Anti Skid Surfacing
High-friction anti-skid coatings for car parks, ramps and trafficked decks — resin-bound aggregate systems that restore grip, cut braking distances and keep vehicles and pedestrians safe in all weather.
Anti-Skid Surfacing Contractors
Anti-skid surfacing — also called high-friction surfacing or anti-skid surface dressing — is a thin, high-friction wearing course applied over concrete or asphalt to restore and enhance grip. A resin binder is applied to the prepared substrate and a hard aggregate, typically calcined bauxite, is broadcast into it. Once cured, the exposed aggregate provides a coarse, durable texture that grips tyres and footwear far better than a worn or polished surface ever can.
MPS Concrete Solutions installs anti-skid surfacing on car park decks, ramps, walkways, loading bays and access roads across the UK, both as a standalone treatment and as part of full car park resurfacing and deck waterproofing schemes. As Sika-approved contractors with 25+ years of combined experience in concrete repair and deck coatings, we specify the binder and aggregate to suit the traffic, gradient and exposure of each area — not a one-size-fits-all dressing.
Worn ramps, polished deck tops and slippery pedestrian routes are among the most common defects we find on car park surveys. They are also among the fastest to put right: most anti-skid installations are completed in a single phased visit, with areas returned to traffic the same day where fast-cure resins are used.
Demand for anti-skid treatment usually follows one of three triggers: a slip or skid incident (or a near miss) that lands on the risk register, an insurance or health-and-safety audit flagging low surface friction, or a planned resurfacing scheme where it makes sense to build grip into the new wearing course from day one. Whatever the driver, the survey process is the same — we assess the existing texture, gradients, drainage and traffic patterns, then specify a system with the evidence to support it.
Whether you need a single ramp re-gripped or high-friction surfacing across an entire multi-storey car park, we provide a free site survey and a fixed, itemised quotation before any work begins.
How Do Anti Skid Surfaces Work?
Anti-skid surfaces work by locking a hard, angular, high-PSV aggregate into a resin binder bonded to the existing surface. The resin holds each stone rigidly in place while the exposed aggregate creates a coarse texture that interlocks with tyre rubber. This increases both the microtexture (the fine roughness of each stone that bites into the tyre) and the macrotexture (the larger surface profile that channels water away from the contact patch) — the two properties that determine skid resistance.
The result is significantly more tyre grip, especially in wet conditions and on braking zones: ramps, bends, approach roads, pedestrian crossings and areas in front of barriers or junctions where vehicles brake and turn hardest. On these zones a high-friction surface can reduce wet braking distances substantially compared with worn concrete or asphalt.
PSV and Calcined Bauxite Explained
PSV — polished stone value — measures how well an aggregate resists being polished smooth under traffic. The higher the PSV, the longer the surface keeps its grip. Ordinary road aggregates typically achieve a PSV of 50–65; calcined bauxite, the industry benchmark for high-friction surfacing, achieves a PSV of around 70+. It is an extremely hard, thermally treated aggregate that stays sharp and skid-resistant for years under braking traffic, which is why it is specified on the most demanding zones — and why we use it on ramps, crossings and approach roads where grip matters most.
Because the system is only a few millimetres thick, it adds grip without altering levels, kerb heights or drainage falls — one of the reasons it is so widely used on existing car park decks and highways.
Anti-Skid Surface Dressing vs Conventional Surface Dressing
Anti-skid surfacing dressing is often confused with conventional chip-and-spray surface dressing, but they solve different problems. Traditional surface dressing uses bitumen and natural chippings to seal a road and refresh texture cheaply over large areas. Anti-skid dressing uses a resin binder and premium high-PSV aggregate applied to targeted zones — the areas where braking and turning demand the most grip. It costs more per square metre, but it delivers a far higher and longer-lasting level of skid resistance exactly where it is needed, which is why highway authorities specify it on approaches to crossings, junctions and roundabouts rather than across whole routes.
Where Anti-Skid Surfacing Is Used
Any trafficked surface that has polished smooth, sits on a gradient, or carries braking and turning traffic is a candidate for anti-skid treatment. In practice, the vast majority of our installations fall into six categories:
Car Park Ramps & Circulation
Ramps, spiral turns and circulation lanes polish quickly under turning traffic. We install high-friction systems on gradients and bends, often as part of full car park resurfacing schemes.
Multi-Storey Deck Tops
Exposed top decks combine weathering, standing water and braking traffic. Aggregate-dressed deck coatings provide waterproofing and skid resistance in a single build-up.
Pedestrian Walkways & Crossings
Coloured anti-slip coatings for walkways, stair landings and crossing points — clear demarcation plus reliable underfoot grip in wet or icy conditions.
Loading Bays & Service Yards
Hard-wearing anti-skid finishes for yards, dock approaches and forklift routes where oil, water and hard braking make worn concrete genuinely dangerous.
Access Roads & Approach Roads
High-friction surfacing (HFS) to Highways standards for braking zones, junctions, roundabout approaches and site entrances — calcined bauxite systems built for sustained road traffic.
Cycle Lanes & Demarcation
Coloured resin-bound surfacing for cycle lanes, bus lanes, disabled bays and speed-control zones — visual demarcation with built-in skid resistance.
Anti-Skid Systems We Install
The right system depends on the substrate, traffic loading, gradient, exposure and how quickly the area must reopen. We install:
- MMA resin systems — methyl methacrylate binders that cure in around one to two hours, even in cold weather down to sub-zero temperatures. The first choice where downtime is critical or works must run through winter: ramps and lanes reopen the same shift.
- Epoxy broadcast systems — a proven, economical build-up for decks, walkways and yards: epoxy binder coat with quartz or bauxite aggregate broadcast to excess, sealed for a dense, hard-wearing finish. Typically trafficked after overnight cure.
- Polyurethane deck coatings with aggregate — flexible, crack-bridging waterproof coatings for exposed and intermediate car park decks, dressed with aggregate to combine deck waterproofing with skid resistance in one system.
- Coloured demarcation options — buff, red, green, blue, grey and black finishes for walkways, cycle lanes, bay marking and speed-control zones, with natural bauxite reserved for maximum-friction braking areas.
Every installation starts with mechanical preparation — diamond grinding or shot blasting on concrete — because the bond to the substrate, not the resin itself, is what determines how long an anti-skid surface lasts. Where the deck beneath is cracked, spalled or ponding, we repair and level it first so you are not sealing defects in.
Our Installation Process
A typical anti-skid installation runs through five stages. First, the survey: we assess substrate condition, existing texture, gradients, drainage and how the area is trafficked, then agree the phasing plan with you. Second, preparation: mechanical cleaning of the substrate and repair of any defects. Third, application: the resin binder is applied at a controlled coverage rate and the aggregate broadcast to full excess so every part of the binder is saturated with stone. Fourth, cure and recovery: once the resin has hardened, loose aggregate is swept and vacuumed off for reuse, leaving only the bonded texture. Finally, reopening: line marking or demarcation is reinstated and the area handed back — often within hours of the final coat on MMA systems.
Anti-Skid Road Surfacing & High-Friction Surfacing (HFS)
On the highway, anti-skid road surfacing — more formally high-friction surfacing (HFS) — is used to raise skid resistance at the specific points where vehicles brake and turn hardest, rather than along whole routes. It is the coloured or buff high-grip surface you see on the approaches to pedestrian crossings, traffic signals, roundabouts, junctions and tight bends, and on steep descents and accident-remedial sites. The principle is identical to a car park ramp: a resin binder is applied to the prepared road surface and a hard, high-PSV aggregate — almost always calcined bauxite — is broadcast into it to create a coarse, durable, skid-resistant texture.
What sets road and approach-road work apart is the specification. Highway high-friction systems are specified against recognised skid-resistance requirements, using aggregate with a polished stone value (PSV) of 68–70+ and binders proven to hold that aggregate under sustained, fast-moving braking traffic. The two broad families are hot-applied thermosetting systems and cold-applied resin systems (epoxy, polyurethane and MMA); the choice depends on traffic volume, the substrate, the season and how quickly the road must reopen. Because MMA and other cold-cure resins gain strength in a couple of hours even in cold conditions, they are well suited to overnight closures where a carriageway, access road or site entrance has to carry traffic again by morning.
We install anti-skid road surface treatments on estate and access roads, site and depot entrances, service roads, loading approaches and private carriageways, as well as on the transition zones between the public highway and commercial car parks. Every scheme starts the same way — we assess the existing texture and skid resistance, the gradient, the drainage and the traffic pattern, then specify the binder and aggregate to match. Where the road surface beneath is cracked, rutted or shedding, we repair and stabilise it first, because a high-friction dressing is only ever as durable as the surface it is bonded to.
Anti Skid Surfacing Costs
Indicative UK pricing for budget planning — actual costs depend on area size, substrate preparation, access and the system specified:
| Application | Indicative Cost per m² |
|---|---|
| Walkway & demarcation coatings | £15 – £30/m² |
| Car park deck anti-skid wearing course | £20 – £45/m² |
| Ramp high-friction systems | £25 – £50/m² |
| Road / HFS surfacing dressing | £20 – £40/m² |
The main cost drivers are straightforward. Area size matters most: mobilisation, preparation plant and resin wastage are largely fixed, so a 2,000 m² deck costs far less per square metre than a single 40 m² ramp. Substrate condition is next — a sound deck needing only grinding is quick, while one needing patch repairs, crack injection or re-profiling adds a preparation phase. Finally, system choice: MMA carries a material premium over epoxy but buys back its cost in reduced closure time, and calcined bauxite costs more than quartz but lasts significantly longer under braking traffic.
Prices are indicative, exclude VAT, and assume sound substrates with reasonable access. Small areas carry higher rates per m² due to fixed setup costs. Where anti-skid forms part of a full deck coating scheme, see our car park waterproofing cost guide for combined system pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do anti skid surfaces work?
Anti-skid surfaces lock a hard, high-PSV aggregate — typically calcined bauxite — into a resin binder bonded to the existing concrete or asphalt. The exposed aggregate creates a coarse texture that increases friction between tyre and surface, dramatically improving grip in wet conditions and shortening braking distances on ramps, bends and approach zones.
How long does anti-skid surfacing last?
A correctly installed system typically lasts 8–15 years depending on traffic. Pedestrian walkways and demarcation last longest; ramps, turning heads and heavy braking zones wear fastest. Substrate preparation, resin selection and aggregate hardness are the main factors in service life, which is why we survey every area before specifying a system.
Can it be applied over existing concrete or asphalt?
Yes. Anti-skid surfacing bonds to both concrete and asphalt provided the substrate is sound, dry and properly prepared. We mechanically prepare concrete by diamond grinding or shot blasting, assess asphalt for age and stability, and carry out any repairs, crack sealing or levelling first so the finished surface performs uniformly.
What colours are available?
Standard options include buff, red, green, blue, grey and black, plus natural calcined bauxite for maximum-friction zones. Coloured systems are widely used for pedestrian walkways, cycle lanes, disabled bays and speed-control zones — combining wayfinding and safety demarcation with slip and skid resistance in a single application.
How quickly can surfaced areas reopen?
MMA resin systems cure in around one to two hours, even at low temperatures, so lanes and ramps can reopen the same shift. Epoxy broadcast systems typically need overnight cure before trafficking. We phase works lane-by-lane or level-by-level so car parks and service yards stay operational throughout the programme.
What is anti-skid road surfacing?
Anti-skid road surfacing — high-friction surfacing (HFS) — is a resin-bound high-PSV aggregate applied to roads and access roads at the points where vehicles brake and turn hardest: approaches to crossings, junctions, roundabouts, bends and steep descents. It uses calcined bauxite with a polished stone value of around 68–70+ to deliver far higher, longer-lasting skid resistance than conventional surfacing, cutting wet braking distances exactly where they matter most.
Get a Free Surfacing Survey
Tell us about your ramp, deck, walkway or access road and we'll carry out a free site survey, recommend the right anti-skid system and provide a fixed, itemised quotation.
