Garden Steps and Ramps DIY part 2

RAMPS

Older people, or those with physical disabilities, are unable to cope well with stairs or changes in level unlessvery well- designed paths are made for them. The beauty of ramps is that they can be attractively landscaped to snake around the garden, incorporating considerable height changes —without a steep gradient.

When designing ramps for access to different levels of the garden, remember that people in wheelchairs need enough room to manoeuvre comfortably. Find out the recommended dimensions and other standards for wheelchair facilities from your local authority.

Gradient

The maximum gradient that an independent wheelchair user can cope with (except in short lengths) is one in 12 (1:12). If the wheelchair is being pushed by an attendant, this could be increased to one in 8 (1:8), but this is not recommended for around the home. Level rest areas should be provided every 9 m or less, and these rest areas should be 1200 mm to 1800 mm in length. The transition from landing to ramp should be smooth. Landings or rest areas are also recommended at any change of direction of the ramp. If the ramp is steeper than one in 12 (1:12), rest areas need to be provided every 5 m.

It is suggested thatwhere gradients are between one in 20 (1:20) and one in 12 (1:12), the ramp should be kerbed and handrails provided. At gradients lower than one in 20 (1:20), kerbs should not be necessary and the surrounding ground can be graded to the sides of the ramp.

The ramp should also be able to shed water to the sides. It may have a domed top or a slope to one side. The recommended maximum for this camber is one in 100 (1:100).

Widths

Wheelchairs need a minimum width of 800 mm to go anywhere, and 950 mm is preferred. Ifyou want to pass a wheelchair on a path, you need at least 1200 mm. If a wheelchair is to turn around through a right angle, it will need at least 950 mm square. These sizes can be taken as the minimum width of ramps. It would make sense to have a minimum width of around 1 m wherever possible. If kerbs are provided as well, these should be outside the required width. Therefore, if a kerb 50 mm high by 100 mm wide is to be provided both sides of a 1 m wide ramp, the total width needed would be 1200 mm.

Handrails

Most authorities recommend that handrails be provided on ramps for wheelchair users, to enable them to pull themselves up or brake on the way down. The recommended height for a handrail is around 750 mm, somewhat lower than for walking adults.

Concrete ramp

A ramp is formed-up the same way as any other concreting job. However, if the sides need to be built up, a retaining wall of double brick or concrete block can be used to retain the sub-base.

The concrete should be 75 mm or 100 mm thick, and be reinforced with a light steel mesh, held off the sub-base with bar chairs or spacers. Extra formwork for the kerb needs to be built. The kerb should be about 50 mm high and 100 mm wide, and separately reinforced with small-diameter steel bars. The kerb can be poured at the same time as the concrete: build formwork to the height of the top of the kerb on the outside with a separate board fixed in place from the top to the inside to form-up the inside edge of the kerb, 50 mm lower.

A small gutter can be formed at the base of the kerb to deal with runoff.

A standard-duty concrete mix is suitable. It should be poured, well compacted and screeded, and the ramp and top of kerb finished as required. Recommended finishes for whee chair ramps are a broomed finish, a sponge finish, o wooden-float finis. A decorative alterna tive is exposed aggregate, a: long as it is not too rough.

Paving

Paving is a reasonable alternative to concrete, as long as a suitable sub-base is prepared. It may even be best to provide a concrete base over which pavers are laid. The reason is that if there is any subsidence in the pavers, the ramp may become difficult to use.

Pavers are best installed on a bed of sand and cement, e.g. try six parts sand to one of cement (6:1), to ensure that the pavers do not slip down the ramp. They must be installed flush and the joints, if any, should be recessed only to a maximum of 5 mm.

Timber

Timber is suitable for ramps for people without disabilities, and a ramp of timber beams and decking is quick and easy to build. But timber ramps can be a different matter for the disabled person, especially in the wet when timber can be quite slippery and traction for wheelchairs difficult.

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