6 Benefits of Modular Aluminum Wheelchair Ramps Call (513) 889-2492 ORDER NOW Tracy Mikulec Tracy Mikulec, a seasoned leader in the digital marketing realm, currently serves as the Director of Digital at SixAxis, a pioneering manufacturer of industrial and commercial safety products from renowned brands like SafeRack, ErectaStep, and Upside. With a career spanning over three decades, Tracy has been at the forefront of digital innovation, ecommerce, and technology strategy. Since January 2015, Tracy has been instrumental in shaping the digital landscape at SixAxis, LLC, based in Andrews, South Carolina. His role involves leading digital strategies and overseeing technological advancements for SixAxis and its diverse portfolio of brands. Feb 09, 2024 Estimated reading time: 4 minutes Why Aluminum Wheelchair Ramps Are the Superior Choice for Accessibility Solutions When it comes to selecting a wheelchair ramp for your home or business, the material choice plays a pivotal role in functionality, durability, and maintenance. While various materials are available, aluminum is the stand-out choice for a reliable, low-maintenance solution. At Upside Innovations, we specialize in providing top-tier aluminum wheelchair ramps designed to enhance accessibility with ease and efficiency. AluminumIronSteelWoodConcreteTensile StrengthMedium-HighMedium-HighHighMediumLowCorrosion & Warping ResistanceHighLowMediumLowLow-MediumRequired MaintenanceLowHighMediumHighMediumPriceMedium-HighMediumMedium-HighMedium-HighLow Why Choose Aluminum for Your Wheelchair Ramp? 1. Safety Features Aluminum wheelchair ramps boast a non-slip decking that ensures maximum traction, from rain to snow, under any weather conditions. Unlike wood ramps that require frequent grip tape application, aluminum ramps feature extruded decking with built-in grooves, providing a secure grip for wheelchair wheels without the need for constant maintenance. 2. Optimal Strength-to-Weight Ratio Aluminum’s lightweight yet strong nature makes it an ideal material for wheelchair ramps. It offers comparable strength to heavier metals but is much easier to handle, assemble, and adjust, making it a practical choice for temporary and permanent installations. Our wheelchair ramps come in 8′ and 10′ prefabricated, modular ramp sections. Hook the prefabricated ramp sections together for quick and easy installation. View our ADA ramp installation guide. 3. Durability and Maintenance One of the most significant advantages of aluminum is its resistance to rust and corrosion. Aluminum ramps maintain their integrity and appearance over time, even in harsh weather conditions, without the need for annual maintenance. This not only saves on long-term costs but also ensures your ramp remains safe and functional year after year. 4. Flexibility and Adaptability Our modular aluminum ramps feature adjustable legs to accommodate uneven surfaces, ensuring a level and stable platform. This adaptability extends to the ramp’s configuration; modules can be easily added, removed, or rearranged to meet changing needs, a flexibility not offered by wood or concrete ramps. 5. No Building Permits Required Modular aluminum ramps are considered non-permanent structures, unlike permanent wood or concrete ramps. This means they typically do not require building permits, streamlining the installation process and making them ideal for projects with tight deadlines. HOW LONG DOES YOUR ADA WHEELCHAIR RAMP NEED TO BE? Use our ADA Ramp Length Calculator to find the correct ramp length for your project. Ramp Length and Slope Calculator 6. Cost-Effectiveness While the initial investment in an aluminum ramp may be higher than other materials, the speed of installation, lack of annual maintenance costs and the ramp’s longevity make it a cost-effective solution. Additionally, the high resale value of aluminum allows for recovery of the initial cost, should your needs change. Wood vs. Aluminum: Cost Wood Cost: Material cost: A wood ramp costs an average of $100-250 per linear foot, according to Fixr.com, so, although variable, a 30′ ramp can cost around $4,600. If you add a 5’x 5′ platform which is required at the door, it would cost a total of about $5,500 for the material. Install time: A 30’ wood ramp with a platform takes roughly (2) 8-hour days for two carpenters to cut and install. Install cost: To build the ramp, you will likely need two carpenters ($60 per hour) for the two days. That means that labor costs will be roughly $1,440. In total, a wood ramp costs about $7,240. Plus, you will have to factor in the price of a building permit which usually costs a couple of hundred dollars. Aluminum Cost: Material cost: Aluminum ramp manufacturers charge a wide range of prices because there are different grades of aluminum and the varying size and load requirements for commercial versus residential. You can expect to spend between $6,400 on material for a 30’ commercial, aluminum ADA including a 5’ x 5’ platform. Install time: You don’t need any prior experience to install an aluminum ramp, and it takes about 3-5 hours to complete the installation of a 30′ ramp. Install time: A novice can install an aluminum ramp system on his/her own, so the installation cost would be free if you decide to install it yourself. Installation costs for an aluminum ramp are typically less than half the cost of a wood ramp installation. Aluminum and wood ramps initially cost about the same amount of money when you consider installation cost. Ramps Wood vs. Aluminum Ramps Read More » February 5, 2024 News Creating Safe & Equal Access for All with Wheelchair Accessible Ramps Read More » September 4, 2022
Alternative to Precast Concrete Wheelchair Ramps Call (513) 889-2492 ORDER NOW Tracy Mikulec Tracy Mikulec, a seasoned leader in the digital marketing realm, currently serves as the Director of Digital at SixAxis, a pioneering manufacturer of industrial and commercial safety products from renowned brands like SafeRack, ErectaStep, and Upside. With a career spanning over three decades, Tracy has been at the forefront of digital innovation, ecommerce, and technology strategy. Since January 2015, Tracy has been instrumental in shaping the digital landscape at SixAxis, LLC, based in Andrews, South Carolina. His role involves leading digital strategies and overseeing technological advancements for SixAxis and its diverse portfolio of brands. Oct 31, 2017 Estimated reading time: 3 minutes Precast concrete wheelchair ramps are commonly used because they are quicker to install than cast-in-place concrete ramps. While precast concrete can be a good choice for certain applications, it has drawbacks that could be avoided by using aluminum. A few of the drawbacks of precast concrete ramps are as follows: Site measurements must EXACT. Precast concrete wheelchair ramps are poured into the mold off-site and then transported to the construction site, so the site measurements need to be exact. Taking perfect measurements doesn’t sound difficult, but construction sites often experience obstacles, and door threshold heights can change unexpectedly. That means that if the measurements for the ramp were taken before the door threshold height changed, the measurements would be wrong, and the ramp would no longer fit the application. Installation requires rental equipment. Precast concrete wheelchair ramps have a shorter installation time than cast-in-place ramps, but precast concrete structures weigh about 150 lbs. per cubic foot which means that special equipment is required to move the sections. Concrete is prone to cracks. Concrete’s tensile strength is relatively low compared to other materials, which means it is susceptible to cracks. Common types of cracks are settlement cracks and shrinkage cracks. Settlement cracks occur when the building and the wheelchair ramp drop below their original placement height. Shrinkage cracks develop when the concrete is restrained as it dries and shrinks. If the precast for the ramp constrains it while it’s drying, then it is more likely to crack. The best alternative material to precast concrete is aluminum. Why? Installation flexibility. Aluminum wheelchair ramps are built offsite, which means that height measurements are needed to begin production. However, there is a range of installation flexibility with aluminum; the aluminum platform legs typically have about 4 inches of adjustability in case the threshold height ends up being a little different than the original measurements. No special equipment for installation. Because aluminum is lightweight, a wheelchair ramp can usually be installed by hand within a day; no heavy installation equipment is required to install the product. High corrosion resistance. Aluminum has a high tensile strength which means that it won’t crack. It also will never rust or warp. Concrete, along with every other ramp material, experiences at least one of these types of corrosion. While aluminum may be a little more expensive initially, it will remain intact for longer. As you can see in the photo above, there is a set of precast concrete steps next to an aluminum wheelchair ramp. The steps have cracks and rust from the handrails while the aluminum is still in good condition. It might be worth it to consider aluminum for more permanent ramp applications. Related Articles: How to Measure for a Wheelchair Ramp Ramps 6 Benefits of Modular Aluminum Wheelchair Ramps Read More » February 9, 2024 Ramps Wood vs. Aluminum Ramps Read More » February 5, 2024
