilities with parking stackers or suspended platform lifts shall be designed for minimum maneuvering space requirements and floor area based on vehicle positions shall be calculated as per the New York Zoning Resolution (“ZR”), as applicable.
      • Building section detailing parking floors.  Details for stacker systems must include racking arrangement
      • Fire protection plan: The following are required for parking stacker and parking platform lift systems:
        • Front and rear sprinkler head protection for each vehicle position of the parking lift and/or suspended platform lift
        • Minimum of Ordinary Hazard Group 2 level protection as defined in the NFPA 13 version referenced in the current NYC Construction Codes.
      • Architectural Plans:
        • Standard “General Notes” addressing safety and redundance features are provided below. Include the following applicable notes/text on the Architectural or Parking Plans:

          General Notes
          “All automobile parking lifts or suspended platform lifts specified in these plans are manufactured with the following safety and redundancy features and structural compliance statement:
          [Required for all parking lifts]
          1. Positive mechanical locking. The elevated platform, when in its preset in-place elevated position remain in a locked state that cannot disengage during any hydraulic or electric failure.
          2. Keyed “dead-man” switch. Stacker lift controls utilize a key activated constant-pressure switch. Should the user release pressure from the switch, the lift will stop movement both in the upward and downward direction.
            [Required for hydraulic parking lifts]
          3. Safety valve(s) on cylinder or velocity fuse(s). Hydraulic safety for lift systems use a valve attached directly to the cylinder, or a velocity fuse within the cylinder port where the hydraulic hose is connected.
          4. Manual override on the hydraulic valve serving each stacker. In the event of power failure manual override is conducted by manually depressing the valve at the cylinder (screw type), increasing pressure at the power unit, then releasing pressure at the power unit (dump valve) to lower the lift.
            [Required for hydraulic parking lifts with central power units]
          5. Power units. The associated hydraulic lifts run off individual post-mounted power units or central power units mounted nearby in the same location. The central power unit has a hydraulic isolation ball valve, an adjustable pressure relief valve and an electrical cut-off.
            [Required for electric parking lifts]
          6. Safety devices. Safety device(s) are set at the uppermost and lowermost heights of platform(s) in the raised position, with secondary failsafe limit switches provided in case the primary switches fail.
          7. Front and rear overlength sensors. Front and rear overlength sensors are provided to prevent any vehicle being lifted from hitting the horizontal support structure.
          8. Sensors to detect level platforms. Sensors are provided to disable the machine when it detects the platform is not level.”
            [Required for parking lifts with two and three raised platforms]
          9. Anti-fall devices are provided for platforms raised with cables/chains when two or three raised platforms are used,
          10. The following are provided for parking lifts with two and three raised platforms:
            1. An elevation lock on each cylinder of any hydraulic lift, or
            2. A brake motor for each electric lifts.
          11. Stackers and/or suspended platform lifts shall always be operated by a trained attendant in accordance with published manufacturer operation instructions.
            [Structural compliance required for all parking lifts]
          12. Parking lifts comply with Buildings Bulletin 2015-015 or applicable structural requirements of Chapters 16 and 22 of the Building Code, assuming a maximum weight of 6,000 pounds per vehicle. The building structure has been evaluated for additional structural loading and can adequately support loading introduced by the installation of the parking system.
            [Structural compliance required for all suspended parking systems]
          13. Suspended parking systems comply with applicable structural requirements of the Building Code and the required fire-resistance-rating of building elements from which such suspended parking system is supported has not been reduced. The building structure has been evaluated for additional structural loading and can adequately support loading introduced by the installation of the parking system.
    • Manufacturer’s literature
    • Manufacturer’s published maintenance plan
    • List of equipment and material used in the parking stacker or parking platform lift system (i.e., electronic processing system, structural frame materials, hydraulic/electric mechanisms, sensors, etc.)
    • Structural calculations signed and sealed by a NYS P.E. demonstrating load capacity as required in xii. above.
    • Copy of FDNY Letter of No Objection

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