When President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, it was hailed as a landmark in civil rights legislation. The ADA has been described as a law to ensure equal opportunities for people with impairments or disabilities. One key section of the ADA specifies the steps that must be taken to ensure that all people, including the disabled, have equal access to virtually every type of business or agency that is open to the public. Accessibility typically begins in the parking lot. Although you may be familiar with the signs and pavement markings required for accessible parking spaces, you may be less familiar with ADA concrete requirements.
What Are Examples of ADA Concrete Structures?
If the path people will need to follow from an accessible parking space to an accessible entrance crosses a sidewalk that stands higher than the pavement, you must install a curb ramp. Curb ramps are also needed at intersections and crosswalks. Access ramps are required if entering your building would require people to climb stairs or steps. It is important to remember that merely installing a ramp that can be used by people using power scooters, wheelchairs, crutches, or other mobility aids does not ensure compliance with the ADA. There are specific requirements that ramps and other features must meet to achieve compliance.
What Are Some of the Specific Requirements for ADA Concrete?
There are several types of ramps that are defined by the ADA. All of them have requirements for width, slope, run length, transitions, and surfaces. Here are the most common types of ramps and their ADA requirements.
- Curb ramps are normally required to have slopes that do not exceed 1:12, but the slope should be as little as possible. Transitions from a walkway, street, parking lot, or gutter to the ramp must be level, and gutters cannot have a slope of more than 1:20 toward the ramp. The cross slope cannot exceed 1:50. Curb ramps must have a minimum width of 36 inches, and there must be bumps, buttons, or other detectable warnings on the ramp run in certain situations.
- Access ramps must be at least 36 inches in width. The height of each run cannot exceed 30 inches, but the ramp can have multiple runs. Each run must have a level landing at the bottom and top that is at least 60 inches in width and equal to or greater than the width of the ramp or run. If the ramp has a rise of more than six inches, you must install handrails on both sides. Under certain circumstances, rails, curbs, barriers, or other features must be installed as edge protection to prevent crutch tips or wheelchairs from going over the side. The running slope cannot exceed 1:12, and the cross slope cannot exceed 1:48.
- All ramps should have slip-resistant finishes. Ramps and landings must be designed so that water does not accumulate on the surface. Although the ADA does not mandate a particular material, these two requirements alone are sufficient to explain why concrete is the most common material used for ADA-compliant ramps.
- All surfaces must be kept in good condition, and there should be no obstructions present.
If you need help to make your property achieve full compliance with the ADA, contact RDC Paving. We install concrete ramps and curb ramps, offer parking lot striping and maintenance, install asphalt paving and overlays, and offer sealcoating, asphalt and concrete repairs, driveway paving, concrete wheel stops, and asphalt milling. We are known for the exceptionally high quality of our work as well as our integrity, dependability, and professionalism. You can either call 512-920-9155 or submit our online form to request a free, no-obligation quote.
