Sidewalks, curb ramps, loading platforms, drive approaches and building entrances look like the simple part of an industrial project until a final inspection reveals a cross-slope that is a half percent too steep. Site concrete is where accessibility rules meet drainage, and in a basin where storm runoff arrives hard and fast, both have to be right at once. We build the flatwork that gets a plant through inspection and keeps employees and visitors moving safely.
The work covers curbs and gutters, accessible routes from public sidewalks and parking to the building, curb ramps and detectable warnings, ramps and landings at dock offices, concrete aprons, bollard foundations and trench drains. Accessibility compliance is a matter of measured slopes, clear widths, landings and surface conditions, so we set forms to survey grades and verify them with a digital level before every pour.
Industrial and campus owners around Albuquerque often have public-facing portions as well as plant areas. A research campus such as the 340-acre Sandia Science & Technology Park, which lists 47 companies and organizations, has visitors, couriers, and staff moving between buildings every day, and the concrete has to serve all of them.
Most ADA failures are decided before the concrete arrives. We stake accessible routes with finished elevations, check running slope and cross-slope with a digital level on the forms, and have the superintendent sign off on each ramp and landing before the truck is called. A ramp that is 8.33 percent on paper can end up steeper after a pour if the subgrade settles, so we compact and proof the base before setting forms.
Finishing is its own discipline. A light broom finish gives traction without leaving a surface that traps water, joints are located so panels do not crack across a ramp, and detectable warning surfaces are set in the wet concrete rather than glued later. In our experience, doing it right once is far cheaper than cutting out and replacing a ramp after inspection.
The state commercial building code adopts the 2021 International Building Code as amended, in effect since July 14, 2023, and that code, together with the referenced accessibility standard, drives the accessible route requirements for new construction and alterations. Public right-of-way work, such as curb ramps at a driveway or sidewalk, is separately reviewed by the local jurisdiction, and its standards may differ in details such as ramp layout and detectable warnings.
The state also adopted the 2021 energy conservation code, effective January 30, 2024, which does not govern flatwork directly but matters for entry vestibule and slab edge details. We coordinate with the design team so thresholds, door clearances and slab edges agree across disciplines before concrete is poured.
Typical scope includes concrete sidewalks and plazas, curb and gutter, drive approaches and heavy-duty drive aprons, loading ramps, accessible parking stall pads, bollard bases, stair and rail foundations, and trench drains at door thresholds. We also pour equipment pads and slab extensions adjacent to buildings, and coordinate them with the equipment pads and foundations package.
Reinforcement and thickness match the loads. A sidewalk takes light reinforcement. A truck apron takes a thicker slab with dowelled joints and rebar. We place control joints to the pattern that keeps cracks away from ramps and curb returns. The same trade partners that do the building slab can also pour the site concrete, so the mix, finishing and curing practice stay consistent across the site.
Concrete work near operating plants brings hazards: moving trucks, forklifts and pedestrians crossing the work zone. We use barricades, flaggers and marked walking detours, and we schedule pours on weekends or off-shifts when needed. Open forms and excavations near a sidewalk are protected with temporary rails and covered at night.
At controlled-access locations, such as work on or near Kirtland Air Force Base, we plan for badging, escorts and inspection of delivery vehicles. The base covers 51,558 acres in the southeast quadrant of Albuquerque and employs over 23,000 people, and anyone building adjacent to it has to understand how access affects scheduling.
Site concrete rarely stands alone. It ties into stabilized parking lots at the stall and curb line, into fencing and gate foundations, and into the building slab at entrances. We coordinate the grades across packages so water leaves the building and ramps meet the lot without a lip.
For owners building an office building or a plant with a visitor entrance, the ADA route is the first thing a reviewer checks, so we treat it as a design constraint from the start. Our work for advanced manufacturing clients often includes campus walkways between buildings.
Concrete flatwork in this climate has two seasons to respect. In summer, afternoon heat and wind dry the surface faster than the crew can finish it, so we pour early, use evaporation retarders and cure immediately with a membrane or wet cover. In winter, nights at this elevation fall below freezing, and fresh concrete needs blankets or heat until it gains strength. A monsoon downpour on a fresh slab is a third risk, so we watch the forecast and keep covers staged.
We sequence flatwork behind the building shell and the underground utilities, and ahead of final paving, so that heavy equipment does not damage new curbs. Ramps and entrances are scheduled early enough that the inspector can review them before the building is turned over. Where an occupied plant has to keep a walkway open, we pour half-width strips and move the detour. A realistic schedule for a mid-size site, from forms to final cure, is usually measured in a few weeks.
Flatwork cost follows quantity, reinforcement, finish and access. Accessible features add forming time and tolerance requirements, and detectable warnings, rails and special finishes add to unit costs. Heavy aprons use more concrete and steel per square foot than sidewalks. Small, scattered pours cost more per yard than one continuous placement, because trucks, pumps and crews have minimum charges.
We price flatwork with the heavier industrial concrete floors where the same trade partners and mixes apply, which often brings the unit price down. We also flag items that are easy to forget, such as bollard footings, trench drains and thickened edges at overhead doors, so the budget reflects the complete scope.
Send us the site plan and the accessible route, and we will confirm slopes, landings and details before the first form is set.
Both. We check slopes with a digital level at forms and again after finishing, and the inspector verifies the finished work. Catching a problem at the forms costs a few hours; catching it at final costs a demolition and a repour.
The failing section has to be removed and replaced, because concrete cannot be reliably ground into slope. That is why we verify before the pour and keep a tight tolerance on landings.
Yes, within the permits issued by the local jurisdiction. Public ramps follow the local standard details, which can differ from on-site ramps, so we confirm which details apply before ordering materials.
Light foot traffic is usually possible within a day or two, and vehicle loads after the concrete reaches design strength, commonly around a week for standard mixes. We can use high-early mixes when a loading area has to reopen quickly.
Tell us about the property, the building and the schedule.
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