A Win-Win WOrkhorse
Precast concrete ramps benefit not only
disabled persona, but precasters, contractors and
DPWs as well.
By
Greg Snapper
A public access ramp is generally
ignored and uncelebrated by its user, but to Ed Kochling,
this hunk of concrete is a masterpiece.
A civil engineer for the Worcester, Mass., Department
of Public Works (DPW), Kochling designed a specialized
precast concrete public access ramp for the city.
Kochling helped initiate a project to improve the
current construction methods with a design goal of
producing precast concrete ramps that offer several
qualities:
• They must comply with the rules and regulations
of the state’s Architectural Access Board (AAB)
as well as those specified by the Americans with Disabilities
Association (ADA).
• They must be practical to produce and install.
• They must be durable and functional.
• They must be easily recognized and aesthetically
pleasing to the general public.
The Issue
Kochling designed the product with a specific problem
in mind: the construction industry’s struggle
to comply with state and local regulations regarding
public access ramps. Kochling determined that the
primary reason for the problem was the method of construction.
Currently in ramp creation, the flat part of the sidewalk
is constructed first. A ramp is then cast in place
between the existing walkway and the roadway. Using
this method, the slope of the ramp must be varied
to meet the sidewalk and roadway elevations. This
can result in ramps that are inconsistent with ADA
standards.
A precast concrete ramp would solve this sloping dilemma.
By installing the precast concrete ramp first, instead
of at the tail end of construction, control points
would be provided to build the main sidewalk. This
provides a smooth transition, which complies with
ADA standards.
The concept
It is unlikely that the idea of precast concrete access
ramps is originally Kochling’s, and there are
reasons why it wasn’t considered a practical
application until now. For one, the ramps were too
heavy and difficult to maneuver. Second, every ramp
location was unique. Finally, it was less expensive
to build a ramp on site. These issues are addressed
and solved by the use of precast ramps along with
ushering in a new method of sidewalk construction.
The simple and practical approach of building the
ramp first and then grading the sidewalk to meet it
is gaining support. Contractors are just starting
to find out that costs are cut when manufacturing
these curb cutters.
“There is very little uniformity with cast-in-place
ramps,” Kochling says. “By using precast,
you take that factor out and end up with a win-win
situation for the installer, precaster, users and
owner of the project.”
Ed began this self-proclaimed “hobby until he
makes a fortune” only two years ago when the
city of Worcester permitted him to build forms and
pour product in the city storage yard. Kochling donated
his first two forms to a Worcester Regional Transit
Authority project, which consisted of a concrete pad
and crosswalk being installed at a bus station shelter.
“This is a product that doesn’t go bad
on the shelf,” Kochling says. “This product
is really useful in cities like Worcester where the
DPW is small. But if you can get a foothold with this
product in big-city applications like in New York
City, this can be a huge money saver.”
New York City has approximately 12,750 miles of sidewalks,
making it a constant construction zone for pedestrian
infrastructure, while Worcester’s 473 miles
of sidewalks get considerably less foot traffic. Currently,
three of Kochling’s precast ramps lay between
sidewalk slabs on Worcester’s sidewalks. Showing
the versatility of the product, Kochling praises the
durability of the ramps due to a transplant of one
of the ramps after resting two years in one location.
Kochling believes this economical factor is sure to
attract penny-pinching contractors and DPWs looking
to cut corners.
Early detection
and life-long advertising
An early detection system can be cast into the ramp
as an added safety feature. It consists of heavy road
tape with a rough surface texture placed on the curb
at either side of the ramp opening. A piece of aluminum
diamond plate or a bronze medallion would be installed
in the center-top portion of the ramp. The tape and
plate or medallion together form a triangle of sensory
points that the vision impaired can detect with their
feet or their canes. This triangular system will help
people locate and orient themselves on the ramp.
Pedestrian traffic as well as the appearance of walkways
will see significant improvement along with an additional
special option for clients: sponsorship. Local businesses
and individuals can be part of a sponsorship program
in which a donation would provide funds for a new
ramp. The sponsor’s name is emblazoned onto
a bronze medallion, advertising or memorializing the
firm or individual. This program has the potential
to create community support and cooperation as well
as reduce the cost of ramp installation fees and overall
project costs. The medallion and early detection device,
both about the size of a compact disk, can be cast
on the surface of the ramp to the buyers’ specifications.
Positive
endorsements
Wheelchair users can tell right away that Kochling’s
precast ramp is a safe bet, says Mike Galvin, Worcester
Police Department City official for handicap affairs.
Galvin, a wheelchair user, is an advocate for the
Worcester disabled community.
“Every ramp has the right specs so you have
proper pitch and slope,” he says. “Wheelchair
users see it as a safe ramp, and they know this just
from the ease of daily use.”
Matching Galvin’s enthusiasm for the ramp is
Barbara White, co-creator of Independent Network of
Citizens with disABILITIES, an informal committee
addressing the abilities, not the disabilities, of
the Worcester disabled community. White, who has suffered
from degenerative disk disease since 1992, has used
a wheelchair since 2000. She is concerned that the
general public lacks education about the potential
multipurpose use of Kochling’s precast ramp.
“I think that if people got the chance to use
it, it would become obvious that it’s a wonderful
public product for seniors and parents with baby strollers,
and that it’s not just for the disabled,”
White says. Her adamant belief that access is for
everybody – that this product is not just for
the disabled – could bolster efforts to popularize
precast concrete public access ramps in the construction
industry. Showing its multipurpose benefits not only
to the general public, but to precast manufacturers,
contractors, local, state and federal governments
and businesses as well could bolster support to mass
produce the product.
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