{"64119":{"#nid":"64119","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Sustainable Flooring Benefits Hospitals in a Variety of Ways","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESustainability\nin construction and design continues to gain traction as stakeholders become\nmore aware of the benefits of sustainable materials. The healthcare design industry,\nin particular hospitals, is putting more of an emphasis on how flooring\nmaterials can deliver benefits over the lifecycle of their facilities.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003EA\nrecent study by Georgia Tech research associate Jennifer DuBose and College of\nArchitecture graduate assistant Amaya Labrador shows that several elements need\nto be considered when choosing the correct floor for a hospital environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\nwere able to create some guidelines for ensuring proper selection and\ninstallation of resilient flooring for hospitals,\u201d said Dubose.\u0026nbsp; \u201cThe feedback was essential as we looked at\ndifferent floor materials in a variety of settings.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003EDuBose\nsaid the research examined six hospitals that had selected and implemented sustainable\nresilient flooring, as well as survey responses from more than 600 people. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe\nstudy investigated the experience that architects, installers, facility\nmanagers and users had with alternative, green resilient flooring materials in hospital\nsettings, focusing on several types of resilient flooring materials, including\nrubber, polyolefin and linoleum.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording\nto DuBose the research shed light on the lesser-known products. \u201cWe were able\nto identify key issues that I hope will lead to increased adoption.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research took into account\nseveral sustainability components for each flooring material included: indoor\nair quality from cleaning chemicals, cleaning procedures and back injury,\nworking with harsh chemicals, durability, cost of ongoing maintenance, worker\ncomfort and noise reduction were all components of sustainability that were\ninvestigated for each flooring material.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003EDuBose\u2019s\nresearch shows that each flooring material has different benefits for the user.\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Each flooring material was rated for aesthetics;\ndowntime needed for maintenance, comfort level, initial cost, infection\ncontrol, sustainability, health and life cycle costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003EHospitals\ncan choose a floor based on the component of the floor that is most important\nto them.\u0026nbsp; For instance, a rubber floor\nhas the advantage of being comfortable underfoot, needing little downtime for\nmaintenance, and efficient for infection control while having a long life\ncycle.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever,\nif initial costs are the most important criteria, then VCT or sheet vinyl might\nbe the best option.\u0026nbsp; Linoleum got high\nmarks for comfort, infection control, health and sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research also showed that flooring installations are dependent\non the overall process, which has several elements that all need to be done\ncorrectly to have a successful floor.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCuring the slab, training the installers, selecting the right adhesives\nand using them in the right place are all part of the equation,\u201d said DuBose.\u0026nbsp; \u201cIn many ways the process is as important as\nthe material.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThis research project was led by the Georgia Institute of\nTechnology, with collaboration from Green Guide for Health CareTM, Healthy\nBuilding Network and Practice Greenhealth. Funding was provided by the Health\nCare Research Collaborative. The Research Collaborative was initiated by Health\nCare Without Harm, an international nonprofit coalition that promotes\nenvironmental responsibility in health care, and is coordinated by faculty of\nthe University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, with support\nfrom the Pioneer Portfolio of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecommended\nSteps For Flooring Success Based on Feedback Gathered through the Research Project:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of the main purposes of this\nresearch effort was to capture lessons learned from people who had used rubber,\npolyolefin and linoleum in order to share those lessons with other hospital\ndesign stakeholders. From the case study interviews, we gleaned some lessons\nthat should help you succeed with your resilient flooring choices.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDetermine\nthe needs: Before making a decision on what material to use, talk to the end\nusers and find out what their needs are - for example, the performance\nrequirements for the space, the ability for maintenance to get in and have\naccess for cleaning, and the look that they want. See Table 3 for a quick guide\nto which materials help meet specific goals \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETouch and\ntest samples: Obtain samples that people can see and feel and, if possible,\ninstall a small area of multiple types of flooring for users to evaluate. Put\nsome of your tougher staining substances on the product and let them sit for an\nhour before cleaning to evaluate stain resistance.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDo your\nresearch: Get the manufacturer to provide references for other hospitals that\nhave used the product in a similar application. Call those other hospitals and\nget feedback from clinicians, environmental services and the facility manager.\nGo and visit, if possible, to see the floor firsthand. Ask your insurance\ncompany to test the coefficient of friction for the material when it is dry,\nwet and when freshly finished to see if the product will provide you with a\nsafe environment.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMake an\ninclusive decision: Narrow the selection down based on the information and feedback\ngathered in the previous steps. Involve select, key people from the affected\ndepartments in the final decision.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEnsure a\nquality installation: Set clear guidelines for preparation of the subfloor to\ncreate the conditions needed for the specified flooring material. Check the\nqualifications and experience of the installer and verify references and\nfeedback from the other projects they have done. Allow adequate time in the\nconstruction schedule for acclimatizing the building before installation. After\ninstallation, allow the required amount of time before permitting traffic into\nthe area.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EInform the\nstakeholders: Make sure environmental services staff are trained in the proper\nmaintenance procedures and have the appropriate equipment and supplies. Educate\nthe clinical staff about the flooring choice and what they should expect in\nterms of the cleaning protocol.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMeasure the\nresults: Check in with the environmental services department and clinical staff\nto document their impressions of the floor after several months in service.\nTrack any impacts such as comfort, acoustics, falls or reduced maintenance\ncosts that were anticipated.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EInstitutionalize\nthe findings: Based on the performance of the flooring material, make changes\nto the system standards and procedures so that other facilities or future\nprojects in the same system can benefit from your experience.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\n\n\nSustainability\nin construction and design continues to gain traction as stakeholders become\nmore aware of the benefits of sustainable materials. The healthcare design industry,\nin particular hospitals, is putting more of an emphasis on how flooring\nmaterials can deliver benefits over the lifecycle of their facilities.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"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."}],"uid":"27304","created_gmt":"2011-02-08 10:42:32","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:08:06","author":"Matthew Nagel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-02-08T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-02-08T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"64117":{"id":"64117","type":"image","title":"Jennifer DuBose","body":null,"created":"1449176720","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:05:20","changed":"1475894564","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:44","alt":"Jennifer DuBose","file":{"fid":"191943","name":"dubose_flooring_2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dubose_flooring_2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dubose_flooring_2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1950119,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/dubose_flooring_2_0.jpg?itok=68p9j2Xf"}},"64118":{"id":"64118","type":"image","title":"Hospital Flooring Materials","body":null,"created":"1449176720","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:05:20","changed":"1475894564","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:44","alt":"Hospital Flooring Materials","file":{"fid":"191944","name":"dubose_flooring.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dubose_flooring_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dubose_flooring_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2831130,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/dubose_flooring_0.jpg?itok=GPO1fLBx"}}},"media_ids":["64117","64118"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.coa.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech College of Architecture"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.arch.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech College of Architecture"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.hsi.gatech.edu\/about\/","title":"Health Systems Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"137","name":"Architecture"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"926","name":"College of Architecture"},{"id":"479","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"2494","name":"Health Systems Institute"},{"id":"11838","name":"Hospital Flooring Materials"},{"id":"11836","name":"Jennifer Dubose"},{"id":"167177","name":"School of Architecture"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mattnagel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}