Concrete Ramp



There are many instances when one might want a concrete ramp, including transporting goods or accommodating a wheel chair. Building one is not difficult, provided you have proper tools and know the steps that should be followed. With concrete construction, basic carpentry work is necessary. However, a skill level that is less than basic can be improved while performing the work of building a ramp. All the usual stages of any construction project are involved, including planning, materials acquisition, site preparation, construction of concrete forms, reinforcement, cement mixing, pouring, cement finishing, curing, and adding hand rails. Going through these steps will result in at least some kind of concrete structure, whether it is usable as a ramp, or not.



As one decides to begin, location and lay out become the first issues to be addressed. A ramp has a bottom and a top. Building a ramp with a bottom that is not conveniently accessible is the start of a disaster. Likewise, the top must have a deck area large enough to maneuver around any doors. The ramp must be wide enough to accommodate vehicles, carts, dollys, wheelchairs, or whatever, and it should include uprights to support a rail, curb, or other guard to prevent falling over the side of the ramp.

While heavy duty is often preferred, a ramp that is completely solid instead of being comprised of a thick concrete slab can require an unreasonable amount of cement. In such cases, the ramp will require more work than necessary and be cost prohibitive. However, a simple concrete slab, as well known from the historic perspective of earthquake damage, has considerable weakness when subjected to shear stress that can be induced by a shaking ground.

The ramp can be improved considerably by incorporation of steal rods, also known as rebar. Rebar should not be smooth, except in the case of expansion sections that will contact and expand, with the smooth rebar being allowed to slide in and out, slightly. In other cases, according to the ASTM standard, rebar should be deformed. That is, it should have pattens rolled onto it. There is no definition for what the patterns should be, only the number, height, and spacing of the patterns. The patterns will help it grip the concrete and prevent slipping inside the concrete.

Tiered Shelves