Laboratory and Field Floor Slip Resistance (Coefficient of Friction) Testing      

Our floor slip resistance testing equipment and expertise is unmatched in the Americas. Sotter Engineering Corporation provides specialized floor friction/slip resistance/coefficient of friction and Sustainable Slip Resistance testing services and instruments, both for the laboratory and in the field. We have slip resistance testing clients from Florida to New York to Hawaii to Canada, and are based in the Los Angeles area. To have your floor slip resistance tested at your location, the charge is based on time and expenses - contact George at (949)582-0889 for a quote. (See below for lab coefficient of friction testing services.) We do the ASTM E303 road skid resistance test as well. We offer not only a one-time field slip resistance test, but the option of periodic slip resistance monitoring (quarterly, annually, etc.) of the coefficient of friction of your floors, which includes testing dry only for areas that stay dry in use; and dry and wet for areas that get wet in use.

Our slip-resistance test monitoring and floor maintenance recommendations based on slip-resistance test data from your floors can drastically reduce your expenditures for slip-and-fall claims in areas with heavy foot traffic. Periodic slip resistance monitoring of your floor's slip-resistance has many potentially multi-million dollar cost-saving benefits for building owners and safety mangers. We are certified by the City of Los Angeles (one of the few government agencies in the USA that has an approval process) for testing slip resistance of flooring, and reports come stamped by a registered professional engineer. (We can also help you if you'd like to buy your own slip resistance tester.) Watch our video on Slip Resistance Testing at the bottom of this page if you're not sure which slip test is best for you, or read on below.

We can run a slip resistance test using the following methods:

Dynamic Coefficient of Friction (DCOF):

Laboratory slip-resistance tests for floor dynamic coefficient of friction are $190 for BOT-3000 skid tests and $230 for British pendulum, C1028, and Tortus slip resistance tests, which includes a report signed and stamped by a California-licensed Professional Engineer. Field slip test prices are based on time and travel expenses for our technician. Please contact George Sotter for a quote. We can run slip resistance tests using these four test methods and instruments, all of which measure dynamic coefficient of friction:

• BOT-3000 Binary Output Tribometer with Neolite, SBR, Four S, TRL, leather or hosiery sliders. Can measure COF up to 1.00. We can test using the ANSI/NFSI B101.3 (dynamic coefficient of friction) and ANSI B101.1 (static coefficient of friction) methods with the BOT-3000, as well as the new ANSI A137.1 dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) AcuTest^SM that is now part of the current International Building Code for $190 per sample.

• British Pendulum (adapted for floors from ASTM Method E 303) with Four-S and/or TRRL rubber slider; and EN 13036-4 with CEN rubber slider. The pendulum is used for our highly recommended Sustainable Slip Resistance test, which is $290. We can also run an ASTM E-303 test for road slip resistance with the British Pendulum.
  

• Tortus with Four-S (hard) and/or TRRL (soft) rubber slider

• SlipAlert floor slipperiness indicator

Peak-to-valley surface roughness:

• Taylor-Hobson Surtronic 10 profilometer

Static Coefficient of Friction (SCOF):

• Horizontal dynamometer pull-meter (ASTM Method C1028-07): Laboratory floor slip-resistance tests for SCOF are $230, which includes a written report signed and stamped by a California-licensed Professional Engineer.  We conduct this test but do not offer the apparatus for sale. ASTM, Ceramic Tile Institute of America, Tile Council of North America, University of California Medical Center and Safety Direct America do NOT recommend this method (or any static coefficient of friction test) as a primary means of assessing floor slip resistance. [ASTM standards rules allow only test devices that do not involve patented or proprietary technology. For this reason the best test methods for floor friction, except for the pendulum, are not and can not be specified by ASTM standards.] Field slip resistance test prices are based on time and travel expenses for our technician. Contact George Sotter for a quote.
• The 2012 edition of the International Building Code specifies that ceramic tile shall conform to ANSI A137.1, which in turn refers to ASTM C 1028. However, no safety criterion (e.g. 0.60) is specified; ANSI says that’s up to the purchaser. To protect the purchaser, we recommend a pendulum or ANSI/NFSI B101.3 (BOT-3000E) dynamic coefficient of friction slip resistance test.

Normally three pieces of flooring are considered one sample. This allows for variation between pieces. Laboratory slip resistance tests usually have a turnaround time of 1-3 business days.

We presently do floor slip resistance testing both on-site and/or in our laboratory for two major cruise ship companies, Outrigger Reef on the Beach in Waikiki, Exeter Hospital in New Hampshire, the Ceramic Tile Institute of America, attorneys representing both plaintiffs and defendants, the Cities of New York and Los Angeles, Cartier, The Montage Resort and Spa, Crowne Plaza Hotels, Intel, and many other major international companies all over the USA.

Ceramic Tile Institute of America endorses the Tortus and the Pendulum. In a study of nine types of tribometers at the University of Southern California Medical Center in which slip-and-fall experts from around the world participated, the Tortus received the highest rating; click here for details on the slip-tester test.  SlipAlert has had very favorable reviews from British and Australian government safety research agencies. The static coefficient of friction method ASTM C1028 is principally used for manufacturing quality control purposes rather than assessing slip resistance, but is sometimes specified as an indicator of slip resistance. We recommend using the Tortus or pendulum slip resistance test instead, as these are more reliable and are recommended for slip resistance testing by Ceramic Tile Institute of America. We also recommend the BOT-3000E as it has an ANSI/NFSI test method (B101.3 dynamic coefficient of friction test) and safety standards for wet slip resistance testing.

Horizontal dynamometer pull-meter (ASTM Method C 1028-07):	Click on the photo below to see a video of the TORTUS in action (80 seconds):
Click on the photo below to see video of the PENDULUM in action (80 sec.):	Click on the photo below to see video of SLIPALERT in action (50 sec.):

BOT-3000E Binary Output Tribometer can measure both static and dynamic coefficient of friction,
and with "smart" sensors is the latest in floor slip resistance technology (click on the photo
below for a 2 minute VIDEO demonstration)

Slip Resistance Test Methods Video

Send your flooring samples for slip resistance testing and your information (including what test you'd like, your name and company name, name of the test sample, and a check or money order) to:
George Sotter
26705 Loma Verde
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
Phone: 1(949)582-0889