Truncated Tiles Wayfinding
By Bruce Woolner

Surface applied truncated dome tiles, also used as a wayfinding device, are one solution to retrofitting existing curb ramps with a detectable warning surface. A curb ramp must contain a detectable warning surface if the adjoining road or intersection is having any work done to it. A surface applied system is usually the best solution if the ramp is otherwise compliant. The surface applied system is less costly and time consuming than tearing out the ramp in order to utilize a paver or embedded type of detectable warning system.

Some research should be conducted when choosing surface applied truncated tiles or a wayfinding system because there are several available which will require replacement in a very short period of time. Therefore a product chosen because of cost will soon lose that advantage. These products typically include rubber mats and thermoplastic applied products. These products are glued down to the concrete and often have trouble remaining stuck down because these materials are a challenge for adhesives. Aside from this, because the materials are flexible, when a corner becomes unstuck, then they tend to peel back until large sections tear off.

Armor-Tile is a rigid polymer composite material which cannot peel back and whose adhesive system has been proven effective with millions of square feet installed as many as fifteen years ago in every climatic environment.

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