SEDL / STP / STP1103-EB / STP15502S

Improved Tribometry on Walking Surfaces

English, W
Risk management consultant, William English Ltd., Oakton, VA

Pages: 9    Published: Jan 1990

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Abstract

In an effort to bring practical tribometry closer to a standard floor traction tester, improvements to the Horizontal Pull Slipmeter (HPS) designed to overcome major objections to its adoption as a standard testing device are discussed. There is a need for a standard test method for evaluating slipperiness of walking surfaces that are wet or contaminated with other lubricants in a wide variety of environments. Portability and utility on actual walkway surfaces under a wide range of environmental conditions are as important as precision and consistence in practical tribometric devices. The validity and practical limitations in the use of traditional coefficient of friction testing appliances are discussed in comparison with the improved HPS.