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Atlanta, GA | Posted: February 8, 2011
Georgia Tech Media Relations
Laura Diamond
laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu
404-894-6016
Jason Maderer
maderer@gatech.edu
404-660-2926
Summary Sentence:
A recent study by Georgia Tech research associate Jennifer DuBose shows that several elements need to be considered when choosing the correct floor for a hospital environment.
Full Summary:
Sustainability in construction and design continues to gain traction as stakeholders become more aware of the benefits of sustainable materials. The healthcare design industry, in particular hospitals, is putting more of an emphasis on how flooring materials can deliver benefits over the lifecycle of their facilities.
Jennifer DuBose
Hospital Flooring MaterialsSustainability in construction and design continues to gain traction as stakeholders become more aware of the benefits of sustainable materials. The healthcare design industry, in particular hospitals, is putting more of an emphasis on how flooring materials can deliver benefits over the lifecycle of their facilities.
A recent study by Georgia Tech research associate Jennifer DuBose and College of Architecture graduate assistant Amaya Labrador shows that several elements need to be considered when choosing the correct floor for a hospital environment.
“We were able to create some guidelines for ensuring proper selection and installation of resilient flooring for hospitals,” said Dubose. “The feedback was essential as we looked at different floor materials in a variety of settings.”
DuBose said the research examined six hospitals that had selected and implemented sustainable resilient flooring, as well as survey responses from more than 600 people.
The study investigated the experience that architects, installers, facility managers and users had with alternative, green resilient flooring materials in hospital settings, focusing on several types of resilient flooring materials, including rubber, polyolefin and linoleum.
According to DuBose the research shed light on the lesser-known products. “We were able to identify key issues that I hope will lead to increased adoption.”
The research took into account several sustainability components for each flooring material included: indoor air quality from cleaning chemicals, cleaning procedures and back injury, working with harsh chemicals, durability, cost of ongoing maintenance, worker comfort and noise reduction were all components of sustainability that were investigated for each flooring material.
DuBose’s research shows that each flooring material has different benefits for the user. Each flooring material was rated for aesthetics; downtime needed for maintenance, comfort level, initial cost, infection control, sustainability, health and life cycle costs.
Hospitals can choose a floor based on the component of the floor that is most important to them. For instance, a rubber floor has the advantage of being comfortable underfoot, needing little downtime for maintenance, and efficient for infection control while having a long life cycle.
However, if initial costs are the most important criteria, then VCT or sheet vinyl might be the best option. Linoleum got high marks for comfort, infection control, health and sustainability.
The research also showed that flooring installations are dependent on the overall process, which has several elements that all need to be done correctly to have a successful floor.
“Curing the slab, training the installers, selecting the right adhesives and using them in the right place are all part of the equation,” said DuBose. “In many ways the process is as important as the material.”
This research project was led by the Georgia Institute of Technology, with collaboration from Green Guide for Health CareTM, Healthy Building Network and Practice Greenhealth. Funding was provided by the Health Care Research Collaborative. The Research Collaborative was initiated by Health Care Without Harm, an international nonprofit coalition that promotes environmental responsibility in health care, and is coordinated by faculty of the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, with support from the Pioneer Portfolio of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Recommended Steps For Flooring Success Based on Feedback Gathered through the Research Project:
One of the main purposes of this research effort was to capture lessons learned from people who had used rubber, polyolefin and linoleum in order to share those lessons with other hospital design stakeholders. From the case study interviews, we gleaned some lessons that should help you succeed with your resilient flooring choices.
