What is Anti-Skid Road Surfacing?

• Anti-skid road surfacing, also known as high friction surfacing, is applied to roads to increase skid resistance, primarily in areas prone to collisions such as sharp bends, slip roads, junctions, and roads near schools.
• It utilises calcine bauxite aggregate, resistant to abrasion and polish, providing a longer-lasting surface texture compared to standard asphalt.
• Application methods include hot treatments using a thermoplastic binder and cold treatments using methyl methacrylate (MMA) binder, with benefits including improved stopping distances, greater vehicle control in adverse weather, extended lifespan, applicability to various road classes, and minimal disruption during application.

When it comes to line marking, Northern Marking’s number one priority is road safety, whether that be for pedestrians, cyclists or motorists.

There are a variety of different kinds of road markings which can help guard against specific dangers that motorists might face, for example, anti-skid surfacing. 

In this article, we will be taking a look at anti-skid road surfacing in detail, seeing just how beneficial it can be for our road users.

What is anti-skid road surfacing?

Also known as high friction surfacing – anti-skid surfacing is applied to roads to ensure a high level of skid resistance.

Anti-skid surfacing is often used in areas where collisions between vehicles – and collisions between vehicles and pedestrians – are more common. For example, you could well find anti-skid road surfacing on sharp bends, slip roads, junctions, or roads near schools.

Anti-skid surfacing manages to achieve high levels of friction thanks to the following aggregate: calcine bauxite.

Calcine bauxite is resistant to both abrasion and polish, meaning that it can retain its surface texture much longer than standard asphalt surfacing, even when it’s faced with particularly heavy traffic wear.

The difference between hot and cold applications of road surfacing

There are two different ways that you can apply anti-skid surfacing: hot or cold.

Hot treatments require a thermoplastic binder, while cold treatments require methyl  methacrylate (MMA).

To apply cold surfacing, the road must be first coated evenly with the binder. Following this, the aggregate, calcine bauxite, is added. 

Here at Northern Marking, for cold treatments, we use EcoGrip Type 1 – a material which utilises an odourless, low-toxicity binder system to increase surface friction between tyres and the road.

Conversely, with hot treatments, the aggregate is mixed with the bonding agent at a high temperature, before being applied to the chosen surface using an elongated screed box.

For hot treatments, we use Hitex Type 1 – an immediate, long-term solution for sites with a high risk of skids or collisions.

The benefits of anti-skid road surfacing

The key benefit of anti-skid surfacing is that it dramatically increases road safety for both pedestrians and motorists.

The increased friction leads to improved stopping distances at junctions and greater vehicle control in inclement weather.

» Thanks to the abrasion and polish resistance of anti-skid surfacing, it has a much longer lifespan than traditional asphalt.

» A further benefit of anti-skid surfacing is that it can be applied to any class of road. The only condition is that the road must be in a suitable condition prior to application. This means that it can even be applied to cycle paths.

» The application of anti-skid surfacing isn’t a long, drawn-out process, so the disruption caused to road users tends to be minimal.

Northern Marking is based in Manchester, but provides services to clients in the following areas; Huddersfield, Blackburn, Rochdale, Preston, Warrington, Bolton, Stockport, Leeds, Wakefield, Chester, Harrogate,  Blackpool, Wigan, Liverpool, Burnley and beyond. Northern Marking is a leading road marking company, providing the following services; line marking, school & playground markings, warehouse markings, electric car parking space marking, line removal, white lining and car park markings.

If you’re looking for high-quality anti-skid surfacing, look no further than Northern Marking. We offer a variety of different types depending on your needs and, with extensive experience in the field, you can expect a precise service from the initial site visit right through to after-sale care.

For more information about our anti-skid surfacing services, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team today.