Bad Designs on Campus - Submission
Play "Run & Slide" at UofM
Problem description: The ramp in the connector bridge between G.G. Brown and EECS buildings have no handrails and its floors are made of linoleum, as shown in figures 1 and 2. These conditions increase the risk of people falling over, especially during winter as pedestrians tend to have wetter shoes. Can you imagine people rush to their respective classes on this slippery ramp during winter? I believe quite a number of them would slip down the ramp.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Proposed solution: To increase friction, rubber or carpeting can be incorporated into the floor design as shown in figure 3. In the case of carpeting, this absorbs unwanted moisture as well as increases grip to ensure safety. Rubber has similar functions in terms of increasing friction. Handrails act as convenient, easy-to-reach supports in case of slips. As stated in the textbook, An Introduction to Human Factors Engineering, the 50th percentile of the standing elbow height of 50:50 ratio of males to females is 42 inches. Taking into account the additional shoe height which we assumed to be about 1 inch, the total standing elbow height is 43 inches. The handrails should be constructed slightly lower the standing elbow height, which is probably about 40-41 inches above the ground.
Figure 3
References
Wickens, Lee, Liu, Becker (2004). Introduction to Human Factors Engineering, 247-252.