The trenches should run along the entire length of the ramp. Among the uses for ramps are handicapped access, boat launches, skateboarding and loading. In 2003 she began writing and editing for local publications, as well as teaching at community colleges. Another wheelchair ramp idea, to improve home accessibility for people who can’t use the stairs. The number of vertical segments will vary with the length of your ramp. Building a concrete ramp can help make many places around the home safely accessible to those in a wheelchair or with limited mobility. In addition to ADA requirements, the local building code may impose additional or substitute requirements that must be followed in the given jurisdiction. Wheelchair accessibility is a big issue for many people. Take a medium-bristle broom and lightly sweep lines onto the concrete. Prepare a subbase for the ramp with 4 inches of compacted gravel. You may need to build a concrete ramp into your home to provide access to someone confined to a wheelchair, pushing a stroller, or someone who for another reason can not walk upstairs. Make sure to check out my tutorial video at the bottom of the page!. The bottom of the sleeves should be kept at least 3 inches away from the bottom of the trench footings. Here, I will show you how I built them a wheelchair ramp out of plastic decking, photo 2 and 3. One step toward improved accessibility involves building ramps at entrances with stairs. Rap on the 2-by-8 formwork as you are pouring in the concrete to help the concrete consolidate and form a solid monolithic mass. Tapping the formwork with a hammer or otherwise vibrating the concrete as it is poured helps it flow better against the formwork and will guard against voids forming in the final product. Mark the ramp area using stakes and string. These 2-by-8s will be sloping, as they are connecting the pencil marks you have made on the upper and lower landings. Mark the ramp area using stakes and string. Give the ramp switchbacks. Wheelchair Ramp Building Specs. Reeves holds a Bachelor of Architecture from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Don’t worry about how high the stakes are at first–just make sure they are driven firmly into the soil and are at least tall enough to intersect the 2-by-8 formwork. Determine the best location for your ramp. Advertisement Make sure there's room to open the door at the entry. 3. Use spray paint to draw a line on the dirt between the marks you have made on the landings. 36 inches is a minimum width of a wheelchair ramp, Install the edge protection to prevent slipping off it, Steeper ramps require handrails. Anyone with basic carpentry skills can build a concrete ramp. Fixed Ramps. Below is a simple step by step guide to constructing such a ramp. They needed a wheelchair ramp to make access in and out of the house easier. Pour the concrete on the thickest part of the ramp first. This is a platform surrounded by short walls and a door that lifts the user up to the desired height. Building the Wheelchair Ramp . Once you have decided to integrate a wheelchair ramp into your structure, you will need to consider the limitations of its prospective users. Building Home Wheelchair Ramp Part 1 Lindee Construction. Install sand grit strips to enhance traction. These “footings” will help to lock the ramp into the soil and will support the handrails. Drill two pilot holes into each brace using a masonry bit (Image 1) and fasten using concrete anchors or screws (Image 2). Cut a piece of welded wire mesh fabric that is 6 inches shorter than the width and length of the ramp. Your ramp should be at least 42-inches wide, so make sure you have a clear area about 6-feet wide to work in. After waiting until water no longer pools on top of the concrete and it begins to stiffen up a bit, gently drag a wide stiff bristle broom across the ramp along its entire length. Cut 9-inch-long segments of 3-inch diameter pipe. Anchor the ramp over the stairs using 4-inch screws. Talk to your local municipality to determine if a building permit, inspections and any other relevant information are needed to build a safe wheelchair ramp. Spraying the curing concrete with water every four hours will also aid in the curing process. Handicap Ramps And Ada Construction Philadelphia. There are, however, certain basic steps that apply to building most concrete ramps. Wedge step ramps. At the same time, reach down and grab the wire mesh fabric at various locations and tug it upwards so that it rests roughly mid-depth in the concrete. Use a square-edge digging shovel to excavate the top layer of dirt in the area bounded by the landings and the painted lines (the footprint area of the ramp) so that you have about 7 inches between the top of the ramp landings and the bottom of your excavation. DOWNLOAD IMAGE. How To Build And Pour A Concrete Ramp. For some, they use sand to mix with cement. 8 woodscrews at each stake location. Having a wheelchair ramp not only provide accessibility for people with disabilities, but they can also add to the resale value of your home. Of course, extra safety doesn’t come without a price. Using the same measurement, you can make a molder for your ramp. By law, the place where the concrete ramp merges with the driveway or sidewalk must have an approved anti-slip texture and must finish level with the existing surface. A straight 12 feet long and a generous foour feet wide to work in it on top of each location... Entire length of the ramp. at all, but it is not going to be correctly! 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