CREJ - Multifamily Properties Quarterly - May 2016
Image you’re beloved television host Bob Baker – you are in your 90s living at home after a long, successful career. One day, you are walking on your premises when you trip and fall. The next thing you remember is being helped up by police officers. This is a true story. In October 2015, Barker tripped over the uneven sidewalk. While most people have probably heard of Bob Barker, many people don’t realize how common this accident is. Falls are one of the leading causes of accidental injuries in the U.S. Approximately 2.5 million nonfatal falls were treated in emergency department in 2013. That means close to one in every 120 Americans are injured per year due to a fall, with 734,500 of them ending in a hospital visit. Most unfortunately, 25,500 of the falls in 2013 were fatal. The most common locations for a fall are in doorways, on ramps, in cluttered hallways/entryways, in areas with heavy traffic, on uneven walking surfaces, in areas prone to wetness or spills, on ladders, and when climbing up and down stairs. Granted, not every trip-and-fall accident happens on sidewalks, but sidewalks are a common culprit for which you – owner of sidewalk – are liable. Maintenance Options Anyone who owns property in Colorado can relate to the ongoing issue sidewalk maintenance can create. Colorado’s winters, topography and love for trees create an ongoing need for sidewalk maintenance. If you are considering buying, selling or maintaining a property, you should know what condition your walkways are in and how they can be maintained. Following are five common sidewalk maintenance methods and the pros and cons for each type. Demolition and replacement. This method tears out the concrete completely or in sections and repours new concrete. This method gives you new sidewalks, which should meet American with Disabilities Act compliance better. It also gives you an opportunity to prune the roots or repair whatever is underneath the sidewalk that caused the damage. The cons for this solution are that it is the most expensive option, is disruptive to daily activities and creates the greatest amount of waste. It also is the slowest of all the processes and requires a closure of walkways while working on it. Ramping or patching. This method uses a self-mixing concrete or asphalt material to construct a “ramp” from the high slab to the low. This is a low-cost option that offers a fast repair and can be done by a handyman. However, a majority of this type of repairs do not meet or stay ADA compliant and can be costly and time-consuming. Constant repairs of the initial repair often are needed. Mud jacking. This process requires a hole to be drilled through the surface of the walkway. Concrete is then pumped under pressure below the slab until the pressure raises the existing concrete slab. This is a good option for extremely large slabs, and a great options for stairwells, internal hallways or floors that are sinking. The cost can vary depending on the “void” under the concrete. However, there are several cons associated with this process. It is difficult to get the joint between the two slabs flush, so it is common to see joint “close to flush,” in which case concrete material is used to ramp the joint. The hole that is drilled is left filled in with the concrete material, and the concrete hole will crack and begin to crumble with time. The process is a very labor-intensive and requires fairly large equipment. Grinding – scarifier – cup wheel. This process uses a machine called a grinder/scarifier to grind or chip away the high concrete. The benefit of this process is that the machine can be rented or purchased and repairs can be done by most handymen. It is a fairly low-cost option. It is best for smaller hazards between one-quarter inch and one inch. The negatives of this option are that it can leave an ugly, unprofessional appearance if done cheaply, and is difficult to make the repair without scarring up the opposing slab. Also, it is difficult to remove the entire trip hazard and meet required slope. It is a slow process for hazards greater the one-half of an inch. Saw cutting. This process uses concrete cutting-blade technology to make a horizontal “flush” cut in order to remove the high concrete trip hazard. This is the only method specifically designed and developed for trip-hazard removal. A hand “precision” cut is based on the height of the trip hazard, not length, and the removal is of the entire trip hazard, all the way to the wall or drop off. It is an inexpensive option and is the fastest process – you can do as much in one day as other processes take a week to complete. It gives a smooth, even surface, still exceeding Occupational Safety and Health Administration co-efficient of friction and leaves a flush joint. There is no contact with the opposing slab and it uses GPS technology for project documentation and area survey. The major cons for this process are that it is a different color and gives the sidewalk an aggregate look. There is noise for a short period of time in one location and it causes a lot of dust.