Your Total ADA Curb Ramp Compliance Solution

A curb cut is a short ramp cutting through a curb or built up to it. If built to be accessible, they provide a route that people with disabilities can easily use to safely transition from a roadway to a curbed sidewalk and vice versa.

A curb cut inspection is an assessment of a curb to determine its compliance with various standards.

Current inspection methods are conducted by an ADA certified inspector using a digital level and measuring tape. Photo proof to document the correctness of measurement is also required by most states.

Current evaluation methods are inadequate due to inferior tools, non-precise measurements, poor record keeping, human errors and omissions, lack of traceability, and inconsistent measurement and rounding methods in the field.

ADAM (Advanced Data Acquisition & Measurement) is a total solution to inspecting curb ramp compliance with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards. Using a combination of inclinometers, computer vision techniques, and photogrammetry, ADAM offers consistently accurate readings of curb ramps within 0.1” - completely traceable by NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology).

Current methods are inaccurate, inadequate, and temperamental, providing inconsistent results. ADAM makes curb ramp assessment an effortless experience, offering traceability to NIST, accurate measurement within 0.1”, objective and consistent measurements, and a virtual 3D model of the survey site, all in under ten minutes. This Infrastructure Model can be saved and used later for forensic evaluation and scrutiny should the need arise; or it can be imported into a design engineering software for subsequent evaluation. The design engineer can then examine the existing barriers and impediments and re-design the curb cut based on the model provided by ADAM.

ADAM uses a combination of an accurate inclinometer, a reference device, and computer vision techniques called Structure from Motion (SfM) and photogrammetry to enable accurate and repeatable measurements. Photogrammetry is the art, science, and technology of obtaining reliable information about physical objects and the environment through processes of recording, measuring, and interpreting photographic images and patterns of recorded radiant electromagnetic energy and other phenomena. SfM is the process of estimating the 3D structure from a scene using a set of 2D images.

ADAM offers two solutions. The first is the Rieker Report, which is a standard compliance report customized to meet the specific requirements for every state. The second is the Infrastructure Model, which uses the ARP (Automated Reference Plane) to generate a virtual model of the inspection site and its surroundings.

The Rieker Report is a standard compliance report customized to meet the specific requirements for every state. This includes any data an inspector or engineer might need to determine if a curb cut meets ADA standards or requires redesign.

The Infrastructure Model is a virtual model of the inspection site and its surroundings that ADAM is able to generate using the ARP. This Infrastructure Model enables engineers to re-design curb cuts without ever having to leave their desk, while simultaneously providing inspectors with the opportunity to cross-reference compliance reports with a model of the site itself, aiding in the re-inspection and determination of a curb cuts compliance.

The Infrastructure Model provides a cover page containing basic information specific to the inspection site as well as PK nail position information for reference in a PDF or CSV file, a textured mesh file that allows design engineers to visit and assess the site virtually, a LandXML format of the file (under 10Mb), a full resolution point cloud in LAS file format, and copies of the 2D images the monopod captures at the inspection site.

If for any reason measurements must be adjusted or additional measurements are needed, the Infrastructure Model enables an engineer or inspector to pull custom measurements from within the virtual model; meaning no need to revisit the site! All data can be collected using the Infrastructure Model generated during the initial survey.

ADAM provides an automatic upload of all inspection data once synced to an internet connection. Once connected, all information will be available on our portal to access and manage. All information on the Rieker ADAM Portal will be exportable and the property of the procuring entity. Data will be housed in the portal until the job is complete. Once inspection is complete, it is the responsibility of the procuring entity to download all relevant data before it is erased from the portal.

ADAM provides automatic upload of all inspection data once connected to the internet. Once connected, all information will be available on our portal to access and manage. Users on our Web Portal can geo locate a site and access an automated report. Data will be housed in the portal until the job is complete. Once inspection is complete, it is the responsibility of the procuring entity to download all relevant data before it is erased from the portal.

All data that is collected is the property of the procuring entity.

The Rieker Report is customized to meet the standards for every state. If additional measurements and standards are required the Infrastructure Model enables engineers and inspectors to pull any and all custom measurements from within the virtual model of the site itself.

The report generated by ADAM can be used by Rieker customers as proof of ADA compliance as well as a tool for redesigning non-compliant infrastructure. The report also provides traceability to NIST. Proper data acquisition and logging of measurements for ADA compliance helps protect municipalities, DOT’s, contractors, developers, and most importantly the ADA community itself. With traceability comes accountability.

Everyone! Proper inspection of curb cuts for ADA compliance ensures accessibility for those with disabilities, while limiting liability for municipalities, DOT’s, and developers to name a few. ADAM makes proper curb assessment simple and efficient, providing a fast and easy way to guarantee ADA compliance every time.

Absolutely, Oregon and California are two excellent examples in recent news. In 2016 the Oregon Department of Transportation found that 97% of the 26,000 curb ramps they inspected did not comply with ADA standards. As part of the settlement with Disability Rights Oregon, the DOT agreed to invest $23 million into curb ramp upgrades in 2017-2018 and upgrade all inadequate ramps by 2032. In 2015 Los Angeles agreed to spend $1.4 billion over the next 30 fiscal years bringing their infrastructure up to ADA standards. These are just two of many examples. Non-conforming curb cuts are a pressing legal liability with tremendous financial consequences, but ADAM is offering a total solution – limiting costs, liability, and time in the field.

The American Disabilities Act is the nation’s first “equal opportunity” law addressing the needs of people with disabilities. It is heavily structured after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Absolutely, ADAM was created to provide a method of curb surveillance fully traceable to NIST. By taking human error out of the equation and providing proof of exact measurements upon inspection through a 3D CAD report, ADAM’s assessments are indisputable.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology provides a set of standards for recommended security controls for information systems at federal agencies. These standards are endorsed by the government and companies comply with NIST standards because they encompass security best practices across a range of industries.

ADAM was created in an effort to promote national ADA compliance. Engineering firms, contractors, government departments such as DOTs, municipalities, and developers among others will find that ADAM is an efficient, accurate, and reliable, solution to curb assessment while simultaneously limiting liability.

ADAM is a service performed by engineering consultant firms that represent Rieker across the country. Rieker can address any questions or concerns regarding on site curb inspection, software, or the ADAM Portal. Please contact us at inquiry@riekerinc.com or fill out the contact form here.

The Rieker marketing toolbox for ADAM consists of webinars, training and demo videos, as well as the Rieker Resource Library which is dedicated to white papers, reports, case studies, and more. In order to provide a comprehensive solution to curb cut assessment Rieker set out to create a space where every question can be answered. Check out the Rieker Resource Library here!

ADAM can perform a curb cut inspection in under ten minutes. With two minutes of setup time, five minutes to survey the curb, and another two minutes to pack up, curb surveillance has never been easier.

Nowhere! ADAM is the first of its kind – a revolution in infrastructure and standards surveillance and safety assurance.

The possibilities with ADAM are endless. Rieker is constantly researching new applications and looking for ways in which it can help create a safer, more reliable world. If you have a suggested application and believe Rieker’s technology can help you accomplish your goal send us an email at inquiry@riekerinc.com  or fill out the contact form here.