Flood-damaged parkade needs major repairs

One of Calgary's busiest downtown parkades will remain closed forup to eightmonths while extensive flood damage is repaired.

All seven levels of the Civic Plaza Parkade at 322 Ninth Avenue S.E. filled up with flood water in last months flooding.

Using massive pumpslowered tolevel six through the air shaft, crews drained about75 million litres of water out of the structure, said Calgary Parking Authority operation and facility manager Dean Bell.

"You can tell by the water level that every inch that could be filled with water was filled with water down here," he said.

Several tests need to be done to make sure the parkade is still structurally sound.

"One of the bigger things that we have to look at that we havent studied yet are the beams. Theyre post-tension cable in those beams and those react not at all well to water," Bell said.

The buildings elevators, lighting and ventilation systems will all have to be replaced.

Insurance will cover the cost of repairing the parkade.