Customer Case: Application of Pendulum Skid Tester

Customer Background

A transportation research laboratory specializing in road safety and surface engineering required a reliable method to evaluate the skid resistance of road and pedestrian surfaces. The lab needed equipment capable of providing reproducible, quantitative data for both laboratory and in-situ testing of pavements, sports surfaces, and pedestrian walkways.

Application Requirements

Surface Friction Assessment: Measure skid resistance on wet and dry surfaces to prevent slipping and skidding.

Multi-standard Compliance: Must conform to BS 812 Pt. 114, BS EN 1097-8, AS/NZS 4586:1999, ASTM E303, EN 1436, and other relevant standards.

Versatile Testing Scenarios: Applicable for road surfaces, aggregates (PSV test), pedestrian walkways, sports surfaces, and impact-absorbing playgrounds.

Portable and Accurate: Equipment must be lightweight, calibrated, and suitable for both lab and on-site measurements.

Solution

The laboratory adopted the Pendulum Skid Tester, which provides the following advantages:

Accurate Friction Measurement: Based on the Izod pendulum principle, a rubber slider at the end of the pendulum strikes the sample at a constant velocity, with the distance travelled indicating surface friction.

Standards Compliance: Dispatched calibrated to EN 1097-8, fully accredited under ISO 9001:2000.

Portable and Robust: Lightweight pointer and low friction arm, supplied with a durable carrying case for field use.

Repeatable and Reproducible Results: Ensures consistent data across multiple tests.

Versatile Applications: Used for PSV testing, evaluation of new road surface materials, pedestrian safety assessment, traffic accident investigations, litigation support, and paver testing in Flat Bed Polisher.

Compact Design: Dimensions 700 × 300 × 700 mm; packed volume 0.15 m³; weight 30 kg.

Application Results

Enabled reliable assessment of skid resistance for both laboratory and on-site applications.

Provided repeatable and standard-compliant data supporting road safety design and material selection.

Enhanced the laboratory’s capability for traffic accident investigation and litigation support by providing quantitative friction measurements.

Customer Feedback

"The Pendulum Skid Tester delivers accurate and repeatable skid resistance measurements. Its portability and ease of use make it indispensable for both laboratory analysis and in-situ testing, improving our road safety evaluations and research capabilities."