Citation

Li KW, Chang WR, Wei JC, Kou CH. Safety Sci. 2006; 44(5): 375-386.

Affiliation

Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Center for Safety Research, Hopkinton, MA, USA; Department of Civil Engineering, Chung-Hua University, Hsin-Chu 300, Taiwan, ROC (kaiway.li@libertymutual.com)

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ssci.2005.11.003

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

It is a common belief that a person is more likely to slip when walking on an inclined surface than when walking on a level surface. Reports of friction measurements were common on horizontal surfaces but were rare on inclined surfaces. A slip measurement device reports different readings on the same surface with different inclined angles if the effect of gravity comes into play. In this study, friction measurements were conducted on the same surface with 0[deg], 10[deg] and 20[deg] inclined angles under different footwear materials, floors, and surface conditions, using a Brungraber Mark II slipmeter. Statistically significant results were obtained for the measurement results under the inclined angle, footwear material, floor, and surface conditions. A regression model was established to describe the coefficients of friction on ramp floors under footwear material/floor/surface conditions. This model is significant at p R2 of 0.87. The cosine function of ramp angle, as suggested in the regression model, was recommended to be used as a correcting factor for friction measurement results using the Brungraber Mark II on ramps to report the corrected friction coefficient of the surfaces.