How do you measure non-slip tiles?

There are four commonly used tests in the industry: the Coefficient of Friction (CoF), Floor Surface Roughness (Rz), the R rating and the ABC rating.

1. The Coefficient of Friction (CoF)
The Floor Slip Test Coefficient of Friction is determined using a Pendulum Test on horizontal floor surfaces A minimum CoF of 0.36 (36) is required.

2. Floor Surface Roughness (Rz) indicates the apparent slip resistance. The Surface Roughness Testing is conducted using a portable floor tester giving an average floor test surface roughness reading. Surface Roughness Testing is NOT a true floor slip reading, it is only an indication of floor friction. Two different floor surfaces having the same Floor Roughness Testing readings can have different a different Coefficient of Resistance and floor slipperiness. This is particularly noticeable where wet floors are involved as 90% of floor slips occur on smooth wet flooring such as marble floors.

3. The R Rating (Ramp Test Rating)
This is the most commonly used measure with tiled floors.  The test is conducted on a ramp set at varying inclined angles. (Performed to DIN* 51130) The steeper the ramp can be raised without heel slip the higher the R Rating. Ramp Test results range from R9, least floor slip resistance, to R13, most slip resistance. Ramp tests are used to test dry, wet and contaminated flooring surfaces by a person wearing deeply treaded safety footwear. R11 is considered the minimum in commercial high-risk areas such as shopping center entrances. R11 equates to a CoF of between 34 and 51, R12 between 51 and 70.

4. The ABC Rating (Ramp Test ‘Bare Feet’ Rating)
Another Ramp Test (Performed to DIN* 51097) but using a persons bare feet to represent, for example, a pedestrian walking on a slippery swimming pool floor. The ratings are A, B and C where C is the steepest.              

*DIN is 'Deutsches Institut für Normung', the German Institute of Standardisation. It is a standard by which floor designers and architects specify in many EU countries to conform with building regulations and to apply early prevention of floor slip accident injury claims.

Next week I'll go into a little more detail on how to evaluate and compare these ratings.

Enquire about our tiles with R11+ ratings.