Covering Installation Guide / Defects and malfunctions in wall and floor tilings / Surface defects / Unsafeness in walking
Unsafeness in Walking
Defect perception
It may be noted here that the concept of unsafeness in walking has an objective component, related to the physical phenomenon of slipping, and a subjective component, which corresponds with the unsafeness that a person feels in walking, when footwear grip is inadequate or when there is a change in the perception of that grip. The brain automatically regulates the length of the step, including even a margin of variation in the rest on the sole of the foot as a function of the type of flooring on which the person is walking. A change in that surface, in terms of state or texture, produces a feeling that is also translated into an adjustment in the way of walking. When this adjustment does not take place opportunely or is insufficient to adapt to the new situation, complete or partial slip occurs.
A complex phenomenon is involved, which is not only related to the physical characteristics of the individual and his or her particular gait, the nature of the footwear, and the type of ceramic tile surface. Key factors include the presence of the intervening materials and, in particular, whether the flooring is dry or wet. Further critical factors are the erosion phenomena that occur in the flooring (a tile may be anti-slip when it leaves the factory and in just a short period of time, owing its low mechanical strength, become slippery, especially when the tile surface is wet).
As already mentioned, also of influence is the transition from one flooring to another. Unsafeness in walking and slip risk will increase when that transition involves going from a flooring that is less slip prone to one that will more readily cause slipping.
In publicly trafficked architecture, the obligation to follow or the coercion into advancing according to a given walking rhythm (for example, in the tunnels, stairs, and corridors of the underground) is also a contributing factor.
In the public domain, whether a flooring is dry or wet is a determining condition in regard to safety; hence the need to supply the test method and the result obtained with both the dry and wet tile. It may further be noted that a polished porcelain tile has an excellent dry coefficient of friction, though it becomes hazardous when wet (of the order of 0.2-0.3 according to method A proposed in standard ISO/DIS 10545-17).
It may be noted here that the concept of unsafeness in walking has an objective component, related to the physical phenomenon of slipping, and a subjective component, which corresponds with the unsafeness that a person feels in walking, when footwear grip is inadequate or when there is a change in the perception of that grip. The brain automatically regulates the length of the step, including even a margin of variation in the rest on the sole of the foot as a function of the type of flooring on which the person is walking. A change in that surface, in terms of state or texture, produces a feeling that is also translated into an adjustment in the way of walking. When this adjustment does not take place opportunely or is insufficient to adapt to the new situation, complete or partial slip occurs.
A complex phenomenon is involved, which is not only related to the physical characteristics of the individual and his or her particular gait, the nature of the footwear, and the type of ceramic tile surface. Key factors include the presence of the intervening materials and, in particular, whether the flooring is dry or wet. Further critical factors are the erosion phenomena that occur in the flooring (a tile may be anti-slip when it leaves the factory and in just a short period of time, owing its low mechanical strength, become slippery, especially when the tile surface is wet).
As already mentioned, also of influence is the transition from one flooring to another. Unsafeness in walking and slip risk will increase when that transition involves going from a flooring that is less slip prone to one that will more readily cause slipping.
In publicly trafficked architecture, the obligation to follow or the coercion into advancing according to a given walking rhythm (for example, in the tunnels, stairs, and corridors of the underground) is also a contributing factor.
In the public domain, whether a flooring is dry or wet is a determining condition in regard to safety; hence the need to supply the test method and the result obtained with both the dry and wet tile. It may further be noted that a polished porcelain tile has an excellent dry coefficient of friction, though it becomes hazardous when wet (of the order of 0.2-0.3 according to method A proposed in standard ISO/DIS 10545-17).
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