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When does my walkway need an ADA compliant handrail?

There are three major areas of concern for ADA compliance. Once you have established that your facility needs to be ADA compliant, the three areas of concern are stairs, ramps, and landings/raised walkways.

Stairs: All stairs that fall under ADA compliance must have compliant handrail (ADA 4.9.1). This means that it does not matter whether you have one riser or ten risers, you need railing on both sides of the stair(s)
Ramp: Any ramp that has a rise greater than 6 (inches) or a run greater than 72 (inches) needs to have ADA compliant handrail.
Landings/Raised walkways: Any surface that has a drop off needs to have curbs, walls, railings,
or projecting surfaces that prevent people from slipping off the edge. ADA leaves the size of the drop off to the interpretation to the reader or more properly to the inspector. A good general rule of thumb is 6 (the height of a ramp requiring a handrail), but check with your local inspector to verify.

Related Entries

When does my facility need to be ADA compliant?

This post contributed by:

Dan Wampler

Simplified Safety / Sales Engineer

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ADA • Compliance • Handrail • Permalink

Comments

I am making a walkway through the woods for wheel chair access. Does it have to have hand rails on both sides? The landings will have rails. The run is 29 feet at 1:12 is that to long for persons in wheel chairs.
walk way will have 2x2 edge stops. is that all that is needed? any advise will be helpful
rick

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 09/27 at 09:16 AM

Rick,

Thanks for your post - these are all great questions. I will try to take care of them one at a time:

1. Question: “Does it have to have hand rails on both sides?” Answer: Yes. ADA says, “If a ramp run has a rise greater than 6 in (150 mm) or a horizontal projection greater than 72 in (1830 mm), then it shall have handrails on both sides.” (ADA 4.8.5)

2. Question: Is a 29’ run too long for a compliant ramp? Answer: No. An ADA ramp maximum rise between landings is 30”. The maximum slope is 1:12. This means that the ramp can rise 1 inch for every foot of the ramp (horizontal projection). If you are using the maximum pitch (1:12), your maximum length will be 30’. If you are using a lower pitch, the length can be longer. For instance, a ramp with a 1:16 pitch can project for 40 feet before exceeding a 30” height. (ADA 4.8.2)

3. Question: Is a 2” high “edge stop” sufficient? Answer: Yes. This is only required when there is a drop off, and the minimum height is 2 inches. Here is what ADA says: “Ramps and landings with drop-offs shall have curbs, walls, railings, or projecting surfaces that prevent people from slipping off the ramp. Curbs shall be a minimum of 2 in (50 mm) high” (ADA 4.8.7)

Rick, thanks again for your questions, and feel free to ask more.

Dan Wampler

Posted by Dan Wampler on 09/29 at 12:39 PM

Qeustion: In joining a new, compliant, on site sidewalk to an existing public improvement that is obviously in excess of the 2% cross slope requirement, what ADA code applies to the join conditon, to allow an exception for the join?

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 04/29 at 09:28 PM

Jim,

Let me reiterate your question to make sure that I understand it. You are putting in a new sidewalk that is connecting to an old sidewalk. Under the ADA code, 4.3.7, “Slope”, it states that “Nowhere shall the cross slope of an accessible route exceed 1:50” (1.8%). In your situation, you need to join a new sidewalk - with a correct cross slope to an old one with an incorrect cross slope. Do I have it right so far?

Theoretically, if the code was followed perfectly, the old work should be brought up to existing standards. However, this question is best posed to whoever is the final decision maker on this job (your GC, Building Inspector, Building owner etc…). We have seen situations like this go in different directions. I have see Building Inspectors make allowances for discrepancies in old work, and have seen jobs extended to redo old work to make it compliant. I would place the decision on the one who will be liable for being in or out of compliance. If that person is you, I would have the old work brought into compliance.

Jim, thanks again for your question - and please leave and feedback or clarifications if you have any.

Dan Wampler

Posted by Dan Wampler on 04/30 at 08:42 AM

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Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 09/13 at 05:45 AM

We are trying to construct a trail in our community that is along a scenic, historic byway. The trail needs to be ADA, but the handrails the Dept of Public Works wants to use are aesthetically unfit for this byway.

Are there any guidelines as to flexibility in what type of handrail can be used while still being ADA compliant? (The DOT Flexibility in Highway Design does not give specifics on walkway hand rails.)

Thanks.

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Posted by Computer Forensic on 01/18 at 05:56 AM

Can you explain Sidewalk edge drop off. I have been told there can be no changes in elevation in excess of 1/4” in the path of travel. How does this apply to edge drop offs. If there is a drop off the depth of the sidewalk less than 6” do edge protectors (toeboards) need to be installed?

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 01/27 at 06:09 PM

The ADA code does not clearly define when edge protection is needed, it merely states:

4.8.7 Edge Protection. Ramps and landings
with drop-offs shall have curbs, walls, railings,
or projecting surfaces that prevent people from
slipping off the ramp

Notice the words “with drop-offs”. With that said, ADA does not even require railing on ramps that do not have a rise greater than 6” or a projection longer than 72”. I would therefore assume that edge protection is not needed with anything less than a 6” drop-off.

To be certain, please check with your local building inspector. Thanks!

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 01/31 at 03:42 PM

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