Project report from the University of Wuppertal

Slip Resistance of Ground Concrete Products for Outdoor Areas

Fig. 1 Protective concept “trigger threshold and limit value of the coefficient of friction during walking.” [Sebald, J.; 2007].

Fig. 2 Coefficients of friction of various test methods; lubricants oil, water and foliage.

Fig. 3 Concrete surfaces of evaluation group R10.

 Ground concrete products, e.g. flags, are the popular choice for the design of prestigious hard-paved areas for public and private construction projects. Grinding of the upper side of the products exposes the double-broken and double-screened chippings used in most of these products are exposed to the best advantage and give the concrete products their very special characteristic appearance. In modern design of traffic areas and outdoor areas, ground concrete products play a significant role. The application of these products in outdoor traffic areas, however, is frequently also accompanied by the question of sufficient slip resistance.

BetonMarketing Deutschland GmbH, in collaboration with the Concrete Association Road, Landscaping, Garden – Betonverband Straße, Landschaft, Garten e.V. – and the German Federal Committee for Cast Stone, Precast Products, Terrazzo and Natural Stone (BFTN) in the Central Association of the German Building Trades (ZDB), commissioned the University of Wuppertal to investigate the suitability of concrete products with ground surface for outdoor traffic areas, using state-of-the-art test methods. The publication on this investigation is a summary of the project report “Investigation of the slip...