Floor Coverings Research Articles

Compliant flooring to prevent fall-related injuries in older adults: A scoping review of biomechanical efficacy, clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and workplace safety.

BackgroundCompliant flooring, broadly defined as flooring systems or floor coverings with some level of shock absorbency, may reduce the incidence and severity of fall-related injuries in older adults; however, a lack of synthesized evidence may be limiting widespread uptake.MethodsInformed by the Arksey and O’Malley framework and guided by a Research Advisory Panel of knowledge users, we conducted a scoping review to answer: what is presented about the biomechanical efficacy, clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and workplace safety associated with compliant flooring systems that aim to prevent fall-related injuries in healthcare settings? We searched academic and grey literature databases. Any record that discussed a compliant flooring system and at least one of biomechanical efficacy, clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, or workplace safety was eligible for inclusion. Two independent reviewers screened and abstracted records, charted data, and summarized results.ResultsAfter screening 3611 titles and abstracts and 166 full-text articles, we included 84 records plus 56 companion (supplementary) reports. Biomechanical efficacy records (n = 50) demonstrate compliant flooring can reduce fall-related impact forces with minimal effects on standing and walking balance. Clinical effectiveness records (n = 20) suggest that compliant flooring may reduce injuries, but may increase risk for falls. Preliminary evidence suggests that compliant flooring may be a cost-effective strategy (n = 12), but may also result in increased physical demands for healthcare workers (n = 17).ConclusionsIn summary, compliant flooring is a promising strategy for preventing fall-related injuries from a biomechanical perspective. Additional research is warranted to confirm whether compliant flooring (i) prevents fall-related injuries in real-world settings, (ii) is a cost-effective intervention strategy, and (iii) can be installed without negatively impacting workplace safety. Avenues for future research are provided, which will help to determine whether compliant flooring is recommended in healthcare environments.

直張り床の変形特性と日常の安全性，快適性に関する諸性能の関係

Floors in residential buildings require performance assessment with respect to daily safety and comfortableness. This is especially important for floors in Japanese houses which are used without shoes, retirement facilities and rehabilitation facilities. For these aforementioned floors, the following performances are required: ·Floor stiffness during walking ·Titubation during walking ·Floor stiffness during activities where soles are not in contact with no-shoe-floors such as sitting and lying down ·Floor stiffness during collision when a subject falls down The following performances are standard for no-shoes-floors: ·Lightweight floor impact sound insulation property ·Walking floor impact sound insulation property In addition, with the aging society in Japan, the runnability of castor or a wheelchair is also becoming an important performance requirement. These performances are influenced by the deformation characteristics of the floor in the vertical direction. However, the degree of influence is not clear as it varies depending on the material of the floor and the construction methods. This needs to be quantified in order to appropriately specify floor coverings for new buildings. This research focused on identifying the extent of influence of certain floor materials and construction methods on the performance of floors. In addition, an investigation of the relationship between various performances and deformation characteristics was performed. The scope of the research involves floor coverings on concrete groundwork commonly used in Japanese residences including wooden floor, tatami mat, PVC sheeting and tiles and carpet. The methodology of investigation involved two stages. Firstly, 63 floor coverings with varying deformation characteristics were selected and sample floors were made by gluing these onto a rigid concrete groundwork. The performance value of each sample was compared to the evaluation of building users which was measured via methods including those established in past research and specified in the Japan Industrial Standards. The second stage involved the development of a device which can measure deformation characteristics via static loading. This device was used to measure the deformation characteristics of the samples and thus, relationships between these results and performance values were evaluated. In summary, it was found that the deformation of a specific point within a particular load region on the floor covering influences the performance of the floor in regards to daily safety and comfortableness. The relationship between various floor performances and the deformation characteristics of each floor covering was quantified. The results of this research can be effectively used by developers to appropriately specify floors which satisfy a range of floor performances.

ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ КОРРОЗИОННОСТОЙКИХ ТИПОВ ПОЛОВ И НАПОЛЬНЫХ ПОКРЫТИЙ, ПРИМЕНЯЕМЫХ В ЗДАНИЯХ КОНЕВОДЧЕСКОГО НАПРАВЛЕНИЯ (НА ПРИМЕРЕ КОНЮШЕН)

ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ КОРРОЗИОННОСТОЙКИХ ТИПОВ ПОЛОВ И НАПОЛЬНЫХ ПОКРЫТИЙ, ПРИМЕНЯЕМЫХ В ЗДАНИЯХ КОНЕВОДЧЕСКОГО НАПРАВЛЕНИЯ (НА ПРИМЕРЕ КОНЮШЕН)

The use of artificial neural networks for mathematical modeling of the effect of composition and production conditions on the properties of PVC floor coverings

The application of PVC floor coverings is strongly connected with their end-use properties, which depend on the composition and processing conditions. It is very difficult to estimate the proper influence of the production parameters on the characteristics of PVC floor coverings due to their complex composition and various preparation procedures. The effect of different processing variables (such as time of bowling, temperature of bowling and composition of PVC plastisol) on the mechanical properties of PVC floor coverings was investigated. The influence of different input parameters on the mechanical properties was successfully determined using an artificial neural network with an optimized number of hidden neurons. The Garson and Yoon models were applied to calculate and describe the variable contributions in the artificial neural networks.

The U.S. Carpet Industry: History, Industry Dynamics, and a Simple Model for Short-Term Forecasting

This article presents a simple model that can be used to assess the current situation of the carpet industry and develop a short-term outlook for it. Using quarterly data over the time period 1999:Q1–2016:Q2, we build a regression model of U.S. carpet industry shipments. We find that the recent leveling-off of shipments is likely to persist. While housing recovery will aid the demand for carpeting, increases in income are likely to be offsetting, as the switch to alternative floor coverings will be ongoing.

Correlative relations between three-body abrasion wear resistance and petrographic properties of selected granites used as floor coverings

Stone tiles used as flooring materials in buildings are subject to three-body abrasion wear due to pedestrian traffic. Hence, wear resistance characterization of stone materials is an important issue in civil engineering projects for appropriate selection and design of floor coverings. The objective of the present work was to identify the most influential quantitative petrographic properties of granites affecting their wear resistance values determined by the Wide Wheel Abrasion (WWA) test. For this purpose, petrographic analyzes and abrasion wear tests were performed on selected granites showing variations in their mineral modal composition, grain size distribution, hardness, porosity and density values. Results of the statistical analyzes indicate that the abrasion resistance of the tested granites is more influenced by modal mineral composition than the grain size. The overall Rosiwal hardness (HR) and the presently proposed petrographic index ‘quartz to all cleavable minerals ratio’ (Q/CLV), both have the potential to be employed as effective tools for obtaining preliminary estimations of abrasion resistance in similar granite types. Micro-hardness determined by the Knoop indenter did not prove to be a reliable indicator of granite wear resistance, which is in disagreement with the Archard's classical wear law formulated for relatively homogeneous and isotropic materials.

Combustability of building products versus fire safety

Abstract The combustion process is described and analysed based on the experimental results in the context of building fire safety. Data are obtained by means of five standard methods: ISO 5657 ignitability test, ISO 5657 cone calorimeter, ISO 9705 room corner test, EN ISO 1716 small calorimeter, and EN ISO 1182 small furnace. Various categories of building products were tested: cellulose based products (particle boards, plywoods), solid wood, floor coverings, concrete, ceramics, insulations (thermal and/or acoustic), boards (wall/ceiling), mortars, adhesives, and thin coatings. The studied products exhibited very different fire properties from non-combustible to easily combustible. In order to more effectively differentiate non-combustibles and combustibles within building products, the modified heat of combustion was calculated using all test results according to EN ISO 1716 and EN ISO 1182. The revision of criteria for Euro class A1 and A2 is proposed to obtain more realistic reaction-to-fire evaluation. In conclusion, it is advised to use single limit for heat of combustion for A1 and A2 Euro class. The proposed approach for modified heat of combustion is a convenient tool for the fast and cost-effective initial test method for non-combustibility evaluation and seems to be the proper method for distinguishing between non-combustibles and combustibles within building products. It is a better reflection of the real physical process of combustion than the current one. The third A1 criterion is questionable, regarding time to auto-ignition in EN ISO 1182 cylindrical furnace. The measurement for gross heat of combustion by EN ISO 1716 method is proposed for all Euro classes of building products with different limit values.

Multiple Aspects of Comparing Surface Properties of Ceramic Tiles Regarding Slip Resistance

The objective of this study was to determine the affecting factors that can possibly change slipperiness of flooring. Laboratory slip resistance tests were conducted under different surface conditions. Two different methods were used to measure 6 different ceramic tiles. This article has its focus mainly on the required security and its quantification during the service life of floor coverings. Slip resistance of ceramic tiling can change with use. It is worth to investigate the effect of cleaning agents on slipperiness of floors, because it could be more dangerous when the cleaning process is in progress, so the surface is still in wet state or partly covered by liquid. This paper makes a comparative analysis on the different measurement methods and sliders that rub against the surface. In case of public and residential buildings slip resistance and surface roughness associated with cleanability, all have influence on safety in use and durability. The results showed that the perceived surface roughness parameters could be used as indicator of slipperiness and supplement objective measurement of this performance.

Ground reaction force and required friction during stair ascent and descent

AbstractA stair climbing experiment was performed using a four‐stair instrumented stairway. A force platform was mounted in the first stair. Four floor surfaces, including the original force platform surface and three additional floor coverings on the platform, were tested. Human subjects wore the same type of lab shoes and ascended and descended the stairway. Their ground reaction forces were collected. The results showed that when descending, the double‐stair condition resulted in significant (p < .0001) higher vertical ground reaction force at foot landing as compared to the single‐stair condition. The vertical ground reaction force at foot push‐off for stair ascent were significantly (p < .0001) higher than those for stair descent. The mean required coefficient of friction ranged from 0.086 to 0.245 and from 0.051 to 0.246 for foot landing and foot push‐off spots, respectively. Stair descent required significant (p < .001) higher friction than stair ascent both at foot landing and push‐off. Double‐stair stepping required higher friction than single‐stair stepping. Stair descent should be of primary concern in assessing the risk of slip‐ and fall‐related incidents on stairway, and double‐stair descent should be avoided.

A best space for assisted wheelchair users

Introduction Occupational therapists lack manual-handling sensitive tools to assist individual adaptation specifications for assisted wheelchair users, for example, corridor-room turns for extra-long wheelchairs. Method Engineering-based methods identified an experimental set-up. This provided a useful representation of possible manoeuvres in five tasks and proposed a turn difficulty order. Experienced wheelchair assistants ( n = 22) selected their maximum comfortable wheelchair weight for each turn. Results Some participants (3/22) were insensitive to turning-space but all other participants (19/22) chose their lowest maximum comfortable weight for the tightest turning-space and 17/19 chose their highest weights for space permitting a slow turn. Mean percentage weight increased by 30% from tight to slow turning-space. Results are statistically significant and clinically important. Experimental set-up was similar to assisting in confined spaces; participants were experienced in working in spacious environments and had recent manual-handling training so results are supported by good manual-handling practice. Assistant-size impact on easiest (highest weight) turning-space is small. Results are applicable to all floor coverings and wheelchair sizes but not to self-propelling wheelchair users. Results are incorporated into a tool, demonstrated by case study. Conclusion Tool-use specifies a best adaptation.

The Influence of Internal Wall and Floor Covering Materials and Ventilation Type on Indoor Radon and Thoron Levels in Hospitals of Kermanshah, Iran.

BackgroundBuilding materials and the ventilation rate of a building are two main factors influencing indoor radon and thoron levels (two radioactive gases which have the most important role in human natural radiation exposure within dwellings).ObjectivesThis analytical descriptive study was intended to determine the relationship between indoor radon and thoron concentrations and the building materials used in interior surfaces, as well as between those concentrations and the type of ventilation system (natural or artificial).Materials and Methods102 measurements of radon and thoron levels were taken from different parts of three hospital buildings in the city of Kermanshah in the west of Iran, using an RTM-1688-2 radon meter. Information on the type of building material and ventilation system in the measurement location was collected and then analyzed using Stata 8 software and multivariate linear regression.ResultsIn terms of radon and thoron emissions, travertine and plaster were found to be the most appropriate and inappropriate covering for walls, respectively. Furthermore, granite and travertine were discovered to be inappropriate materials for flooring, while plastic floor covering was found suitable. Natural ventilation performed better for radon, while artificial ventilation worked better for thoron.ConclusionsInternal building materials and ventilation type affect indoor radon and thoron concentrations. Therefore, the use of proper materials and adequate ventilation can reduce the potential human exposure to radon and thoron. This is of utmost importance, particularly in buildings with a high density of residents, including hospitals.

Evaluation of Reduction Performance of Floor Impact Sound on Floor Covering in the Reverberation Chamber

In order to reduce floor impact sound in apartment houses, 30 types of floor coverings were chosen to evaluate a performance of reduction in impact sound in the reverberation chamber. In the test of performance of reduction in impact sound using bang machine, a performance of impact sound reduction can be ensured at a low frequency band of 63 Hz and 100 Hz. However, impact sound was amplified at a band of 80 Hz and 125 Hz except for some floor coverings. In the test of performance of reduction in impact sound using a rubber ball drop at a height of 100 cm, a performance of reduction in impact sound was improved from a band of 50 Hz up to 400 Hz. In the test of rubber ball drop at a height of 40 cm, which was similar to the impact of children's running, a performance of reduction in impact sound was improved from a band of 80 Hz and 160 Hz up to 400 Hz.

コンクリート床下地の水分量が引きずり荷重による張り床のふくれにおよぼす影響

A moisture content of concrete substrate is one of important factors of durability floor performance. It is known experientially, that an amount of moisture causes lower bonding between concrete substrate and covering floor and makes some problems. Unfortunately, the quantitative measurement studies of the relationship are not enough. And it has not defined a moisture content index based on scientific evidence to prevent durability floor performance problems. In this study, we declared a quantitative relationship between the moisture content of concrete substrate and wrinkling shape of the covering floors generated by dragging load. As the sample of dragging load, we are focusing on a behavior of an electric bed with locking casters in hospitals. Wrinkling caused by the electric bed is effected by characteristics of covering materials and an amount of moisture of concrete substrate. Under our premises, using some kinds of covering materials, we investigated the relationship between moisture content and wrinkling shape by the dragging load. At first, concrete substrates pasted polyvinyl chloride sheets were constructed as test-samples for experiments. The concrete substrates are defined 5 levels about “moisture content grades” by Japan Research Conference of Floor Construction Technology. The moisture content of the concrete substrates was managed using high frequency capacitance moisture meter. And, some floor coverings were pasted on these substrates. They were chosen that 5 combinations of the floor coverings and adhesives which are frequently used in hospitals. 25 samples were experimented to generate the wrinkling using an experimental device. This device can reproduce the dragging load on covering floors by moving test samples with applying vertical load through a locked caster. We investigated the results of the experiment focusing on height of the wrinkling. The results of this study are as follows. 1) Moisture content of substrate took effect deeply in wrinkling by dragging load. Decreasing moisture content was prone to be lower the wrinkling height. Therefore, sufficient drying process of substrate was effective against wrinkling height of covering floors. 2) We investigated the relationship between the moisture content and a height of wrinkling in each moisture levels in base case of “Grade I” which is the driest state. As a result, the wrinkling height is approximately equal to the height in “Grade I” when substrate dried until “Grade IIa”. Therefore, we suggests “Grade IIa” is the best index as a criterion of moisture content to prevent wrinkling. As mentioned above, though this investigation is limited in the kinds of materials and the kinds of problems, we suggested a criterion index on moisture content of substrate based on the quantitative evidence. As our future plan, we will to investigate and define criteria on concrete substrate to solve other problems of durability floor performance in similar methods.

Geotechnical Materials for Floor Covering: Dioritic Noritic “Granite” Plates Structural Behavior

Geotechnical Materials for Floor Covering: Dioritic Noritic “Granite” Plates Structural Behavior

The Effect of Furniture and Floor Covering Upon Dynamic Thermal Building Simulations

In this paper, the impact of modelling furniture and floor covering in thermal building simulations is analysed and a distinct effect upon the simulated room temperatures under dynamic temperature control conditions is found. For the thermal steady state, the impact is negligible and for short-time temperature reductions, as know from night temperature set-back, the found differences are also not significant. However, if a room is dynamically heated, for example while charging its thermal mass as a measure of load shifting, distinct temperature differences between empty and furnished rooms are detected. After just 4 hours of increased set temperature, an empty massive room was 1.2 K warmer than the same modelled room with laminate flooring and furniture inside. If such simulation results are used to control load shifting activities, the system's scope of operation which is already restricted through the narrow comfort range of residents, could be yet further reduced.

A Study of Temperature Set Point Strategies for Peak Power Reduction in Residential Buildings

This paper presents an experimental and theoretical study of the dynamic response of residential buildings with different levels of thermal mass and their respective space heating peak demands for different room temperature set point profiles. Experiments were conducted at two identical and highly instrumented houses. One of them is modified with different floor coverings, while the other one is kept unchanged and used for reference. Their dynamic response to a night time setback set point profile with step changes is monitored and analyzed. Equivalent RC network thermal models are developed for a north zone of the houses. These models are then used to study the impact of set point ramping lengths and “near-optimal” transition curves between two temperatures on the peak demand reductions, while maintaining thermal comfort. It was found that, while taking into consideration the thermal response of the building due to the level of mass, an appropriate yet simple set point strategy to reduce peak electricity demand can be established. For a room with wood flooring, by replacing the conventional night time setback temperature profile with a one hour or two hour ramp, peak demand reductions of up to 10% and 25% can be achieved, respectively.

Influence of Floor Covering Composition on Force Attenuation during Falls, Wheelchair Mobility, and Slip Resistance

Influence of Floor Covering Composition on Force Attenuation during Falls, Wheelchair Mobility, and Slip Resistance

Determinants on ambient PM2.5 infiltration in non-heating season for urban residences in Beijing: Building characteristics, interior surface coverings and human behavior

Ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution is currently a major public health concern in Chinese urban areas. However, assessment of ambient PM2.5 exposure and its health effects is challenging in China because the exposure primarily occurs indoors. There is large inter-home variability of the fraction of ambient PM2.5 that penetrates indoors and remains airborne (Finf), and the factors influencing this variability are unknown. In this study, 24-h real-time indoor and outdoor PM2.5 mass concentrations were concurrently collected for 41 urban residences in the non-heating season. The Finf were estimated with steady-state and dynamic models derived from mass balance considerations. Multivariate statistical analyses were employed to examine the associations between Finf and 78 factors related to building characteristics, motor vehicle traffic, human behavior, meteorology, furnishings, and atmospheric/indoor chemistry. The estimate of Finf over the 24-h monitoring period with the steady-state model was 0.72 ± 0.01; the Finf estimate for single residences, using the dynamic model, were 0.59 ± 0.13 (N = 33). Two predictive models for Finf were constructed with categorical and numerical variables, respectively. The results revealed that building characteristics, traffic, wall and floor coverings, and human behavior had substantial influence on Finf in the non-heating season. The variance contributions of the determinants of traffic, wall and floor coverings, and human behavior were comparable to or even greater than those of the building characteristics.

Pyrolysis Model Development for a Multilayer Floor Covering.

Comprehensive pyrolysis models that are integral to computational fire codes have improved significantly over the past decade as the demand for improved predictive capabilities has increased. High fidelity pyrolysis models may improve the design of engineered materials for better fire response, the design of the built environment, and may be used in forensic investigations of fire events. A major limitation to widespread use of comprehensive pyrolysis models is the large number of parameters required to fully define a material and the lack of effective methodologies for measurement of these parameters, especially for complex materials. The work presented here details a methodology used to characterize the pyrolysis of a low-pile carpet tile, an engineered composite material that is common in commercial and institutional occupancies. The studied material includes three distinct layers of varying composition and physical structure. The methodology utilized a comprehensive pyrolysis model (ThermaKin) to conduct inverse analyses on data collected through several experimental techniques. Each layer of the composite was individually parameterized to identify its contribution to the overall response of the composite. The set of properties measured to define the carpet composite were validated against mass loss rate curves collected at conditions outside the range of calibration conditions to demonstrate the predictive capabilities of the model. The mean error between the predicted curve and the mean experimental mass loss rate curve was calculated as approximately 20% on average for heat fluxes ranging from 30 to 70 kW·m−2, which is within the mean experimental uncertainty.

The feasibility of eliminating podoconiosis.

Podoconiosis is an inflammatory disease caused by prolonged contact with irritant minerals in soil. Major symptoms include swelling of the lower limb (lymphoedema) and acute pain. The disease has major social and economic consequences through stigma and loss of productivity. In the last five years there has been good progress in podoconiosis research and control. Addressing poverty at household level and infrastructure development such as roads, water and urbanization can all help to reduce podoconiosis incidence. Specific control methods include the use of footwear, regular foot hygiene and floor coverings. Secondary and tertiary prevention are based on the management of the lymphoedema-related morbidity and include foot hygiene, foot care, wound care, compression, exercises, elevation of the legs and treatment of acute infections. Certain endemic countries are taking the initiative to include podoconiosis in their national plans for the control of neglected tropical diseases and to scale up interventions against the disease. Advocacy is needed for provision of shoes as a health intervention. We suggest case definitions and elimination targets as a starting point for elimination of the disease.