A ramp is a structure that links two spaces that are at different heights.
A ramp is an element of architecture or engineering that allows two places that are at different heights to be linked. What the ramp offers is a descending or ascending path to move from one space to another through its surface.
For example: "Be careful, the ramp has a very large inclination and you can fall" , "The ramp to get on the bus is broken" , "They should build a ramp at the entrance to this building" .
The ramp, in short, is an inclined plane that is used to ascend or descend it. Thanks to their arrangement, ramps can contribute to the movement of a load with less effort.
Ramps in supermarkets and shopping centers
In supermarkets and shopping centers, for example, the presence of ramps is common to make transit easier with carts full of products.
On the other hand, there are certain mechanical ramps that consist of tapes with steel surfaces specially designed so that the wheels cling to them and do not slide, which represent an excellent way of not depriving those who carry carts of taking advantage of the comforts of the stairs. mechanical.
Greater accessibility
Ramps, on the other hand, give greater accessibility to a building. Suppose that, to enter a museum, the only way to access the door is to climb a staircase with fifty steps. This particularity would mean that people with reduced mobility (the elderly, individuals who move in a wheelchair, etc.) would not be able to enter the museum.
If there was a ramp in said building , however, the entrance would be more accessible. Those who use a wheelchair could go up and down the ramp without great difficulty.
In many cities, local governments have not yet become aware of how difficult it can be for a disabled person to navigate the streets, use public transportation, and visit certain buildings such as banks and supermarkets without the presence of ramps. We must not forget that not everyone has someone to accompany them and assist them when it comes to overcoming a staircase or an excessively high step; Just as those who can use both legs have the right to walk the streets freely, the same should happen for the rest.
For some decades now, means of transport have usually included ramps that are activated to allow these people to get on and off , although not everything works as it should: between the defects that are not solved immediately and the measurement errors that They lead to ramps being made that are too far from the sidewalk, in many cases the effort ends up seeming in vain, since they do not facilitate the mobility of those who must travel in a wheelchair.
Ramps are important in skateboarding.
Sports ramps
Sports ramps are those used to perform maneuvers in certain disciplines, such as snowboarding or skateboarding . Shaped like a U (what is known as a half-pipe), the competitor slides from the top of the ramp and gains speed with the fall, performing jumps and pirouettes.
Athletes must take advantage of certain basic concepts of physics so that the presence of the ramp gives them benefits that are impossible to achieve in any other way. The main one is linear momentum , also known as momentum, momentum or impetus, which can be understood in different ways, according to the mechanical theory in question; According to classical theory, for example, it is the speed of a body and its mass at any point in time.
In sports that use U-shaped ramps, each journey from one end to the other generates an increase in speed, and taking advantage of the momentum is the key to achieving more height , although it is also necessary to avoid excess speed that ends up causing the loss of control .