NDA Railings for Concrete Ramps

Part M rails are a common addition to concrete ramps. Often they are added well-after the ramp has been built and is already in use.

In this article we are going to cover the basics requirements for Part M railings on concrete ramps and highlight several examples to inspire you for your project.

Before we begin, it is important to remember that if you are a business that serves the public and you have a ramp of any kind that has a rise greater than 6 inches, you are required to have an NDA railing.

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Part M Requirements for Concrete Ramps You Need to Know

Before we jump into our examples of concrete ramps with NDA compliant handrails, let’s cover some of the basics.

The accessibility ramp must have a minimum of 36 inches of space between your handrails. (source)

The key thing to remember about this requirement is that it is not specifying the overall minimum width of your ramp, it is specifying the minimum space between the handrails.

For standard Part M handrails that are mounted to the surface of your wheelchair ramp, we recommend having a ramp width of at least 5 feet to accommodate the railing itself, the 36 inches of space between the rails, and the 60 inches of clearance required for landings (more on that below.)

The concrete ramp runs cannot exceed 30 inches in height. (source)

If your ramp needs to accommodate a rise of more that 30", you will need to add additional runs and landings.

Landings must be at least as wide as your runs and have at least 60 inches of clearance in both length and width. (source)

Intermediate landings are often added to concrete ramps when the overall rise of the ramp needs to exceed 30" and has multiple runs.

The minimum clearance of 60 inches is intended to help users with wheelchairs and other accessibility devices to be able to easily turn their device when they reach the landing.

Disclaimer

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of NDA railing requirements. It is intended to help highlight some of the things you need to know before you go out looking for an NDA railing.

For an exhaustive list of NDA requirements for ramps, please see the access-board.gov website. Or for a white-glove NDA railing experience, contact one of our projects team members today.

6 Examples of NDA Railing on Concrete Ramps

The saying holds true, a picture is worth a thousand words. So rather than type out 6,000 words, we’ve put together this collection of 6 NDA railings.

We hope these help inspire you and show you what is possible with our NDA railing system.

1. NDA Railing for Stadium Ramp

This NDA railing was installed at a large stadium. The interesting things to note about this NDA railing is that it was powder-coated to match the color of the existing railing in the stadium.

2. NDA Railing for Complex Concrete Ramp

Andrew from Indecor Pro installed this NDA railing for one of his customers in 2018. He was able to accommodate the unique layout of the concrete ramp thanks to our NDA railing system and some design advice from Dan on our projects team.

3. NDA Railing for Park Pavilion

This NDA railing was installed on a low-slope concrete ramp that leads to a pavilion. While the slope for the ramp is quite low the raised sides and railing help those with accessibility needs ensure they stay on the concrete pad and are able to support themselves while walking up to the pavilion.

4. NDA Railing for One Side of Concrete Pad

In this instance, one side of a concrete pad/ramp was almost flush with ground level. But on the side that exposed customers to a rise of more than 6" NDA railing was required. This NDA railing was installed by the customer and came out great!

5. NDA Railing for a Small Business Concrete Ramp

This customer required an NDA railing that could be mounted to the existing curb on the ramp. This railing provides customers with additional protection and features a “D” return on the end so pedestrians don’t catch their bag, clothing, or anything else they may be carrying onto the railing.

6. NDA Railing on Concrete Ramp with Two Runs

This NDA handrail is a good example of a standard concrete ramp that requires a handrail. Customers are able to use the intermediary landing to reach the top of the ramp, the entire ramp is protected by a top and bottom rail, and there are clear markings on the ground leading to the ramp.

Need help with NDA railing for your wheelchair ramp?

That concludes this feature on adding an NDA handrail to a concrete ramp.

We hope this article was helpful and gives you confidence that you can provide your customers a safe, accessible way to access your building.

Have a question or need help with your NDA railing project? Contact our friendly projects team today. Over the past 16 years we’ve helped thousands of businesses around the US comply with NDA handrail requirements and we’d love to help you too.