Building a Permanent Wheelchair Ramp
Building a permanent wheelchair ramp is not terribly difficult and anyone with some basic carpentry skills should be able to manage the job fairly easily.
Because the ramp will be a permanent structure local building codes must be adhered to but the following information is pretty common in most jurisdictions.
Ramp slope
The National Building code specifies a 1 in 12 (1:12) slope which is 12" of ramp for every 1 inch of rise. Of course a lower slope is acceptable and possibly may be more appropriate for a user in a manual wheelchair and has limited strength.
Ramp Surface
The ramp surface can be metal, concrete or wood and must have a non-slip finish. With a concrete ramp, simply roughing up the surface when it is poured should be sufficient. A metal surface will need to be etched, have peel & stick abrasive strips or be painted with a paint containing some type of abrasive. Wooden ramps, by far the most common, can also be painted with abrasive containing paint or have self sticking abrasive strips.
Ramp Railing
Ramps must have railings on both sides if the height is more than 6". The railings should be between 34" and 38" high and provide a barrier which will prevent a wheelchair or scooter from being driven off the side.
Ramp Landings
Ramp landings at the beginning and end of the ramp must be a minimum of 5' x 5' and be level. A landing may not need to be constructed if there is a suitable level solid surface of the correct size at either end. In situations where the length of the ramp exceeds 29' (9 meters) there must be an interim landing 4' long and the full width of the ramp somewhere along it's length at intervals of no more than 29'.
Ramp Turns and Change of Direction
Turns, corners, changes of direction etc. are acceptable in wheelchair ramps but the must be level and a suitable size. Generally a 90 degree turn will require a 5' x 5' landing and a 180 degree turn will require a landing 5' x twice the width of the wheelchair ramp. For very long ramps a level turn landing will suffice as an interim landing as well.
