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Ramp Holding Force Calculator

Find the down-slope force gravity applies to a loaded cart on a ramp, so you can judge whether brakes or a chock will hold it parked.

On a ramp the load itself pulls the cart downhill, whether or not anyone is pushing. The holding force equals the weight times the sine of the ramp angle: enter the loaded weight and the grade and the calculator returns the force a brake or a person must resist to keep the cart still.

A caster brake rated for a rolling load is not automatically rated for holding on a slope. Compare the result with the brake’s published holding capacity, and remember that wet or contaminated floors reduce what any brake can hold.

Inputs

Cart and ramp

Range: 10–20,000 lbf

Range: 0.5–20 %

Rise over run. A 1 in 20 ramp is 5%.

Result

Down-slope holding force (lbf)
49.9

What to check

  • Convert grade percent to angle before taking the sine.
  • Compare against the brake maker's holding rating, not its rolling rating.
  • Note that wet or dirty floors only reduce available friction.

Related calculators

Static holding only. It ignores friction between the wheel and the floor that may help or hurt, brake wear, and the safety factor the brake maker requires.