The ADA, the Americans with Disabilities Act, is used to define standards for ramps and wheelchair access in public spaces. As a part of this act, the ADA defines the maximum conditions for gaps and vertical shifts between concrete slabs used in sidewalks and ramps. These spaces are the ‘expansion joints’ used to allow slabs to accommodate temperature and soil condition variations without cracking. Adjacent slabs are then able to move with respect to each other, in both the horizontal and vertical direction. Vertical motion creates a step from one slab to another, and if the step becomes too large, wheelchairs will have difficulty passing over the step. The same applies for gaps between the slabs, and the ADA defines maximum limits for both of these conditions.
The ADA defines the maximum gap between slabs as one-half inch. Many expansion joints are about three quarters of an inch wide, because a wooden 1×4, which measures about three quarters of an inch wide, is used as the expansion joint. The wood in these types of expansion joints invariably rots out, and leaves a gap of ¾”. The trim-A-Slab ¾” size was designed for just this scenario.
The ADA also specifies the maximum step from one slab to the next as 1/4”. Steps up to1/2” are allowed, if at least ¼” of the step is angled to form a kind of ramp. Until recently, expansion joints were repaired with a liquid sealant. These sealants can only fill up to the height of the lowest slab, and do not help to produce a ramp. Typically, the ramp shape is accomplished by grinding the taller slab, which is a disruptive and costly process. Uniquely, Trim-A-Slab will naturally produce a ramp between slabs with different heights. This feature of Trim-A-Slab will in many cases eliminate the need for grinding, saving time and the cost of this messy operation.
As should now be apparent, Trim-A-Slab solves many ADA compliance problems in a quick and cost-effective way. Visit Trim-A-Slab.com for more information, samples, or to place an order.