Compliance disclaimer: Always verify current requirements with your local jurisdiction. This article reflects 2026-05-07 specifications under ADA Standards 705 and 36 CFR Part 1191.
The single biggest install-method choice on a truncated dome project is whether the panel goes into wet concrete (cast-in-place) or onto cured concrete (surface-applied). The decision drives cost, lifespan, traffic-control window, and what the failure mode looks like five years out. This guide walks through both systems against the same ADA Standards 705 spec they share.
The 60-word direct answer: Cast-in-place truncated dome panels embed in fresh concrete during a new pour and last 15 to 25 years. Surface-applied panels bond to existing cured concrete with structural epoxy and mechanical anchors and last 7 to 12 years. Choose cast-in-place for new construction, surface-applied for retrofits where curb-ramp geometry is already correct.
Quick-Answer Comparison Table
| Spec | Cast-in-Place | Surface-Applied |
|---|---|---|
| Install timing | During new concrete pour | After concrete has cured |
| Bond method | Mechanical key into wet concrete | Structural epoxy plus mechanical anchors |
| Lifespan | 15 to 25 years | 7 to 12 years |
| Failure mode | Panel surface wear | Edge lift, anchor pull-out |
| Installed cost (per sq ft) | $25 to $60 | $40 to $95 |
| Best for | New construction, full ramp rebuild | Retrofit on existing curb cuts |
| ADA 705 compliance | Same dimension and contrast spec | Same dimension and contrast spec |
What Is a Cast-in-Place Truncated Dome?
A cast-in-place panel is set into wet concrete during the pour. Integral keys, tabs, or ribs on the underside lock the panel into the slab as it cures. The result is a panel that is structurally part of the curb ramp and finishes flush with adjacent concrete.
How a Cast-in-Place Install Goes
- Form the curb ramp to the correct slope (5 percent maximum running, 2 percent maximum cross-slope per ADA Standards 405)
- Pour and screed concrete to within roughly 0.2 inches of finished grade
- Press the cast-in-place panel into the wet concrete, aligned with curb edge
- Tamp the panel until top of dome sits flush with finished concrete
- Float adjacent concrete to the panel edge
- Cure 7 to 28 days per concrete spec before opening to traffic
The bond is mechanical and chemical. Wet concrete cures around the panel keys, and the panel becomes monolithic with the slab.
When Cast-in-Place Wins
- New construction (concrete is being poured anyway)
- Full curb-ramp reconstruction (slope or geometry corrections)
- High-traffic transit platforms where panel replacement is impractical
- Long-horizon assets (parking-lot owners holding properties 20-plus years)
What Is a Surface-Applied Truncated Dome?
A surface-applied panel bonds to existing cured concrete. The crew grinds the surface to remove sealers and laitance, applies a structural epoxy bed, presses the panel into the epoxy, and locks it down with stainless mechanical anchors. The panel sits proud of the slab by roughly 0.2 inches, which is the dome height itself.
How a Surface-Applied Install Goes
- Verify ramp slope meets ADA 405 (slope correction is a separate scope)
- Grind the install footprint to remove sealer, paint, or laitance
- Vacuum the footprint clean
- Apply ASTM C881 Type IV structural epoxy per manufacturer rate
- Set the panel and press to full epoxy contact
- Drill anchor holes through panel into concrete; install stainless anchors
- Tool a sealant bead around the panel perimeter
- Open to pedestrians at adhesive cure (typically 4 to 24 hours)
Traffic-control windows for surface-applied work are short, which is part of why retrofits go this route.
When Surface-Applied Wins
- Retrofitting existing curb cuts that lack detectable warnings
- Tenant-improvement schedules where the lot cannot be torn out
- Phased ADA-compliance audits where geometry passes but warnings are missing
- Sites with shallow concrete (less than 4 inches) that cannot key a cast-in-place panel
For step-by-step retrofit instructions, see how to install surface-applied truncated dome.
Lifespan and Failure Modes
The biggest spread between the two systems is at year 7 to 10.
Cast-in-place panels typically wear from the top down. Domes lose their corners and the surface roughens, but the panel stays bonded to the slab. End of useful life is when the panel can no longer pass an LRV recheck under ADA Standards 705.2 or the dome geometry no longer hits 705.1 dimensions.
Surface-applied panels typically fail at the edges. Plowing, freeze-thaw, and pedestrian shoe scrub all attack the perimeter sealant. Once water gets under the panel, the epoxy bond degrades and the panel lifts. End of useful life is usually a corner lift large enough to be a tripping hazard.
In Oregon snow zones (Bend, Hood River, La Grande), surface-applied lifespan trends to the lower end of the 7 to 12 range. In the Willamette Valley, the same product runs at the upper end.
Industry Baseline Range
| Scope | Cost (Oregon I-5 corridor) |
|---|---|
| Cast-in-place panels, supply and install (new pour) | $25 to $60 per square foot |
| Surface-applied panels, supply and install (retrofit) | $40 to $95 per square foot |
| Slope correction prior to surface-applied retrofit | $1,500 to $5,500 per ramp |
| Traffic control on a single curb-cut retrofit | $400 to $1,800 per day |
Current Market Reality
Through 2026, surface-applied retrofit pricing is being held up by structural epoxy material cost (ASTM C881 epoxies have moved with petrochemical pricing) and tightening Portland and Salem traffic-control requirements. Cast-in-place pricing tracks concrete more directly. For per-curb-cut versus per-square-foot math, see truncated dome cost per square foot.
A Real Cojo Install Reference
In February 2026, Cojo retrofitted four curb cuts at a 22,000-square-foot Eugene retail strip where the original 2014 ramps had no detectable warnings. The ramps already passed slope per ADA 405, so the scope was surface-applied panels only. We installed federal yellow composite panels (24 inches by ramp width) using ASTM C881 Type IV epoxy and stainless mechanical anchors. Total install was six working hours including traffic control. Edge sealant gets re-tooled at year three on the lifecycle plan.
That same site, if it had been new construction, would have been a one-day cast-in-place job sequenced into the original concrete pour, at roughly half the per-curb-cut cost. The retrofit premium pays for itself when the alternative is tearing out compliant ramps.
How to Choose: A Decision Framework
Use this in roughly this order:
- Are you pouring new concrete? Cast-in-place wins. Surface-applied is only justified if panel selection is locked to a manufacturer that does not offer cast-in-place.
- Is the ramp geometry already ADA-compliant on slope and width? Surface-applied wins.
- Is the ramp non-compliant on slope, but you cannot reconstruct it? Slope-correct first, then surface-applied. Detectable warnings on a non-compliant ramp do not solve the compliance gap.
- Is the site high-traffic and snow-plowed? Cast-in-place lifespan advantage compounds here.
For the city-level install perspective, see truncated dome installation in Eugene.
Get the Right System Specified
Cojo installs both cast-in-place and surface-applied truncated dome panels across Oregon. Our submittal packages cross-reference ADA Standards 705 and document the install with as-built measurements. Contact Cojo for a site walk and quote, or learn more about our striping services.