COEFFICIENT OF FRICTIONThe coefficient of friction is used to measure the slip resistance of any surface. The definition of it is as follows.
A measure of the amount of resistance that a surface exerts on or substances moving over it, equal to the ratio between the maximal frictional force that the surface exerts and the force pushing the object toward the surface. The coefficient of friction is not always the same for objects that are motionless and objects that are in motion; motionless objects often experience more friction than moving ones, requiring more force to put them in motion than to sustain them in motion. The static coefficient of friction is the coefficient of friction that applies to objects that are motionless. The kinetic or sliding coefficient of friction is the coefficient of friction that applies to objects that are in motion. The sliding coefficient of friction is measured with the use of a meter designed to measure slip resistance.
Any device that measures friction simply creates a contrast between two variables. The answer often lies in the isolation of these variables. All variables must be held constant and the floor must be tested before treatment and again after treatment. Floors can be retested years after treatment and the results should be still good if the floor has been cleaned and taken care properly.
In most cases, a $500 machine is as good as a $17,000 machine in the hands of an experienced person. For an experienced person, a slip meter is an important diagnostic tool. |