A ramp is the one piece of concrete that someone will measure with a level the day it opens. A running slope that is a few tenths over, a cross slope that tilts toward the street or a landing that is a few inches short fails inspection, and failing means breaking out and repouring. We build ADA ramps, curb ramps, walkways and accessible routes with the slope, width and landing dimensions checked at the forms, not after the finish.
The numbers that govern most routes are well known. Ramp running slope should not exceed 1 in 12, cross slope should not exceed 1 in 48, clear width on an accessible route is generally at least 36 inches, and ramps need level landings at the top, the bottom and at changes in direction. Curb ramps add flares, a detectable warning surface and a counter slope limit on the gutter. Plans show these dimensions, and we confirm which standard governs before forming.
Colorado State University reported a fall 2025 enrollment of 34,412 students, and the pedestrian volume around a campus of that size makes accessible routes some of the most-used concrete in town. Routes that serve crowds carry wear, snow removal equipment and heavy daily use, and they are built accordingly.
Accessibility requirements come from federal standards, state rules and local amendments, and the owner or architect states which apply. In public rights-of-way, the jurisdiction's details for curb ramps and driveways govern, and the city inspector checks slope and dimensions on the forms and on the finished surface. On private property, the building official and accessibility consultants may inspect. We build to the plan and ask for clarification when two documents disagree.
Inspection is not a formality on this work. We bring a digital level, a tape and a template to every ramp, check slopes at the forms before concrete arrives and again after screed, and photograph results. If a ramp is outside tolerance before the pour, we fix it; afterward, we cannot, and that is why the checks come early.
Curb ramps vary by corner geometry: perpendicular, parallel, blended transitions and combined ramps each have their own forming pattern. We fit them to the existing curb, gutter and drainage so water does not pool at the foot of the ramp. Detectable warning surfaces, the truncated dome plates or cast-in mats, are set in the wet concrete and aligned to the direction of travel.
Sidewalk and building-entry routes need level landings, door clearances and gentle slopes where grade changes. Handrails and edge protection are installed where the rise requires them, and footing details for rail posts are cast with the ramp. The work often connects to sidewalks and flatwork and to curb and gutter, and we pour related pieces together to avoid cold joints at transitions.
Driveway crossings are a quiet source of accessibility failures. A steep driveway apron can push the cross slope of a sidewalk well past the limit, so the walk has to be shaped through the crossing, with a level path maintained at the back of the walk. We lay out the driveway profile and the sidewalk together, and ask the engineer to approve a field adjustment when the right-of-way is too narrow for the textbook detail.
Ramp forms are set from survey points and checked with a level at multiple locations. We form with straight, rigid boards or flexible forms where curves are needed, and we adjust the subgrade to match the finished elevation so the concrete thickness is consistent. The surface is finished with a light broom perpendicular to travel, giving traction when wet, and edges are tooled to keep joints crisp.
Control joints are placed so they do not run through the middle of a landing or across a detectable warning. We think through joint locations on the plan, because a joint that crosses a landing can create a lip. After the pour, we protect the surface from foot traffic and cure it properly so it does not scale in the first winter.
On corridors under redevelopment, accessible routes are rebuilt alongside other improvements. A city study of the Harmony Road corridor contemplated about $53 million in potential improvements, with raised landscaped medians, buffered bike lanes and continuous sidewalks. Where a sidewalk becomes continuous, every driveway crossing and curb ramp has to match, and the MAX bus rapid transit line that runs from downtown toward a transit center just south of Harmony Road adds stops that need accessible landing pads.
Winter use shapes the details as well. Plows and deicers punish thin edges and smooth surfaces, so we specify a broom finish deep enough to hold traction under ice, use air-entrained concrete for the freeze-thaw cycles, and set detectable warnings in a pattern that snow equipment will not catch. Utilities frequently sit in the way of a good ramp. A hydrant, pole or inlet at the corner constrains where the ramp can go, and we raise the conflict with the engineer before pouring. For work in historic areas, such as Old Town, the design standards of the historic district influence color and texture, and we match them.
Education campuses ask for entry plazas, stair-ramp combinations and path networks that serve large crowds. Our work on schools and campuses and on government and municipal buildings follows the same discipline: check the slope, set the landing, finish for traction.
Owners with property near the foothills campus can look at our approach near the CSU Foothills campus, and a retail owner who gets an accessibility complaint should be ready to bring in parking lot concrete crews to fix routes between stalls and entrances.
We work with schools and healthcare owners to schedule accessibility upgrades during breaks.
Send the plan or a photo of the problem. We will check slopes, price replacement or new construction and schedule it with your inspector.
A running slope of 1 in 12 is the usual maximum, and cross slope should not exceed 1 in 48. Landings at the top and bottom are required, as are limits on rise between landings. Your plans will state the standard.
Sometimes, through grinding or small overlays, but most noncompliant ramps have a fundamental slope problem. We evaluate and tell you whether a fix is feasible or whether replacement is the more reliable path.
We set them in the wet concrete, aligned and flush, per the manufacturer's instructions. Setting them later is less reliable. The plates must be in the right place relative to the curb and the path of travel.
Foot traffic is usually possible after a day or two in warm weather, longer in cold. We barricade and keep the work zone safe, and we give a reopening date for each ramp.