The Slip Resistance Of Marine Decking Boards - What You Need To Know And What You Can Do About It

Slip Resistance Of Marine Decking Boards - The Figures You Need To See Before Buying Any Decking

As you know, one of the biggest headaches you face is the need to deal with more stringent health and safety requirements related to the public walkways in your marine facility.

The safety of marina staff, boat crews and visitors means the materials chosen for marine facilities have to pass stiff British Standard (or equivalent) slip resistance requirements and be fit for purpose.

"Choosing the cheapest products may mean you compromise the safety of staff, crew and visitors - and pay for it in increased premiums, more accidents or more frequent maintenance"

The choice you make for the type of materials used in your marine facilities is, therefore, very important. You have to find products that conform to British Standards requirements, don't bust your budget, fit in with the character of your marine facility, are environmentally friendly and, more importantly, require as little maintenance as possible.

You also have various decking providers telling you their products pass BS 7976 slip resistance standards. How do you compare the various products? And more importantly, if you decide to choose a product with a lower slip resistance because you think it is cheaper to install, do you know what the maintenance costs are compared to alternative products?

So, slip resistance is important, but you need some facts to help you purchase the best decking available.

Cranfield University Study Shows Improved Slip Resistance In Recycled Plastic Boards Compared To Hardwood

Tests have been carried out at Cranfield University in the UK comparing hardwood and recycled plastic boards. For more details of the tests, please contact the author.

This comparison was done according to BS 7976 / BS 812 (UK Department of Transport - TRRL) criteria, where the minimum slip resistance is 40 for a pedestrian area.

Here are the mean values for dry and wet slip resistance of fully recycled industrial plastic and three comparative samples of square-edged profiled surfaced hardwood, followed by the slip resistance recommendations according to British Standards guidelines:

Fully recycled industrial plastic decking

Mean dry longitudinal = 116
Mean dry transverse = 80
Mean wet longitudinal = 52
Mean wet transverse = 61

Grooved hardwood marine decking

Mean dry longitudinal = 47
Mean dry transverse = 57
Mean wet longitudinal = 19
Mean wet transverse = 35

BS 7976 recommendations for pedestrian area

Dangerous: 24 and below
Marginal: 25 - 34
Satisfactory: 35 - 64
Excellent: 65 and above

So what?

"How is this relevant to me?" you might ask. Well, these tests show that even though hardwoods remain a popular choice for marine decking, fully recycled industrial plastic has more comprehensive slip resistance which you should seriously consider. This is especially so if you want to pass health and safety requirements regarding slip resistance.

The knock on effect of this is that should anything happen, and someone makes a complaint, you will have to let the relevant authorities know whether your choice of material for decking is fit for purpose and, if not, why? It is as simple as that! Will that make you sleep any easier?

The fact that almost all hardwood slip resistance tests did not exceed the minimum of 40 for a pedestrian area means you it is certainly worth looking at alternative products for decking.

Now that you have got some slip resistance figures, what else do you need to consider before purchasing new / replacement boards for decking?

What Else, Other Than Slip Resistance, Do You Need To Think About?

The whole point about this article is to get you thinking more about the risks associated with installing boards that have a poor slip resistance, and to consider the alternatives to hardwood decking. The wide range of options on the market does not make it any easier for you. In fact, choice can be a pain sometimes as there are so many things to then think about.

Four further questions to start thinking about then, other than slip resistance, are:

What is the whole life cost of the boards you want to buy?

If you have to continually repair or maintain the decking you install, the costs do add up. Annoyingly, the money spent fixing problems which are a result of products that rot and are not fit for purpose means you cannot invest in projects that add value or save you even more money. Hardwood decking needs maintenance, and in some extreme conditions will need replacing within 10 years!
Wouldn't it be great to have something that lasts more than double that and requires very low or zero maintenance?

How green is the product you are selecting?

Because of over-forestation, hardwood is not being replenished as quickly as it should be. This means you will see more, cheap, wood alternatives on the market (that are not good at all) or find it increasingly difficult to get the hardwoods preferred for use in marine facilities. Sustainability is a key issue here and has to be addressed.
Composite decking is available, but a lot of composites: (1) Are bound together using polyesters which are oil-based products, and need setting agents that give off noxious gases; (2) Are not very environmentally friendly (polyesters do nothing at all for green credentials); and (3) Use a lot of energy to produce.
Fully recycled industrial plastic pellets, which are a sought after resource in the UK and the rest of Europe, are recycled into decking. This requires zero or very low maintenance, does not need to be replaced as often as hardwood and is easy to install. The energy that goes into producing fully recycled decking boards is less than that for composites.

Are the installation costs for the hardwood alternatives much higher?

Actually - no! For example, tongue and groove boarding means boards can fit together much more easily. The fixing is either with stainless steel screws that are countersunk on the surface or are concealed by fixing through the tongue. This requires fewer man hours for installation. This is why they are cheaper to install than square-edged boards.

Will the alternatives to hardwood look as good?

To be honest, composites may look better than fully recycled industrial when first installed. However, this only lasts for 6 months after installation and then the wood component is attacked by algae. This then requires a lot of cleaning to maintain the appearance of the product.

Recycled plastic will look better than composite decking after 6 months, and looks far better than hardwood decking which suffers the same problems as composites that result from algal attacks.

David Croucher is the Managing Director of Plasti Limited, providers of fully recycled industrial plastic products in the marine, building and civil engineering sectors. Plasti products are manufactured using feedstock from approved sources. They are also extremely safe, have very long lives, are environmentally friendly and require zero or low maintenance. This means they have excellent whole life costs when compared to hardwood and composite alternatives.

David's expertise in the specification and design of marine, building and civil infrastructures is recognised within the marine and construction industry. His technical advice and input into projects is highly valued, which is a result of his great experience as a senior procurement leader in complex, global organisations.

For more information about Plasti Limited, please visit http://www.plasti.co.uk.

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