Sidewalk cracks are often an accepted reality of city living, however, non-ADA-compliant and broken sidewalks often result in injury for pedestrians, unnavigable sidewalks for people with mobility devices, and lawsuits against the city.

It’s not unusual to find missing pavement, crumbling curbs, and weeds sprouting between cracks. However, for people who use wheelchairs, broken sidewalks can be impossible to navigate, forcing them to stay at home or use the road to get around. So a simple crack in a sidewalk is not so simple and potentially dangerous.

How detectable warning tiles are installed is crucial to the longevity of the project. There are two types of installations that you need to know about: wet-set and thin-set. Both the wet-set and thin-set installation methods can be used on new construction as well as upgrading pre-existing ramps. Each type of installation can provide longevity and durability when installed correctly.
 

Cities and businesses are scrutinizing pedestrian walkways to determine how to best increase the ADA compliance of public spaces. ADA compliant sidewalks make businesses and public areas more accessible to individuals with disabilities. A key component of an ADA compliant sidewalk is the truncated dome tiles that warn pedestrians of a change in the sidewalk, whether an intersection or a ramp.

These truncated dome tiles have two common ways of being installed: cast-in-place or surface-applied.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets a number of standards to govern curb ramps and to determine wheelchair accessibility. Curbs create an increased likelihood of injury or accidents for people who use a wheelchair or walker. For a person with a disability, curbs without a ramp could become unusable and be considered discriminatory.