Floor Surface Coefficient Friction

In the application of floor safety it is the coefficient of static friction that we are concerned about because even while walking a shoe is or should be motionless relative to the floor surface.

Floor surface coefficient friction.

A common method to measure the coefficient of friction on a floor involves a leather shoe heel which has a 50lb weight placed on it before being put flat onto the floor it is being tested on. F f frictional force n lb. Since this is a coefficient two numbers are involved. Floor slip resistance testing is the science of measuring the coefficient of friction or resistance to slip accidents of flooring surfaces either in a laboratory before or after installation or on floors in situ.

The frictional force can be expressed as. The higher the value of the coefficient of friction the less is the possibility of slipping. Coefficient of friction cof is a mathematical term used to describe the effect of dragging one substance shoe sole material over another flooring surface. μ static μ s or kinetic μ k frictional coefficient.

The other number represents the pressure exerted between the two surfaces. F f μ n 1. The slip resistance of ceramic tile in ordinary. For conventional shoes a concrete floor surface will yield a coefficient that is high enough about 0 55 to 70 to preclude the reasonable probability of slipping.

Measuring coefficient of friction. Slip resistance testing or floor friction testing is usually desired by the building s owner or manager when there has been a report of a slip and fall accident when there has. Reflecting its use on other hard surface flooring and incorporating parameters for test sample size and testing in as is conditions or under cleaned conditions ansi a326 3 test method for dynamic coefficient of friction of hard surface flooring materials was developed by a broad consensus of hard surface flooring stakeholders using the core. One number represents the force needed to move one surface such as a shoe horizontally over another surface such as tile flooring.

This coefficient is a measurement of the relative ability of various surfaces to resist the sliding or slipping of the selected material. Astm c1028 coefficient of friction coefficient of friction test cof floor slip resistance standards osha osha slip test scof skid test. The smaller the value the greater the danger. The friction force is the force exerted by a surface when an object moves across it or makes an effort to move across it.

Slip and falls occur when the coefficient of static friction is low enough to allow the friction force between the shoe and the floor to be. N normal force between the surfaces n lb there are at least two types of friction forces.