Safety Assessment of the Community Facilities for the Prevention of Pedestrian Fall Incidents: Concrete Footpaths and Walkways

Abstract

Concrete pavers and slabs commonly are found in a variety of community settings, such as footpaths and walkways. However, their features of slip resistance have not been investigated meticulously for the prevention of slip and fall incidents. This preliminary study assessed the traction functioning of dissimilar finishes of concrete surfaces and determined their impact on slip resistance. For the preparation of concrete slab samples, three generally practiced approaches—metal and wood blade troweling, and bloom-sweeping—were utilized to create dissimilar topographic structures. Slip resistance performance was assessed using a dynamic friction test rig developed to simulate ambulatory movements between the concrete flooring and shoe samples over four different levels of risky conditions. Assessment findings showed that the measured concrete slab–shoe arrangements presented excellent slip resistance in dry conditions. A substantial impact of the concrete slabs’ topographic structures was uncovered in moderately (soapy) and highly (oily) dangerous surroundings. However, the shoe effect was rather insignificant than the slab one on dynamic friction coefficients. This study also discovered that concrete floors with rougher textures did not routinely provide better traction even in contaminated situations. On the other hand, this study identified crucial proof of friction and friction-provoked wear developments of concrete floorings and their effects on slip resistance performance. Outcomes from this study may be used to improve surface designs of the concrete footpaths and/or pavements to preclude slip and fall incidents in the community.