Dry floor friction testing for floors that stay dry
The second on-site method in AS 4663:2013. A motorised tester measures the coefficient of friction of a dry surface and reports it as D0 or D1. It is the right benchmark for corridors, offices and other areas that are never wet in service.
How the dry friction tester works
The instrument is a small self-propelled unit that drags a set of rubber sliders across the floor at a steady speed while measuring the horizontal force needed to keep them moving. Dividing that force by the vertical load gives the coefficient of friction. Runs are taken in several directions and averaged, and the mean is compared with the 0.40 threshold that separates D1 from D0 in AS 4586:2013.
The method is quick, repeatable and leaves no trace, which makes it well suited to occupied offices, healthcare corridors and retail floors during trading. It does not, however, tell you anything about how the same floor behaves when wet. For that, the wet pendulum test is the standard.
Choosing between the two methods
The question is simply whether the floor can be wet while people walk on it. Rain tracked in from outside, mopping during trading hours, drink spills in a food court, condensation near a cold room or wash-down at the end of a shift all count. If any of those apply, test wet. If the floor is genuinely dry in use, the dry friction result is the meaningful one, and HB 198:2014 recommends D1 for those areas.
On most sites we use both methods: wet pendulum at the entrances, wet areas, ramps and stairs, and dry floor friction along the dry internal routes. The report keeps the two apart and explains which target applied where.
- Open-plan office floors and meeting rooms
- Internal corridors away from entry zones
- Retail aisles beyond the mat and wet zone
- Warehouse pedestrian walkways that are not washed down
- Classrooms, libraries and internal foyers of schools
- Aged care bedroom wings and lounges kept dry in use
Reporting
Each dry-tested location is reported with its mean coefficient of friction, its D class and a note on the surface and its condition, in the same report as any wet pendulum results from the visit. See what your report contains.
Dry floor friction questions
When is the dry floor friction test the right choice?
When the floor is reliably dry in normal use: office floors, internal corridors away from entrances, retail aisles beyond the wet zone, and warehouse walkways that are not wash-down areas. If a floor can be wet in service, even occasionally, the wet pendulum is the correct method.
What does D0 and D1 mean?
AS 4586:2013 classifies dry floor friction results as D1 where the mean coefficient of friction is 0.40 or above and D0 where it is below 0.40. HB 198:2014 recommends D1 for most dry pedestrian areas.
Can a floor pass the dry test and fail the wet test?
Easily. A polished stone lobby often returns a comfortable D1 while dry and a P1 or P2 once wet. That is why we choose the method by how the floor is used, not by which result looks better.
Both methods, every site, one supplier
We select the right method for each location and report both in one template across your portfolio. Single site? Price it online.