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How can I finish a handicap ramp to uneven blacktop

M

Mike Beezel

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Joined
May 30, 2020
Messages
2
Location
West Virginia
Hello. I'm going to be building a ramp for my grandmother so she can drive her jazzy from her driveway to her porch. My issue is when the ramp slopes down and meets her blacktop, one side is approximately 5"-6" lower than the other side. Is there a practical way to transition this spot? My thought was to stop my ramp one board away from the blacktop and angle the last board to meet. I have a feeling though that smarter minds have already come up with a better solution. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks. Mike.
 
Can you run the ramp a few more boards, so you hit pass the black top and problem?


Or mill/ cut a larger board, so it is angled and even at the transition
 
I have to admit I'm not a professional carpenter by any stretch. The length of the ramp will be approximately 12' and it's going to drop probably 18" altogether. Hope this helps.

cda said:
I am not into ramps.


Did you design the ramp?

What is the length ?

What is the slope?
Click to expand...
 
e hilton said:
Guys ... his quandary is not how to build a ramp, its how to deal with a specific difficult transition.
Click to expand...


You never know, may not know slope,

And Granny might have a wild ride.

Seems like there are a number of ways to solve the problem
 
Mike Beezel said:
I have to admit I'm not a professional carpenter by any stretch. The length of the ramp will be approximately 12' and It''s going to drop probably 18" altogether. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
That's awfully steep for a ramp. The ADA recommended slope for a ramp is 1:20 with a maximum recommended slope of 1:12, yours is 1:8 which could be quite difficult for someone to navigate especially going down. You'll also have to be careful with the side slope when you make the transition.
cda said:
Get a transition piece
https://www.amazon.com/EZ-ACCESS-Transitions-Modular-Entry-Pounds/dp/B00ULAZPMC
Click to expand...
That Won't help with the side slope the OP has.
 
The bottom of the ramp needs a level landing with an uphill approach. The ramp is 7.1° and granny drives a Jazzy.
 
Last edited:
$ ~ $ ~ $

**Msradell** has it correct.......The guy's proposed ramp is
too steep!.........Plus, the transition at the bottom needs to
be addressed.

Option # 1 for the transition: Custom build a compliant
transitional landing, ....or Option # 2 for the transition: Have
some asphalt installed to modify the existing conditions.

$ ~ $ ~ $
 
While houses are not outright required to meet ADA requirements, wheelchair ramps are generally required to not exceed 1:12 as the ADA accessibility guideline is the standard from which various accessibility guidelines are based on.

A ramp rising 18-inches over a 12 ft run exceeds the 1:12 "maximum" that is recommended for wheelchairs. (Yes, even powered chairs even though they have an electric motor that is powerful enough to get them over steeper slopes but they are meant to be brief like going over a road bump or something that exceeds 1:12 for about 1 to 3 ft. not a dozen or more feet). Consider if your grandma has to use a manual wheel chair if the powered chair is in for repairs or something.
 
Most powered wheel chairs can handle up to about 9 degrees but these very steep degrees are also meant to be brief and short under 3 feet stretches. It is not recommended to use ANY wheelchair (powered or not) on ramps that exceeds the 1:10 slope that ADA permits for limited maximum rise. A powered chair should not be used going up ramps greater than 1:10 ramp slope even though the length of ramp is not as crucial nor is the issue or maximum rise before a landing matters as much given that it is powered by an electric motor and batteries BUT caution: The motors do in fact degrade in performance over time. So does the SLA batteries. In time, they just don't perform as well even after a "full charge". If the power chair quits on the slope, it is particularly dangerous if the power chair fails on a slope that exceed 1:12 or even 1:10 but most certainly anything steeper.
 
In short, these power wheelchairs are meant to aid the travel and mobility. They are not meant to be used to be driven up mountains and steep hills like those in Astoria, Oregon or San Francisco and other similar communities. 12 feet is not likely to be a long stretch but if the chair is used a bit and low on battery, the climb up the ramp can draw the low battery to nothing and potentially result in a dangerous situation if it stalls on the ramp. The steeper the ramp, the greater the risk for potentially serious injury (or death... still a risk factor).
 
Get a metal transition plate
Must be sturdy enough to hold the weight
and i do agree the ramp should be no more than 1:12

705.jpg
 
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