ASTM F1637-02e1

Standard Practice for Safe Walking Surfaces

SCOPE
1.1 Scope—This practice covers design and construction guidelines and minimum maintenance criteria for new and existing buildings and structures. This practice is intended to provide reasonably safe walking surfaces for pedestrians wearing ordinary footwear. These guidelines may not be adequate for those with certain mobility impairments.
1.2 Conformance with this practice will not alleviate all hazards; however, conformance will reduce certain pedestrian risks.
1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The SI units given in parentheses are for information only.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

General Information

• Status: Historical
• Publication Date: 09-Sep-2002
• ICS: 91.120.01 - Protection of and in buildings in general
• Technical Committee: F13 - Pedestrian/Walkway Safety and Footwear
• Drafting Committee: F13.50 - Walkway Surfaces

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM F1637-02 - Standard Practice for Safe Walking Surfaces
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-2002
• Replaced By: ASTM F1637-07 - Standard Practice for Safe Walking Surfaces
• Effective Date: 01-Dec-2007
• Referred By: ASTM F2966-19 - Standard Guide for Snow and Ice Control for Walkway Surfaces
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-2002
• Referred By: ASTM F1646-16 - Standard Terminology Relating to Walkway Safety and Footwear
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-2002
• Referred By: ASTM E2751/E2751M-21 - Standard Practice for Design and Performance of Supported Laminated Glass Walkways
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-2002

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
e1
Designation: F 1637 – 02
Standard Practice for
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Safe Walking Surfaces
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F 1637; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
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e NOTE—Per Committee F13 Bylaws, editorially replaced term definitions with reference to Terminology F 1646 in January
2004.
1. Scope 3.1.3 Cross slope,
3.1.4 Element,
1.1 Scope—This practice covers design and construction
3.1.5 Fair,
guidelines and minimum maintenance criteria for new and
3.1.6 Foreseeable pedestrian path,
existing buildings and structures. This practice is intended to
3.1.7 Footwear,
provide reasonably safe walking surfaces for pedestrians wear-
3.1.8 Planar,
ing ordinary footwear. These guidelines may not be adequate
3.1.9 Ramp,
for those with certain mobility impairments.
3.1.10 Sidewalk,
1.2 Conformance with this practice will not alleviate all
3.1.11 Slip resistance,
hazards; however, conformance will reduce certain pedestrian
3.1.12 Slip resistant,
risks.
3.1.13 Walkway surface hardware, and
1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded
3.1.14 Walkway.
as the standard. The SI units given in parentheses are for
information only.
4. Significance and Use
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the
4.1 This practice addresses elements along and in walkways
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
including floors and walkway surfaces, sidewalks, short flight
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
stairs, gratings, wheel stops, and speed bumps. Swimming
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
pools,bathtubs,showers,naturalwalks,andunimprovedpaths
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
are beyond the scope of this practice.
2. Referenced Documents
5. Walkway Surfaces
2.1 ASTM Standards:
5.1 General:
F 1646 Terminology Relating to Safety and Traction for
5.1.1 Walkways shall be stable, planar, flush, and even to
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Footwear
the extent possible.Where walkways cannot be made flush and
2.2 ANSI Standard:
even, they shall conform to the requirements of 5.2 and 5.3.
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ANSI-Z535.1 Safety Color Coding
5.1.2 Walkway surfaces for pedestrians shall be capable of
safely sustaining intended loads.
3. Terminology
5.1.3 Walkway surfaces shall be slip resistant under ex-
3.1 SeeTerminology F 1646 for the following terms used in
pected environmental conditions and use. Painted walkways
this practice:
shallcontainanabrasiveadditive,crosscutgrooving,texturing
3.1.1 Bollard,
or other appropriate means to render the surface slip resistant
3.1.2 Carpet,
where wet conditions may be reasonably foreseeable.
5.1.4 Interior walkways that are not slip resistant when wet
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shall be maintained dry during periods of pedestrian use.
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F13 on Safety and
Traction for Footwear and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F13.50 on
5.2 Walkway Changes in Level:
Traction.
5.2.1 Adjoining walkway surfaces shall be made flush and
Current edition approved Jan. 9, 2004. Published November 2002. Originally
fair, whenever possible and for new construction and existing
published as F 1637 – 95. Last previous edition F 1637 – 95.
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For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or facilities to the extent practicable.
contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM 1
5.2.2 Changes in levels of less than ⁄4 in. (6 mm) in height
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
may be without edge treatment. (See Fig. 1.)
the ASTM website.
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Available from American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 W. 43rd St.,
4th Floor, New York, NY 10036.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
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F1637–02
5.5.3 Illumination shall be designed to avoid casting of
obscuring shadows on walkways, including shadows on stairs
that may be cast by users.
5.5.4 Interior and exterior pedestrian use areas, including
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parking lots, shall be properly illuminated during periods when
FIG. 1 Changes in Levels of Less Than ⁄4 in.(6mm)
pedestrians may be present.
5.6 Headroom—A minimum headroom clearance of 6 ft 8
1 1 in. (2.03 m), measured from the walkway surface, shall be
5.2.3 Changesinlevelsbetween ⁄4and ⁄2in.(6and12mm)
provided above all parts of the walkway.Where such clearance
shall be beveled with a slope no greater than 1:2 (rise:run).
1 is not provided in existing structures, the low clearance
5.2.
...