Accessible Ramps & Curb Cuts Built to Gatineau Code
Accessibility is not negotiable. Every ramp and curb cut must meet the slope, cross-fall, width and detectable warning specs in the applicable code, or it fails inspection. We pour accessible ramps and curb cuts to those exact specs, embed the tactile warning panels correctly, verify slope during the pour, and hand off documentation ready for the inspector. Free written estimate on every project.
An accessible ramp or curb cut has four critical elements: the running slope (the angle from bottom to top) cannot exceed the ADA maximum, the cross-slope (side-to-side pitch) must drain off the ramp and not across it, the width must accommodate a wheelchair, and detectable warning panels (truncated domes, usually yellow) must be cast into the concrete at every transition between pedestrian and vehicle surfaces.
We design each ramp to those four specs, place reinforcement, set the forms with the correct slope and cross-slope built in, position the warning panels in the form, and pour the concrete. Before the slab cures, we verify the slope with a level and story-pole on every section. The result is a ramp that passes the accessibility consultant's walk-through on the first visit.
Our equipment pad work and parking lot pours follow the same verification process. Where an existing ramp is out of spec, we replace it to current code rather than attempt a patch.
Recent work
Our process
How We Pour Accessible Ramps in Gatineau
Confirm the accessibility code
We identify which accessibility standard applies to your project (federal ADA, provincial, or local code), confirm the slope, cross-slope, width and landing dimensions, and note where detectable warnings are required.
Grade and prepare subgrade
The ramp footprint is excavated to the correct elevation so the running slope will hit the code maximum, and the base is graded to support the cross-slope without pooling.
Set forms with slope built in
Forms are positioned with the engineered slope and cross-slope already set, reinforcement is placed, detectable warning panels are positioned in the form footprint, and the transition to adjacent walks or curbs is detailed flush.
Pour, verify, document
Concrete is placed and finished, slope and cross-slope are verified with a level before cure, warning panels are confirmed in position, and as-built dimensions are documented for the accessibility inspector.
Why ramps fail
Slope Is the Most Common Failure in Accessible Work
The ramp that fails inspection almost always fails on slope. Either the running slope came out steeper than the code allows, or the cross-slope drains across the ramp instead of off the side. Both are failures, and both require demolition and re-pour to fix. You cannot adjust slope on cured concrete, which is why accessible ramps have to be right the first time.
We catch slope errors while the concrete is still workable. A level and a story-pole on every section of the ramp tell us immediately if the slope is drifting. The result is a ramp that passes the accessibility consultant's inspection without revision. Coordinate with adjacent commercial sidewalk pours so the ramp lands flush at both ends and the transition is seamless.
Slope specs, detectable warnings, landings, and where accessible work is required.
The current ADA running-slope maximum is defined in the accessibility code; we follow the specific code version applicable to your project (federal, provincial, local). The cross-slope maximum is also specified separately and is just as critical.
Truncated dome panels (typically yellow, cast into the concrete or surface-mounted) at every flush transition between pedestrian and vehicular surfaces. They are tactile cues for the visually impaired. They are required at curb cuts, ramp bottoms at parking lots, and similar transitions.
Yes, ADA requires a level landing at the top and bottom of every ramp run, sized to the spec for that ramp's use. The landing has to be flat in both directions (running and cross-slope) within the ADA tolerance.
Modification rarely works because slope cannot be changed on cured concrete. Most non-compliant ramps need full replacement to bring them to current code; the quote will say which case yours is.
Most public-accessible commercial properties do, especially new construction and any renovation that triggers accessibility review. The exact scope depends on the property, the renovation work, and the local accessibility code; we coordinate with the accessibility consultant on every project.
Client reviews
What Gatineau Operators Say About Their Accessible Ramps
They replaced four non-compliant curb cuts across our retail center. Each one to current accessibility spec, detectable warnings cast in, accessibility consultant passed all four first walk-through.
Q. I.
Property Manager, Gatineau
★★★★★
Slope was verified during the pour, not after. They had a level out on every section. The inspector specifically commented on how clean the as-built dimensions were.
X. H.
Facility Director, Ottawa
★★★★★
Multiple ramp installations during off-hours so the mall stayed open. Coordinated with adjacent sidewalk pours, detectable warnings flush, accessibility inspector signed off without a single revision.
Z. C2
Mall Operations, Barrhaven
★★★★★
Accessible ramps at every entrance to our medical building. They knew the accessibility code cold, no improvisation, no surprises at inspection. Compliance was their first concern, not their last.
Y. M2
Healthcare Facility Director, Nepean
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