Sidewalks Inspection Criteria
During a sidewalk inspection, any sections that may pose a tripping hazard are identified as needing replacement or repair, based on certain sidewalk inspection criteria. Very often, uneven sections are caused by the roots of trees growing nearby. Correcting the condition would require chopping that section of the root and resetting the sidewalk. However, take into account the fact that trees adjacent to the sidewalk are usually the property of the local municipality, so prior to altering the roots you will have to obtain permission.
Ten-Year Sidewalk Inspection Cycle
On approximately a 10-year cycle, the Sidewalk Inspections Office of Public Works inspects all city sidewalks. Before the construction season, Sidewalk Inspections selects and inspects neighborhood areas for that year’s sidewalk repair work. Based on certain sidewalk inspection criteria, inspectors examine every section of public sidewalk within that year’s defined neighborhood areas, reporting which sections are identified as needing replacement or repair.
The sidewalk inspector will check for:
- Damage that could pose a tripping hazard
- Damage that could impede wheel-chair users and other disabled pedestrians
- Common defects like breaks, unevenness, and projecting or settled sections
If identified as needing replacement or repair, sections of sidewalk are ordered to be removed and replaced as soon as possible. The property owner is sent a notice outlining the defect, as well as the approximate cost for replacement. If the property owner does not agree with the work as outlined in the notice, he may contact the sidewalk inspection for a re-inspection.
Sidewalk Inspection Criteria
During an inspection, there are certain sidewalk inspection criteria to be follow in order to determine if a sidewalk is deficient and in need of repair or replacement. If a section of sidewalk meets any of the following criteria, it will be market by the sidewalk inspector with a white letter denoting the sidewalk deficiency. The property owner will be responsible for repairing or replacing sidewalk slabs marked with a white letter.
Sections of sidewalk marked with a white “O” will be repaired or replaced on officials expense if the sidewalk inspection determines that a public infrastructure (sewer and water mains, catch basins, sewer manholes etc) or a tree in the right of way has caused the damage.
An “S” marking denotes the vertical misalignment along any part of the seam between two slabs, or between sections of a cracked slab, of ½-inch or more, or deemed hazardous by engineering judgement.
A stub toe “C” indicates slabs fragmented by cracks into four or more sections and/or where any of the gaps is greater than two inches and prohibits the sidewalk from functioning as intended.
A traverse slope – “T” marking means that any individual slab or portion of a slab shall not slope either toward the street or the adjoining property at a ratio of more than ⅝-inch per foot (1:20).
An “L” marking indicates a longitudinal scope – sunken or raised sections. Any sidewalk panels that have lifted to a peak or sunken such that the slab or part of a slab deviates from the average line of the sidewalk surface level at a ratio of more than one inch per foot will be marked “L”.
The “G” marking is applied for gaps, meaning openings in between sidewalk slabs greater than two inches in width, or those caused by the absence of a fragmented section of sidewalk exceeding two inches in width.
A “P” marking identifies spalling (pitted) slabs, i.e. slabs whose surface is granular or if a chunk of the sidewalk surface greater than two inches in width has broken out, resulting in a hole of ½-inch or deeper.
The “O” marking, as mentioned above, denotes public utility damage, i.e. any deficiencies that are deemed to be cause by public infrastructure, as well as any deficiencies in a slab or part of a slab that are deemed to be cause by tree roots from a tree in the city right of way. In this case, the slab replacement may require a change in the sidewalk alignment to avoid cutting tree roots or removing trees.