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Can't find driveway ramping limitations in zoning code

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gnarkill283

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Nov 15, 2017
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New York
I have a project in Miami Beach which has a parking garage on the second floor. I searched through the entire zoning code: https://library.municode.com/fl/miami_beach/codes/code_of_ordinances and found no reference to slope limitations. What should I use? Max slope of 20% with 10' transitions of 10% at top and bottom? I've also seen a 20' 3% slope entry required but only at the bottom? Appreciate the help
 
My default assumption is that this is not a building code issue unless possibly ramps are required for handicapped access. Remember not everything is addressed in the building code.
 
If the ramp will be used as part of means of egress then check out IBC 1012.2
Otherwise if no other regulations would apply, then I would design the ramp based on the type of vehicles that will be using it.
 
Agree with mp25: If you are not using the vehicle ramp as part of your pedestrian path-of-travel, then the only code limitations should be found in the zoning code.
I occasionally come across a city that has no zoning code requirements for vehicular ramps. In that situation, when I ask the planners what I should use as a basis for design, they typically say, just base it on something that's reasonable from another city. In that instance, I use the City of Los Angeles standards.
See pdf pages 21 and 22 at:

https://www.ladbs.org/docs/default-source/publications/information-bulletins/zoning-code/parking-lot-design.pdf?sfvrsn=1297eb53_37
 
It’s not in IBC, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s not in other codes.

It’s important that your ramp not be an egress path, or you’ll be limited to ADA slopes, which are far too small for vehicle ramps.

Older versions of Graphic Standards have guidelines that will be helpful to you. It defines the problem into three “levels of service”. The worst level of service (3 I think) maxes out at 16% slope.

If you go higher than 8% or so, you absolutely need transition ramps at the bottom AND top of the ramp, or vehicles with longer wheelbases or lower clearances will not be able to use your ramp. The transitions should be half the slope of the ramp. I’m not completely sure what length should be used for the transitions, but again, I think Graphic Standards has some guidance. Otherwise, common sense and maybe some help from your civil engineer can get you there.
 
See FBC 406.4.3 for sloped parking surfaces where the parking levels are sloped to create the vertical circulation from level to level. The maximum slope is 1:15. As for ramps used only for vertical circulation, then the code has no restrictions. Per AIA's Graphics Standards, the maximum slope is 12%, or roughly 1:8.

To prevent the bottoming out of vehicles over transitions from ramped to level surfaces, an intermediate transition should be provided at the top and bottom. The intermediate ramp should be about half the slope of the ramp and be about 10 feet long in the direction of travel.
 
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