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Interior ramp

e hilton

e hilton

Bronze Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
3,150
Location
Virginia
We have a business that has been dinged for interior accessible route non-compliance. There is a slight change in elevation between two parts of the building, with a ramp, and it’s not quite right. The measured slope is 6.5%, 5% is max allowed. An architectural firm went through and surveyed several of our locations and came back with a laundry list of violations, and now i need to correct them. They applied the 2010 ADA standards.

In addition to noting that the slope is too much, they also point out that there are no handrails. So my question is ... if we install handrails is the slope acceptable? Section 405.8 and 505.1 says a handrail is required for a rise greater than 6” and/or slope greater than 1:20. My slope is 1:15 and rise is less than 3”. The consultant blindly says make the ramp slope 1:20 without consideration for how to do it. Adding handrails would be easy.
 
Thanks, that’s the answer i wanted to hear. But ... what could change your mind? What detail have i left out?
 
ADASAD (2010) 405.8 Handrails. Ramp runs with a rise greater than 6 inches (150 mm) shall have handrails complying with 505.

The architect is misinterpreting this. A 1:15 slope is a ramp, but the 3" rise is less than the 6" that triggers handrails.
 
Need top and bottom landings with mim. dimen, in direction of travel
ramps btwn 5% and 8.8% must have handrails each side with extensions
They may be less than 8.8%
 
The landings at the top & bottom go for several feet ... like 8-10 ft.

Paul .... the archy is not saying we need a handrail, they are saying the slope is too steep. They don’t offer suggestions to resolve, they point out the fault and quote the section to back it up. Typical auditors: you’re doing your job wrong ... i can’t tell you how to do it right, i just know you’re wrong. So I’m thinking ... rather than try to extend the sloped surface to decrease the slope, let’s leave the floor alone and add a rail.
 
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