System and method for automated design of accessible ramps

A computer-implemented method for creating a ramp design subject to design standards, comprising:

• accessing a ramp data structure stored in a computer readable memory, the ramp data structure comprising a plurality of reference points corresponding generally to a ramp shape, the plurality of reference points including at least vertical information of said ramp shape;
• accessing a ramp environment data structure stored in a computer readable memory, the ramp environment data structure comprising reference information for a ramp installation environment, the reference information including at least vertical reference information;
• displaying a graphical user interface on a computer-controlled display employing the plurality of reference points from the ramp data structure and the reference information from the ramp environment data structure;
• receiving a user selection from the graphical user interface of anchor reference information to locate and align the plurality of reference points of the ramp data structure with the reference information from the ramp environment data structure;
• automatically combining reference points in real time from the ramp data structure with reference information from the ramp environment data structure, employing a computer, to populate a new 3D ramp design data structure stored in a computer readable memory, the new 3D ramp design data structure comprising a plurality of combined reference points corresponding to a new ramp shape including at least the user selected anchor reference information as a subset of the new reference points, a point-to-point distance array, and a plurality of calculated new ramp parameters calculated using one or more of the point-to-point distance array and the plurality of new reference points;
• accessing a reference standard data structure stored in a computer readable memory, the reference standard data structure comprising reference parameters for ramp design;
• automatically comparing in real time the reference parameters from the reference standard data structure with at least the corresponding calculated new ramp parameters from the new 3D ramp design data structure employing a computer;
• and
• employing the plurality of new reference points and plurality of calculated ramp parameters from the new 3D ramp design data structure to display in real time a corresponding new ramp design on a computer-controlled display along with visual indications of compliance or noncompliance of the plurality of calculated new ramp parameters from the new 3D ramp design data structure with the corresponding reference parameters from the reference standard data structure.