www.mgsarchitecture.in

1. http://www.mgsarchitecture.in/articles/car-parking/215-eros-
parking-systems.html
Multilevel Car Parking Systems
Written by Ar. Apurva Bose Dutta, Bengaluru
The growing population of India has created many problems - one of the challenging ones being
car parking which we confront almost every day. Besides the problem of space for cars moving on
the road, greater is the problem of space for a parked vehicle considering that private vehicles
remain parked for most of their time. Roads are being built for cars to ply but are we also giving
the vehicles enough space to park? While residential projects still escape with designated parking,
the real problem lie with commercial spaces - many a time which is overcome by taking extra open
spaces to park.
Multi-level Parking systems for sometime have provided relief since they come with a number of
advantages - optimal utilisation of space, lower maintenance and operational cost, lower
construction cost (owing to the prefabrication), secure and environment-friendly nature (the
underground implementation renders the outdoor space free for landscaping), comfortable for the
drivers, cost saving for builders by saving height or depth. It might be interesting to note here that
the earliest known multi-storey parking was built in 1918 in Chicago.

2. Bengaluru based architect Indraneel Dutta, principal architect of DKA - an award winning
practice in India believes that we do not yet have an evolved public parking system or MLCP
(Multi-Level Car Parking System). He feels that the Government should encourage and float public
private partnerships to open parking lots. Ditto for Sanjeev Vermani, the Sales Manager of the
Car Parking Division of Dantal Hydraulics Pvt Limited headquartered in New Delhi - a leading
manufacturer of multi-level car parking systems who feels that at this stage the parking
technology is new to India. He maintains, "It will take sometime for people to absorb the
technology and understand the benefits. There are various types of parking systems & po tential
customers are going through a learning process to find out the best possible systems."

3. Automated Multilevel Car Parking Systems
Automated Car Parking Systems are much in vogue - a method of automatically parking and
retrieving cars that typically use a system of pallets and lifts and signalling devices for retrieval.
They serve advantages like safety, saving of space, time and fuel (since one does not have to
drive around for locating space) but also need to have an extra and a very detailed assessment of
the parking required, space availability and traffic flow. These can be further categorised into fully
automatic or semi-automatic systems.
Architect Jitendra Puri, Partner of Delhi based well-known architectural firm Design &
Development (D&D) says, "With less land available, parking is a growing concern in the Indian
context. However, off late there are various technological options and knowledge base available -
(automated parking systems, stack parking systems), among these, the semi-automated car
parking systems (having varied options of stack parking, puzzle parking etc.) are rapidly catching
demand, as there are considerable technology providers for these for the past few years. These
seem to be getting absorbed in the Indian context as these are easy to install, and operate, capital
costs are relatively cheaper than fully automatic parking systems, and involve lesser consumption
of electrical energy."

4. In India, the concept of automated parking is still restricted to large cities. Some of the problems
in this system as felt by the industry is the absence of a regular body for monitoring the quality of
such systems, lack of skilled labour to assemble them or factors like poor after-sales services and
technical snags that limit market growth.
Types of Automated MLCP's
Dependent/Stack System
This allows two passenger cars to be parked one above the other. Its single post saves space and
offers flexibility. Besides a platform (curved at the ends to allow the car to roll on/roll off
conveniently) there is an operating control pendant that can be located anywhere in the garage,
basement, and outdoor structure for operation from a safe distance. RR Parkon by Ram Ratna
Group headquartered in Mumbai, the largest single entity in India in terms of designing and
execution of parking systems have a Twin Parking System (stacking the cars in two levels) which
is easy to maintain, has lower power consumption, is simple in operation and is ideal for
bungalows and apartment owners.
Dantal Hydraulics Pvt. Limited provides Dependent Car Parking System based on Hydraulics. On
their systems Sanjeev feels, "There is saving in space, construction cost, lighting, fire fighting, etc;
the systems allow very fast parking-in and parking-out time, safety and security of the cars,
reduced air pollution, and need little maintenance. The life cycles of our parking systems are 15-20
years but they may be extended to 30 years with good maintenance."
At Pune based PARI (Precision Automation & Robotics India Ltd) the parking systems have a life
cycle of 20 years and need minimal maintenance and operational cost. The two step stacker Type
Parking System (a semi-automatic system) features a pallet that is lifted up after the car is loaded

5. making additional parking space below the loaded pallet. Possible in both outdoor and indoor
spaces, these electromechanically or hydraulically operated systems are preferably valet parking
systems.
Pune based Tal Manufacturing Solutions Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of TATA Motors Ltd;
pioneer in providing turnkey manufacturing solutions has a stack parking system working on
hydraulics. Though advantages are many but speaking of the disadvantages of stack
systems, Naveen Das, Deputy General Manager of the firm maintains that there is dependency of
the top car on the bottom car and the system is not suitable for commercial complexes, hotels
etc.
Horizontal Circulation Type Car Parking System

6. Operating on the principal of a conveyor, this system is used for parking cars in two to four levels
in tight basements without any driveways. The cars are driven on to or off steel platforms at one
entrance at ground level and parked cars circulate in the basement at different levels. At RR
Parkon, the horizontal circulation system (upto 4 levels) is operated by a motor chain and the
parking space required per car is one third of the parking space required in conventional manual
parking.
Puzzle Car Parking Systems
Here the cars move vertically and horizontally like a puzzle, till the car required comes to the lower
level where it is driven out. Installed in basements, rooftops, under stilts, open grounds, terraces,
driveways etc the system is designed in the form of a matrix of rows and columns such as 2 x 2 or
2 x 3 etc in which out of the total number of available spots, a certain number of spots are kept
vacant to enable horizontal and vertical movement of remaining spots. Available in the range of
two to six levels, all the cars are independent of each other and the system can be installed in a
phased manner.

7. The system has its disadvantages like Das adds, "Generally only 2 or 3 cars can be parked in the
space for one therefore there is no space saving really. Since this system works on a one slot
empty basis, hence to retrieve or park one car multiple cars have to be shifted, thus increasing the
time taken. Due to the number of pallets (cars) that have to be moved for parking or retrieving a
single car the number of moving parts increase and hence the operation and maintenance
expenses increase. The system is also noisy."
Indraneel who has designed a lot of software parks, hotels, institutions has used Robotic Puzzle
parking system, a fully automated system. About this system, he adds, "The entire super structure
is like an automatic machine placing and retrieving cars. The user just has to drive in to the
designated space, leave the car and collect a smartcard and on his way back scan it and retrieve
his car."
At Dantal, the semi-automated Puzzle Parking System is a series of lateral and vertical movement
of pallets which are self-supporting steel structures (with corrosion resistant paint) and operated
through programmable logic Controls (PLC‘s). The advantages are easy and low cost installation,
minimal operational cost, easy to drive-in and drive-out, multiple entry/exit & a time less than 180
seconds for parking/retrieving a car.
PARI has a specially designed PIT type Puzzle parking system.
Tower Parking System
A fully automatic system, this involves an automatic storage system and a car elevator which
moves vertically with the cars in upward and downward direction and a transfer device (a shuttle)
for horizontal movement.

8. TAL Manufacturing Solutions Ltd has introduced state-of-the-art Fork type design tower parking
system - the TAL Vertipark tower (with an impressive stand-alone steel structure) with an average
retrieval time corresponding to 1min for 20 cars and 90 seconds for 40 cars. Dwelling on the
advantages Das says, "The retrieval time is less, cost is reachable to a common man and
environment-friendly since it occupies the space of only three cars on ground and can
accommodate upto 40 cars. All the cars can be stored using access cards or password which
reduces mischief and theft of cars." Other advantages include a shorter construction time; no
costly concrete repairs / maintenance and lower liability insurance. The driving of vehicles at only

9. one level make it preferable to be used in the automobile industry too. The entire system can be
manually operated with individual controls. Parked vehicles can be retrieved during repair also
which as Das points out is not the case with pallet systems in which parked vehicles can be
manually retrieved only after the completion of the repair of the system.
PARI's Tower Square Type Parking System (designed with pallets or without pallets) preferable for
30 to 40 cars features a lift which is electromechanically operated. At the loading point, the lift
receives the car and then travels to the respective location of the parking slot. Their Tower- Rotary
Type Parking System preferable for 8 to 12 cars features a rotary mechanism that allows the
system and all the cars to travel in rotary motion at the space of 2 cars.
Chess Type Parking System
Govind Oza, Director, PARI counts fully automatic Chess Parking system as a futuristic parking
system. Talking about this system which is provided by PARI, he adds, "This system ensures
maximum utilization of the floor space without the need of drive ways, and space for movement of
mechanisms. This has floor mounted roller bed system which can allow the crisscross movement of
the pallet and the car. It has separate lifts which act as entry & exit points." Preferably installed on
RCC floors, it can be designed for 800 to 1000 cars or even more and can be used in longitudinal &
square areas.
Rotary Car Parking System
This system is like a mini merry go round in which 12 cars can be accommodated in a vertical
height of 14 m and area of 30sqm. Operating like a merry-go-round, an empty pallet to park a car,
or a loaded pallet with a parked car, is brought down to the ground level at the touch of a button;
the average time taken after the button being pressed is 2-2.5 minutes.
RR Parkon has Mini rotator car parking systems in which multiple installations are possible and a
total of 6 to 12 cars can be there in one module.
Turn Table System
RR Parkon's turn table system allows the car's direction to be easily changed by any angle to drive
out as required. The system helps a car turn 360 degree and requires a space of just 5 meters to
turn the car. It is available in either stand alone types or built in types.
Cart Type Parking System

10. Preferably used in longitudinal parking areas, this fully automatic system available at PARI has
multiple entry and exits and has a inbuilt mechanism called Cart which moves every parking floor.
It can be designed with or without pallets and can be designed for 50 to 100 cars or even more.
Car Lift
At RR Parkon, Car Lifts are available - both hydraulic as well as traction type. All the functions are
fully computerised and capacities of 2, 2.5 and 3 tonnes are available.
Stacker Type Parking System
Available at PARI, this fully automatic system features a typical storage system and has a unique
mechanism called Stacker. It moves centrally and has parking slots on either sides. It has inbuilt
robotic mechanism that pulls and pushes the car to and from the lift/parking bay. Preferably used
in longitudinal parking areas, this can be designed for 100 to 300 cars or even more.
Pit Lifting Parking System
Available at RR Parkon, this system consists of three spaces - top, middle and bottom which are
united and lifted together. While the middle and bottom spaces are underground in the pit, the top
level is in the same line with the ground floor parking. Advantages include saving land area, low
noise, easy maintenance and protection of the middle and bottom level from dust, rain and theft.
After Sales Service
Tal Manufacturing Solutions Ltd provides free warranty service for one year. Post warranty, there
is an annual Maintenance contract (AMC) entered with the customer for providing round the clock
service. Their service personnel attend to emergencies immediately after registering the service
complaint. At PARI, Govind affirms, "There are regionally located service centres in all metro cities

11. of India. Engineers are available on call basis and PARI takes even AMC for the projects which are
installed by PARI." At Dantal as Sanjeev adds, AMC (comprehensive and non- comprehensive) is
provided and sometimes O&M contracts are also taken.
The Future
With the rising population and the number of cars, more intelligent ways need to be devised to
combat the present problems. Indraneel strongly feels that we need to ban parking in all central
area roads and old areas of cities where there is no ample road width. Simultaneously, we have to
provide for public parking lots and MLCP's at competitive prices. Sanjeev is of the view that inspite
of uncertainties in the market place, simple 2 levels Stack/Dependent parking will be ideal in most
cases. Das foresees tower parking systems as the best solution in the present day scenario for
multi-storied buildings due to their unique feature of increasing the parking space by 17 times. He
adds, "Since the towers can be built-in the buildings, no extra space is required. The towers have
user-friendly HMI (Human Machine Interface) systems which guide the user while storing and
parking the cars. Since there is no dependency of cars, this solution is becoming more acceptable
to the customers." Looking towards the future, Puri feels that though in immediate context the
automatic car parking systems would help ease of congestion traffic, however future interventions
need to be explored to minimize the involvement of human element for loading and unloading
during parking process, involved in semi-automated car parking systems.
Deck Coatings
To protect car parking areas from extreme temperature, UV exposure, heavy rains and high
humidity, high performance deck coatings are used. Flowcrete India Pvt Ltd, fully owned subsidiary

12. of Flowcrete UK Ltd, a leading specialist Flooring company has the Deckshield system. Deckshield
ED (for external decks) consists of a flexible polyurethane car park deck coating system which is
hardwearing, waterproof, reduces noise and has crack bridging properties. The only system of its
kind that adheres to the stringent American standing testing specification ASTM C957, Deckshield
comes in a number of colours and finishes and its light reflective property helps in creating a
brighter ambience. It has added advantages like fast installation (vehicular traffic-24 hours), easy
maintenance (general mopping and hosing), excellent anti slip profile, highly accredited fire rating
and can be over coated with same material with full intercoat adhesion. Deckshield ID (for interior
decks) is a Green Label certified, Low VOC, flexible polyurethane car park deck coating system
providing a colourful, watertight, hard wearing material for intermediate decks of multi-storey,
basement and other trafficable suspended floors. Srinivasan V, National Sales Manager (India) of
the firm adds, "In our after sales, we submit a warrantee for 5 to 10 years depending on the
project against de-bonding, and fading of colours. Our system has elongation property of 60%
hence to ease traffic congestion in India the system we specify should be able to cater the loads
and flexibility in MLCP".
Dantal Hydraulics Offers Custom Built Car Parking Solutions
Dantal Hydraulics Pvt. Ltd is one of the leading companies engaged in providing mechanized multi-
level state-of-the-art Automated Car Parking solutions both underground and above the ground.
The company is in a technical collaboration with Taiwan based company 'SOOGOOD PARKING
SYSTEMS' offers unmatched variety of car parking solutions in India that are easy to operate and
quick to install. SOOGOOD PARKING SYSTEMS is a leading manufacturer of car parking systems

13. having about 65% market share in Taiwan.
With the growing number of vehicles in the major cities, one increasing cause of concern is the
congestion associated with car transportation and their parking. Seeing the alarming need to
accommodate the large volume of vehicles, Dantal Hydraulics has come up with an idea of multi-
level car parking system to maximize parking capacity by utilizing vertical space, rather than
expanding horizontally.
Designed in Taiwan, manufactured at DHPL Plant at MANESAR, Dantal brings cost-effective,
environment-friendly and the well-known technology to India. The company has in house
capability of design, development & manufacturing of custom built car parking solutions. With
these systems one can accommodate more number of cars within the available space, when
compared to conventional parking system.
Car Parking Systems are now an inherent and most important part of the businesses like: Property
development, Car showrooms, Hospitals, Luxury Hotels, Airports, IT Industries etc. where car
parking space is scarce and doubling the car parking space adds value to the property. DANTAL
offers the most extensive product range of parking system i.e Stack Parking (Dependent type) and
Puzzle Parking (Semi Automatic).
(A) Stack Parking (Dependent Type) Systems
Dantal dependent car parking system allows two passenger cars to be parked one above the other.
It is based on hydraulic lifting and lowering. The unique feature of the system is its single post
which saves space and offers flexibility when installed in basements and garages. The platform is
curved at the ends to allow the car to roll on / roll off conveniently from either side. An operating
control pendant can be conveniently located anywhere in the garage, basements, and outdoor
structures for operation from a safe distance.
Advantages:
 Allows the car to approach from both sides
 Can be installed in compact areas
 Only 2 hours required to install
 No special construction required for installation
 Silent in operation
 Operation : Electro Hydraulic
 Lift Height: 2000 mm standard
 24 Volt DC controls
 Control pendant can be conveniently located for remote operation

14.  Key switch in control pendant to protect against misuse
 Minimum operating & maintenance cost.
 Hydraulic, Mechanical and Electrical safety devices included
 Easy to relocate & dismantle
 Platform lowering possible in emergency in case of power failure
 Maximum platform load- 2000 kg
(B) Puzzle Parking (Semi Automatic Systems
These systems offer a series of lateral and vertical movement of pallets to accommodate
maximum cars within the available area. These are self-supporting steel structures and operated
through Programmable Logic Controls (PLC's). Parking is possible from 2 to 6 levels above the
ground, or a combination of both above ground and underground.
The platform / pallets at the entry level move only laterally. The pallets at the pit level & the top
level move only vertically. The pallets at the intermediate / middle level moves both vertically as
well as laterally.
 Hydraulically operated, 2 Levels above ground, 1 Level in pit.
 Hydraulically operated, 2 Level above ground (pit less)
 Fully motorized, 3 Level above ground (pit less)
 Fully motorized, 4 Level above ground (pit less)
 Fully motorized, 2 Level above ground, 1 level in pit
 Fully motorized, 3 Level above ground, 1 level in pit
 Fully motorized, 4 Level above ground, 2 level in pit
 Fully motorized, 4 Level above ground, 1 level in pit
Advantages:

15. 1. Independent parking & Indoor and outdoor installation flexibility
2. Efficient use of space. The puzzle system is configurable and customized module capacity can be
offered
3. Easy and low cost installation
4. Minimal operational cost
5. Easy to drive-in and drive-out
6. Multiple entry / exit & parking / retrieving a car takes less than 180 seconds.
7. Safe operation, PLC controlled & low noise level.
8. Lifting & Lowering by Hydraulic Cylinder (in case of hydraulic operation) or by Electric Motor – Chain
Drives (in case of motorized operation)
9. All steel structure with corrosion resistant paint.
Impact on Traffic Congestion
According to Don H.Pickrell, Chief Economist at DOT, Volpe Institute, Cambridge, MIT, ".... Recent
research shows, that over 50% of the traffic in typical downtowns is simply on the road, cruising
around the block searching for vacant convenient parking space.
Eros Parking Systems
With the ever increasing growth in the population of automobiles in all the urban centres in India,
and the limited space available to accommodate these vehicles, parking has become a major issue
for urban planners and developers to tackle.
While the population of Mumbai is 13 million, there are 1.3 million vehicles on the roads of
Mumbai. Just as multistoried buildings are inevitable to address the population growth in the city,
Automated Multilevel car parking systems, seems to be the answer to the problem of parking the
growing no. of vehicles.

16. Stack Parking
This system enables 2 cars to be stacked one above the other. It is an electro mechanical device
that works on the principle of screw jack operated by means of an electric motor.
Advantages
 It doubles the parking capacity.
 Very simple to handle.
 Needs low maintenance.
 Takes less space to install.
 Cost effective.
 Can be lowered and raised mechanically under power failure.
Limitation
It is a dependant system, which means that the lower car has to be removed for the upper car to
come down.
Application
This system is suitable for residential / commercial buildings, malls etc.
Puzzle Parking

17. This system is designed in the form of a matrix of rows & columns, such as 2 x 2 or 2 x 3 or 3 x 3
etc.
Out of the total no. of available spots, a certain no. of spots are kept vacant to enable horizontal
and vertical movement of remaining spots like a puzzle.
This is an independent system, unlike the stack parking system and is fully automatic.
Application
This system is suitable for basements, podiums or open spaces in commercial & residential
establishments.
Tower Parking
This system enables 50 cars to be parked on a foot print of 3 cars i.e. on an area of 7.5 m x 7.5
m.
The tower is either of steel or concrete structure 50 m tall. There is a central lifter, which lifts the
car and shifts on either side having a vacant spot. This is a fully automatic system with no human
intervention. Average retrieval time is 1½ minutes.
A turn table is provided to ensure that the car leaves in the forward direction.
Application
Ideally suited for plots where podium parking is not possible.
About EROS
Eros Elevators Private Limited Is a 60 year old company, in the business of vertical transportation.
The Car Parking division was introduced 5 years ago and the company has acquired technology
from a leading South Korean design house.
The company has installed a no. of Stack, Puzzle and Tower parking systems for various
residential and commercial projects. Currently various projects are in the pipeline.
R R Parkon-Multi-Level car Parking Systems

18. India is into the twenty-first century with great plans to enhance infrastructure development and
with the Government pouring in huge resources for development. Booming economy, unending
opportunities, growing aspirations and better living standards have made owning car very easy
and common. Going by the current statistics and forecast by experts, we would have a whooping
2.5 million cars added on the Indian roads every year.
But today's car population growth is at 8% every year. The rate of growth of new roads in India is
at stand still level raises the question that can these cars be accommodated.
It is interesting to know that the number of hours a private vehicle remains parked. The vehicle
moves for 5% of the time and 95% of the time it is parked. The major problem is therefore, not
the moving vehicle but the parked vehicle. It is therefore most important to focus our attention to
the issue of parking. In many cases, due to inadequate parking we see cars parked outside offices
blocking the access to the building itself.
Now at this stage, the concept of multi-level car parking system is one of the options to decongest
roads and solve parking problems by maximizing parking capacity utilizing vertical space, rather
than expand horizontally.
A multi-storey car parking is a structure designed specifically to be for automobile parking and
where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place.
Advantages of Multi-Level Car Parking Systems (MLCPS)
1. Optimal utilization of space
Mechanical car parking system is a method of parking and retrieving cars by using pallets and lifts.
It thus removes the need for lengthy drive ways and ramps, accommodating maximum cars in

19. minimum space.
2. Can be constructed on minimum available space
MLCPS is flexible enough to solve varied parking problems. It can be sited above or below the
ground or a combination of both and designed to accommodate any number of cars.
3. Lower construction cost
MLCPS are cost effective in terms of construction cost. MLCPS are delivered pre-fabricated which
are assembled on site. As the system is operated automatically, added expenses of underground
parking such as building structure, providing lighting and security are avoided.
4. Low maintenance and operational cost
Operating cost is low since mechanical car parking systems requires less energy to run. There is
no need for energy intensive ventilating systems as the cars are not being driven inside the
parking lot. Cladding can be specially selected to match the building's facade.
5. Safety of vehicle
MLCPS provide complete safety to a vehicle as parked cars are not accessible to anyone else.
Damages or a dent to the car is avoided while parking through narrow drive ways.
6. Environment friendly
Environmentally, mechanized car parking has much to offer. One of the greatest benefits related
to conventional underground or open space parking, is the saving of ground space. Outdoor space
saved can be put to good use with gardens and landscaping or additional buildings. It also
significantly reduces noise and other pollutants.
7. Benefit to a driver
Car driving now can become a pleasant experience. Mechanical car parking systems makes parking
easier and less stressful as the driver does not have to drive through the entire parking lot looking
for a place to park, nor do they have to attend the car when it is parked, thus saving a lot of time.
Difficulty in parking in a tight corner is also eliminated.
8. Benefit to builder
By using MLCPS, floor area and the volume of the stilt/ garage can be used much more efficiently.
It reduces the space needed to park the same number of cars or allow car parking where
previously there would have been no room. This in turn means more financial gains by saving
precious real estate space.
9. Benefit to architects
The MLCPS is suitable for both public and private use. It can be designed to accommodate any
number or cars depending on the space available. It actually makes difference in planning and
designing places.
RR Parkon Parking System

20. Realizing the need of the hour and using the best technology available from Korea-leaders in
mechanized multi-level parking systems RR PARKON has pioneered the mechanized car parking
systems in India. RR PARKON offers innovative technology that helps provide tailor made multi-
level mechanized parking solutions, which is simple to install and maintain.
The time has come for the innovation with RR Parkon parking solutions in the country. A part of
the Ram Ratna Group, RR Parkon is a one stop solution for consulting, designing and installation of
multilevel car parking systems.
The main advantage of mechanized car parking systems is that in a very small area larger number
of cars can be parked. Mechanized auto parking systems allow us to park 50 cars in the place
required for 3 cars. The solution range from Twin Parking, Puzzle, Mini-Rotary, Horizontal
Circulation, Stacker Parking and Tower.
RR Parkon is associated with some of the best names in realty business by providing the
innovative Parking solutions at optimum cost. The company has completed more than 100 projects
across cities in India and also few thousand proposals which have been approved and incorporated
by the clients in their plan.
Parking solutions range:
RR Tower Parking
The elevator tower parking system combines an automatic storage system and a car elevator. The
elevator moves vertically in which cars are taken up and down and a transfer device on the
elevator transfers the cars to the left or right.
RR Mini Rotary System
The mini rotary system reminds of a merry go round. It is a very efficient system that can blend
harmoniously with the surrounding.
RR Puzzle Parking System

21. The puzzle parking system works similar to "word puzzle game". In this cars move vertically and
horizontally till the car required comes to lower level from where it is driven out. It is possible to
use various combinations to adopt to the restricted space as it can be installed in driveways,
basement, rooftops or indoors in basement etc.
RR Twin Parker System
The Twin Parker System stacks the cars in two levels. The system is very easy to operate due to
its simple construction.
In technical collaboration with state-of-art Korean technology, Ram Ratna Infrastructure Private
Limited an ISO 9001:2000 company has pioneered mechanized car parking solutions. The
company provides customized solutions to meet your specific requirements, for individual homes
to large malls or public parking systems.