Metro Station Stair Nosings: Wet and Dry Luminance Contrast Testing
Black strip nosings on new external stairs and egress paths at metro railway stations in Sydney's south-west, tested on site during construction in 2026.
- Sector: Rail and transport
- Location: Sydney, NSW
- Elements: Black strip stair nosings against honed and broom-finished concrete
- Conditions: Outdoors, overcast daylight, tested dry and wet
- Equipment: Konica Minolta LS-160 on a tripod at 1.6 m
The brief
A paving contractor on a metro station upgrade needed independent evidence that the stair nosings on new plazas, concourse stairs and egress paths stood out clearly from the concrete treads. Because these stairs are outdoors, the contractor asked for each one to be tested both dry and wet.
What we did
We tested the installed nosings and treads at several stations as each section was finished, so issues could be picked up before handover rather than at the end. At each stair, five luminance readings were taken on the nosing and five on the tread with the meter on a tripod at 1.6 m, then the surface was wetted and the readings repeated.
Results from two of the stairs
| Stair | Condition | Nosing (cd/m²) | Tread (cd/m²) | Contrast | Minimum | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plaza steps, black strip nosing vs grey honed concrete | Dry | 42.15 | 283 | 85% | 30% | Pass |
| Wet | 35.39 | 118 | 70% | 30% | Pass | |
| Egress path stair, black nosing vs broom-finished concrete | Dry | 283 | 1754 | 83% | 30% | Pass |
| Wet | 226 | 1263 | 82% | 30% | Pass |
What it shows
- Wet surfaces change the result. On the honed concrete, wetting dropped the tread's luminance by more than half and the contrast fell from 85% to 70%. It still passed comfortably here, but a borderline dry result can fail once the surface is wet.
- Testing as you go saves rework. Testing each station as it was completed gave the contractor a report per stair for the handover file, instead of one rushed test at the end.
- Real light, real surfaces. The readings were taken under the site's own daylight on the installed products, including grout lines, sealers and construction dust.
Client, builder and venue names are withheld. Results apply only to the elements tested, on the day, under the conditions recorded in each report. They are shown as general information about our work and are not a statement about any other element, product or building.
Read more about LRV testing and how on-site contrast testing works, or ask for a quote.