A civil engineer must design a wheelchair-accessible ramp next to a set of steps leading up to a building. The height from the g
round to the top of the stairs is 2 ft. Based on ADA codes, the slope must be 1:12 or less. Slope is equal to the rise of the ramp divided by the run of the ramp. Using the ADA code, what is the minimum allowable length of the ramp base?
The inclined plane can be used to form a right-angle triangle with the slope of 1/12. Using the equation for slope, we can estimate the lowest possible length of the base of the ramp:
slope = height/ramp base
1/12 = 2/ramp base
Therefore: ramp base = 2*12 = 24 ft.
Thus, the lowest possible length of the base of the ramp is approximately 24 ft.
