Concrete is the most common hard surface in commercial and industrial buildings, and it is also one of the most deceptive. A new concrete floor looks solid underfoot. Over time, foot traffic polishes the surface, water pools rather than draining away, and the coefficient of friction drops to the point where the floor becomes a genuine slip hazard.
Anti slip coating for concrete addresses this directly. Applied to the surface, it creates a textured, high-friction layer that performs in both dry and wet conditions without requiring grinding or replacement. This blog covers where coating is specified on concrete, how to select the right system, installation requirements, and what Australian Standards apply.
Why Concrete Becomes Slippery
New concrete has a reasonably rough texture from the aggregate and pour process. The problem is that this texture does not last. Several conditions combine to reduce friction on concrete surfaces over time:
- Surface polishing: Continuous foot and wheeled contact gradually grinds down surface irregularities, creating a smooth, low-friction finish in high-traffic lanes and turning zones. The process is slow enough that most facility managers do not notice it until a slip incident occurs.
- Water contamination: Wet concrete has significantly lower friction than the same surface when dry. Any surface that becomes wet under normal use needs to be assessed as a wet surface, not a dry one.
- Sealers: Concrete sealers applied for dust suppression or aesthetics often reduce friction rather than improve it. A visually appealing sealed floor can fail the wet pendulum threshold by a wide margin.
- Chemical contamination: Oil, food residue, and cleaning product residue accumulate on polished concrete and create a secondary contamination layer that compounds the friction loss from surface wear.
- Machinery wear: In industrial environments, forklift tyres and heavy equipment abrade and polish the concrete surface in travel lanes and turning zones, creating concentrated areas of slip risk that are difficult to identify visually.
Anti slip coating changes the surface permanently. Rather than relying on the original aggregate texture that will wear away, a properly applied coating bonds a durable abrasive layer directly to the concrete substrate. For an overview of coating options suited to concrete, see the concrete surface treatment range.
Where Anti Slip Coating for Concrete Is Specified
Commercial Building Entries and Lobbies
Building entries are the highest-risk concrete surface in most commercial buildings. The following conditions combine at entries to create a reliable slip hazard:
- Rain and umbrella drip track moisture directly onto the floor at peak traffic times
- High foot traffic polishes the concrete faster than most other zones in the building
- Sealed or polished entry concrete fails the wet slip resistance threshold regardless of cleaning frequency
Coating at building entries must also suit aesthetic requirements. Tinted systems and clear topcoats over broadcast aggregate allow anti slip performance in a finish suited to a public-facing space. The anti-slip coatings range covers formats appropriate for commercial entry environments.
Industrial and Warehouse Floors
Industrial concrete faces a different set of challenges to commercial entries. Key risk factors include:
- Combined foot and forklift traffic operating on the same surface throughout every shift
- Routine contamination from oils, hydraulic fluid, and water that is incidental to operations, not exceptional
- Impact and abrasion from wheeled equipment that accelerates surface polishing beyond what foot traffic alone would cause
Coating must deliver higher friction, resist contamination penetration, and tolerate the mechanical demands of industrial traffic. TitaniumGrip is a heavy-duty coating formulated specifically for industrial concrete surfaces operating under these conditions.
Concrete Ramps and Car Parks
Ramp surfaces concentrate contamination under foot and wheel contact at every pass. Specific risks on concrete ramps and car parks include:
- Oil, water, and tyre debris accumulating at the base of ramps where drainage is slowest
- Fuel and oil penetration into unsealed or poorly sealed concrete over time
- The incline increasing the effective slip risk compared to a flat surface at the same friction level
Coating for ramp and car park surfaces needs to be specified as a complete system: primer, build coat, aggregate broadcast, and chemical-resistant topcoat. UVGrip is suited to outdoor ramp and car park concrete where UV stability and weather resistance are required alongside slip performance.
Outdoor Pathways and Access Routes
Outdoor concrete faces conditions that indoor surfaces do not. Coating on outdoor pathways must account for:
- UV degradation breaking down the binder over extended sun exposure
- Algae and mould growth reducing friction in shaded or persistently damp zones
- Thermal movement in the concrete slab requiring the coating to flex without delaminating
AS 1428.1 (Design for Access and Mobility) requires that surfaces on accessible paths of travel maintain slip resistance appropriate to conditions of use. Coating specification and test results on accessible pathways should be documented and retained as part of the building’s compliance records.
Concrete Steps and Stair Treads
Concrete stair nosings receive concentrated foot contact at the leading edge and wear faster than the body of the tread. Anti slip coating on concrete stairs is typically specified as a full tread treatment rather than a nosing strip alone. Where a defined nosing product is preferred, polygrip stair nosings can be combined with tread coating for a complete stair safety specification.
Need an anti-slip coating that bonds to concrete? Browse GripFactory’s concrete anti-slip solutions.
Selecting the Right Coating System
Coating Formats
The correct format depends on the surface type, contamination exposure, and aesthetic requirements of the project.
Coating Format | Best Application | Key Characteristic |
Aggregate broadcast systems | Industrial floors, ramps | Coarse, durable; high friction performance |
Trowel-applied textured coatings | Commercial floors, entries | Controlled texture; suits aesthetic environments |
Clear penetrating sealers with grit | Decorative concrete | Preserves appearance; lower abrasion resistance |
Epoxy systems with broadcast aggregate | Warehouses, car parks | Chemical resistance plus friction |
Polyurethane topcoat systems | Outdoor ramps, pathways | UV resistance; flexible over concrete movement |
Slip Resistance Classification Under AS 4586
Anti slip coatings for concrete are classified under AS 4586 (Slip Resistance Classification of New Pedestrian Surface Materials). The table below shows minimum ratings by use zone, based on the NCC Advisory Note on slip resistance and HB 198:2014.
AS 4586 Classification | Test Method | Typical Application |
P3 | Wet pendulum | Internal wet areas: food courts, public toilets, hospital bathrooms |
P4 | Wet pendulum | External wet areas, building entries, pool surrounds, pedestrian walkways |
P5 | Wet pendulum | Loading docks, commercial kitchens, external ramps steeper than 1:14, pool ramps and stairs |
R10/R11 | Oil wet ramp test | Industrial environments with oil or grease contamination |
Key points when specifying:
- P4 wet pendulum is the minimum for most commercial concrete subject to wet conditions
- R10 or R11 applies where oil or grease contamination is likely; the oil wet ramp test is a separate classification system from the P-rating scale and the two cannot be substituted for each other
- The NCC zone-by-zone minimums are a floor, not a ceiling; a higher rating is always acceptable
Contact the GripFactory team to confirm the correct classification for a specific surface and use case.
Surface Condition Assessment
The existing surface condition determines what preparation is required before coating. Common surface conditions and their implications:
- New or unsealed concrete: Needs mechanical profiling and primer before coating. The surface profile must meet the specification in the product data sheet to achieve the rated adhesion.
- Sealed or painted concrete: Requires the existing coating to be fully stripped before application. Coating over sealer bonds to the sealer, not the concrete, and will debond when the sealer eventually fails under traffic.
- Contaminated concrete: Must be degreased and pressure washed to a visibly clean substrate. Residual contamination under primer is the most common cause of adhesion failure on industrial floors.
- Spalled or cracked concrete: Must be repaired to a sound substrate before coating. Applying coating over structural defects does not stabilise them and the coating will lift at the edges of cracks.
Installation
- Assess the surface: identify sealers, contamination, damage, and moisture. If water beads on the surface, sealer is present and must be stripped before coating proceeds.
- Prepare mechanically: grind, scarf, or shot blast to remove existing coatings and achieve the surface profile specified in the product data sheet.
- Degrease thoroughly: apply degreaser and pressure wash the full treatment area. Allow complete dry time before priming, as residual moisture under primer causes blistering.
- Prime the surface: apply penetrating primer to improve adhesion and consolidate weak or porous concrete before the build coat is applied.
- Apply the build coat: apply at the specified film thickness. For broadcast systems, broadcast aggregate into the wet coat and allow partial cure before removing excess loose grit.
- Seal with topcoat: lock aggregate in place with the specified topcoat. A heavy topcoat buries grit and reduces friction performance below the rated classification.
Surface Condition | Required Preparation | Common Failure Point |
New, uncoated concrete | Mechanical abrasion, primer | Inadequate surface profile |
Sealed or painted concrete | Strip existing coating, re-profile | Residual sealer causing adhesion failure |
Oil-contaminated concrete | Degrease, pressure wash, dry | Contamination remaining under primer |
Spalled or cracked concrete | Repair to sound substrate | Coating over cracks lifting at edges |
Damp concrete | Allow full cure and dry-out | Moisture causing blistering |
Australian Standards and Compliance
Three Australian Standards apply directly to anti slip coating specification on concrete:
- AS 4586 is the primary standard for classifying slip resistance of pedestrian surfaces. Coatings should be specified with reference to the wet pendulum P-rating appropriate to the use case, with the NCC Advisory Note providing zone-by-zone minimums for public access buildings.
- AS 1428.1 requires that surfaces on accessible paths of travel maintain slip resistance appropriate to conditions of use. Coating specification on any surface forming part of an accessible path should be documented and retained.
- AS 1657 requires walkway and stair surfaces in industrial settings to provide adequate slip resistance for the traffic and contamination conditions of the environment. For concrete subject to oil or grease, R10 or R11 under the oil wet ramp test satisfies the AS 1657 slip resistance intent.
Understanding your legal obligations before a slip incident occurs is significantly less expensive than responding to one after. Building owners have a common law duty of care to maintain floors safe for their intended use, and a polished concrete floor that fails the wet slip resistance threshold is a documented liability. Know your responsibilities as a facility owner or manager before your next safety audit.
The Right Coating for Your Concrete Surface
Anti slip coating for concrete is a permanent solution to a surface that will otherwise deteriorate progressively under traffic and cleaning. SaniGrip suits commercial wet areas requiring a hygienic, cleanable finish. TitaniumGrip suits industrial floors under heavy traffic. UVGrip suits outdoor ramps and pathways exposed to weather. Browse the full anti-slip coatings range to compare systems, or contact the GripFactory team for a site-specific specification.
FAQs
Coating covers the full surface area and bonds directly to the concrete substrate, making it the right choice for floors, ramps, and pathways needing uniform slip resistance. Tape is a strip solution for defined hazard zones like stair nosings or ramp edges. The two can be combined on the same surface for different purposes.
A correctly specified epoxy or polyurethane system in a commercial environment typically lasts five to ten years before recoating is required. Industrial environments with forklift traffic and chemical exposure should expect three to five years. Outdoor systems should be inspected annually for UV degradation and surface wear.
No. Coating is applied over sealer bonds to the sealer, not the concrete, and lifts when the sealer debonds under traffic. Strip the sealer by mechanical grinding or chemical stripping, re-profile the surface, prime, then apply coating.
Broadcast aggregate systems produce a clearly visible textured finish different from polished concrete. Trowel-applied systems give a more controlled result suited to commercial environments. Clear penetrating systems with fine grit preserve the decorative finish but offer lower friction performance and shorter service life.
P4 wet pendulum is the minimum for a building entry subject to wet foot traffic under the NCC. Where the entry forms part of an accessible pathway under AS 1428.1, the coating specification and test result should be documented and retained as part of the building’s compliance records.
Standard P-rated coatings are tested against water, not oil or fuel. For car parks, workshops, and loading docks where oil or fuel exposure is likely, specify an R10 or R11 rated system under AS 4586 using the oil wet ramp test classification.
