KSBR builds parking facilities with a strong focus on quality and efficiency. Careful planning and special expertise in cast-in-place construction allow for a parking garage to be realised in almost any shape.

Marko Koskinen came to KSBR in 2016 as a supervisor intern and eventually became a project manager. Recently, he has spent his nearly 100% of his workdays on parking facility projects.

“I’m in charge of managing design processes in projects where we carry out the design and planning ourselves, from the tendering stage onwards. A project first lands on my desk, after which we gather the suitable designers and other professionals and start planning the best solution for the site in question. Naturally, I also support the design management in projects where the design is procured by the client elsewhere, for example.”

Koskinen is slightly amused by the juxtaposition of cast-in-place construction and precast construction. He believes that both methods can result in good structures, as long as the choice is based on the goals and purpose of the project.

“If you specifically want to build out of prefabricated elements cost-efficiently, you should steer towards a more rectangular building shape. If you consider the overall quality and cost-efficiency of the project to be more important than the construction method, you should choose the method based on the purpose. The cast-in-place technique can be used to produce structures of almost any shape. The price of a parking garage isn’t determined by shape, but by the overall project,” he asserts.

“We are one of the best in Finland in cast-in-place construction. This is clear in projects where we also carry out the design, so we can manage the design process to match the implementation. Since we build the frame ourselves, we know what the construction requires from the planning stage and what kind of structures there should be. Our way of implementing a structure taller than three or four levels is more feasible as cast-in-place construction, in my experience.”

Koskinen points out that, especially in a metropolitan area, parking garages are built in tight spots and with space savings in mind. The building will always have ramps and other shapes, which often makes the round shape the most efficient option for a square site. The only sensible way to do that is by casting in place.

“That’s what we did in the Runoratsu project in Espoo, where we achieved excellent results with zero errors at handover and with an extremely positive rating from the client.”

A focus on efficiency in all project stages

A parking facility project at KSBR progresses as a smooth process in which all solutions aim for the efficiency of the final implementation.

“It makes my work easier when I know who will handle the construction. Our employees, from our carpenters to builders and steel fixers, are extremely skilled professionals,” Koskinen says.

“When the structural engineer and I start thinking about the frame of a parking facility based on the tender illustrations, I look at the whole and where and how we can enhance cost-efficiency while maintaining quality factors. I can ask the carpenters straight away and get their confirmation on whether a solution is feasible. It’s a great advantage that I can always trust their word on the work and the schedule. We extend the same trust to all levels of our company – and our subcontractors and design partners, as well.”

Efficiency is also improved by the heavy focus on pre-planning, which starts as soon as the company begins planning the structures. Good preparation allows KSBR to carry out speedy formwork and reinforcement. At the site, everything is clear from the beginning, the materials are ready, and all work stages are carefully planned out.

As a result, KSBR provides high-quality cast-in-place construction extremely fast. According to Koskinen, in a typical site of 100–500 cars, there is no significant difference between schedules when comparing prefabricated elements and cast-in-place construction by KSBR.

“The casting and reinforcing of precast elements are done at the element factory. From there, the elements need to be transported to the location. And typically, you need to order the elements well in advance, which is why the plans have to be ready much earlier than in cast-in-place construction. In that case, the precast designs may have to be rushed, which increases the probability of errors. Of course, due to the current market conditions, the delivery times for prefabricated elements have been very short for the past few years.”

An ideal workplace for growth and self-improvement

Koskinen is evidently happy with his job. He says it was like winning the lottery in terms of his career development.

“KSBR is a company that reflects its employees. Here, everyone is assigned responsibility as an individual according to their abilities, and they have the freedom to do things their own way. If you have an idea, we’ll see together if we should try it. If it doesn’t work, that’s also a way of learning and developing,” he says.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to grow through my own responsibility and among good managers and wonderful employees. In this open discussion culture, I have learned things that no school can teach. We ask for and offer help regardless of our title and position, and we keep in touch with many colleagues even outside of work. It’s a cliché to say that your work community is like a family, but it does feel like that.”