U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

BUILDING

MATERIALS

AND

STRUCTURES

REPORT BMS43

Performance Test of

Floor Coverings for Use in

Low-Cost Housing: Part 2

by

PERCY A. SIGLER

and ELMER A. KOERNER

NATIONAL

BUREAU OF STANDARDS
The program of research on building materials and structures, carried on by the

National Bureau of Standards, was undertaken with the assistance of the Central Housing Committee, an informal organization of Government agencies concerned with

housing construction and finance, which is cooperating in the investigations through a subcommittee of principal technical assistants.

CENTRAL HOUSING COMMITTEE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON TECHNICAL RESEARCH

Walter Junge, Chairman. A. C. Shire, Vice Chairman.

Federal Housing Administration. United States Housing Authority.

Sterling R. March, Secretary.

Albert G. Bear,

Veterans' Administration.

Pierre Blouke,

Federal Home Loan Bank Board (Federal Loan Agency).

Carroll W. Chamberlain,

Public Buildings Administration (Federal Works Agency)

Joseph M. DallaValle,

Public Health Service (Federal Security Agency).

John Donovan,

Farm Security Administration (Agriculture).

George E. Knox,

Yards and Docks (Navy).

Vincent B. Phelan,

National Bureau of Standards (Commerce).

Edward A. Poynton,

Office of Indian Affairs (Interior).

George W. Trayer,

Forest Service (Agriculture).

Elsmere J. Walters,

Construction Division (War).

CHAIRMEN OF SECTIONS

Specifications Materials Maintenance

Carroll W. Chamberlain Elsmere J. Walters John H. Schaefer

Mechanical Equipment Methods and Practices

Robert K. Thulman

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

STAFF COMMITTEE ON ADMINISTRATION AND COORDINATION

Hugh L. Dryden, Chairman.

Mechanics and Sound.

Phaon H. Bates, Gustav E. F. Lundell,

Clay and Silicate Products. Chemistry.

HoBART C. Dickinson, Addams S. McAllister,

Heat and Power. Codes and Specifications.

Warren E. Emley, Henry S. Rawdon,

Organic and Fibrous Materials. Metallurgy.

The Forest Products Laboratory of the United States Department of Agriculture

is cooperating with both committees on investigations of wood constructions.

[For list of BMS publications and how to purchase, see cover page III.]
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OK COMMERCE • Harry I,. Hopkins, Secretary

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS Lyman J. Briggs, Director BUILDING MATERIALS

and STRUCTURES

REPORT EMS43

Performance Test of Floor Coverings for Use in Low-Cost Housing: Part 2

by

PERCY A. SIGLER

and ELMER A. KOERNER

ISSUED FEBRUARY 13, 1940

The National Bureau of Standards is a fact-finding organization;

it does not "approve" any particular material or method ot construction. The technical findings in this series of reports are to be construed accordingly.

UNITED

FOR SALE

STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE • WASHINGTON

BY THE SUPERINTENDE>fT OF DOCUMENTS, WASHINGTON, D. C. • PRICE

I 940

CENTS
Foreword

In connection with the research program on building materials suitable for low-cost

hoTise construction being conducted by the National Bureau of Standards, performance

tests have been made on different floor coverings and adhesives in order to determine

their relative ability to withstand severe service. Lack of available information on many important factors makes direct comparisons in service difficult. This report presents the results of tests on a second series of 40 installations in the

Bureau's floor-testing chamber, as a supplement to report BMS34. The condition of

these installations at the end of the test is discussed and I'epresentative photographs are shown. A performance test on a third series of 40 installations is in progress.

Lyman J. Briggs, Director.

[n]
Performance Test of Floor Coverings for Use in Low-(^ost

Housing: Part 2

by Percy A. Sigler and Elmer A. Koernkr

CONTENTS

Page

Foreword ii IV.

I. Introduction 1 V.

II. Floor-testing chamber and equipment. _ 2 VI.

III. Test conditions and procedure 3 VII.

Description of test installations 3 Results 5 Comments 20

Selected references 20

ABSTRACT

In the second series, 40 test installations were subjected to a performance test in the floor-testing chamber

of the National Bureau of Standards. Included in the

tests were battleship hnoleum, rubber in sheet and tile form, felt-base floor coverings having various wearing

surfaces, three monolithic floors, and a number of asphalt tiles. The bonding agents used included lignin

pastes, resinous cements, latex adhesives, rubber ce- ments, cut-back asphalt, and asphalt emulsions. Installations were made on both concrete and wood

subfloors. Descriptions of the testing equipment and

test installations are given. Results showing the rela- tive depth of the depressions in the floor coverings

during the test are presented in tables. Brief summaries

showing the performance of the test panels are given,

and the appearance of the different floor coverings

after 48,000 cycles of the testing equipment is shown by

representative photographs.

I. INTRODUCTION

Durability in relation to cost is important to the consumer confronted with a flooring problem. Often the consumer is willing to sacrifice some durability in order to obtain a floor covering which has decorative appeal or one which

possesses a particular characteristic essential to

his problem. There are many properties of a

floor covering which have a bearing on its durability in service, such as resistance to abrasion,

crushing strength, indentation characteristics,

tear resistance, aging properties, effect of moisture and temperature, and resistance to cleansing and finishing materials. In service, floor coverings are subjected to many different types of exposure, and as a

result there may be wide variations in the length

of service rendered by similar floor coverings.

Lack of information on and variations in such

important factors as quality of merchandise

used, condition of subfloor, method of instaUation, extent and nature of maintenance, and the

magnitude of the exposure and abuses to which

the floor covering is subjected make direct comparisons in service difficult. In a laboratory performance test, it is possible

to control many of the factors aft'ecting per- formance in service. However, it has not been

found possible to include all sucli factors in any

one test. In order to obtain results within a comparatively short tune, a laboratory test must necessarily be accelerated and severe. The National Bureau of Standards has con- ducted performance tests on various types of

floor coverings and various methods of intalla- tion in connection with a research program on

building materials suitable for low-cost house

construction [1].^ This report presents the

results obtained on a second series of installations. The residts obtained on the first series of installations have been reported in BMS34

[2]. The only alteration in the equipment used

in the two series of tests was the substitution

of a rubber-tired truck wheel for one of the

two steel-rimmed truck wheels used in the first series. No attempt was made to ascertain the

efl'ects of such factors, as flnishing coats, maintenance, age, moisture, and temperature on the

durability or performance of the test installations.

1 Figures in brackets indicate the literature references at the end of this report.

[1]
The tcstiiii;' ('(|iii|)iiu>nt was a iiiodilicalioii ol'

(lia( ])i-oviously used in a study ol' indusirialtyi)c lloors for the Procurement Division of the

Treasury Department [3]. The materials tested

represented good-quaUty merchandise in the

lower-cost grades of each type. The generous

cooperation of manufacturers in furnishing

materials for test is gratefully acknowledged.

Lalxu-atoi-y iuA'Csli^alions are also beinu'

and (he various lloor coverings anil adhesives were installed in these spaces for test. Two

different installations, 3 ft long, were made in

each test space.

Figiu-e 1 shows a portion of the circular track

and the testing equipment used in this perfoi iuance test. The equipment consisted of a

])la tform truck, A, equipped with two wheels 1

2

in. hi diam. The hmer wheel, B, had a solid

FuiUKK 1.— Flooi-li ,sli III/ cqu) piiicril.

conihictcd on (hr various (loor (•o\ orings and

adhesives to iUM ermine (heir i-(>hilive nuM'its with respect to pertinent properties, as oiilMncMl

in NBS Letter Cireular LC502 F [4, -)|.

11. KLOOK-TESTING CHA^IBER AND

EQUIPMENT

The floor-testing chamber contains a concrete

circular track 4 fl wi(h\ S'-j in. tliieU, and a])- pidxinia telv 10 ft in diani, with a nu^lal-shod

concrete curb on esieh side. The circular track

is divided into 20 test spaces by metal tln-esli- olds, (i\e surfaces of wliieli are 4 in. abo\ e structui'al shd>. A\'oo(l or ('tuicrele sublloors

rubber tire, 2^. uv. wide, and carried a load of ap]3roxunately 500 lb. The outer wheel had a

slightly crowned steel rim, 3 in. wide, and

carried a load of approximately 600 lb. On the

front of the truck were mounted two lever

mechanisms, C. A steel-ball caster, F, 1 in. in diam, was attached to one of the levers and

exerted a. force of f 0 lb normal to the track. A

swivel steel-wheel caster, 2 ill. m diam and "s in. wide, was attached to the other lever and

exerted a force of 20 lb normal to the track. Hehcal spru\gs, P. were used for a])plying the loads on the casters. The eq\iipmei\t was propelled around the

track hi a clockwise direction, at about 2 miles
an hour, by a wheel, G, 4 ft in diam, wliicli carried a load of approximately 275 lb. Tlie

wheel was shod with eight wooden blocks, H, 6

I by 13 by I}? in., which were covered with a

: cushioniiig layer of nd)ber Yi, in. thick and a wearing surface of leather in. thick. This

arrangement produced a btnnpnig and slipping

action between the wheel and the test floors

I and imitated, to some extent, a walking action.

During the second half of the test. No. 3 grit

garnet cloth was placed over the eight leathersurfaced shoes m. order to accelerate the abrasive action. The average slippage of the

"walkhxg wheel" during the test was approxi-

, mately 1 percent.

The number of cycles around the track made

by the testing equipment was recorded by a

^ counter, R, mounted at the side of the track

' and operated by an arm attached to the truck.

I A dial depth gage was used to measm-e the

! depth of compression and wear caused by the

walking wheel and the truck wheels.

A more detailed description of the equipment

1 is given in report BMS34.

III. TEST CONDITIONS AND

i PROCEDURE

I With the exception of one test panel, the

concrete subfloors used in this test were the

I I same subfloors used in the first series of tests. The concrete consisted of 1 part of cement, 3

1 parts of sand, and 4 parts of gravel, with a

j steel-troweled finish. The siu-face of the coni Crete was thoroughly cleaned before installing

!

' the second series of floor coverings. With the

j exception of two test panels, new wood subfloors

L were installed and consisted of tongued-andi! grooved strip flooring, edge-grained Douglas

|, fir, in. thick, with a 2% in. face. The strip

I

! flooring was blind-nailed with 8d cut nails to

; four wooden sleepers spaced 12 in. on centers.

! The sleepers were approximately parallel to the direction of travel of the truck and were

j! embedded in concrete.

, The floor coverings and adhesives were iii- ^Istalled during the latter part of September and

[early part of October, 1938. Atmospheric con-

.jlditions in the testing chamber during the

nistallations ranged from 45 to 70 pei-ceni in rehitive humidity and from 65° to 80° I*" in temperature. A setting-ii]) period of at least two weeks was allowed b(vforo starling the test. The performance test covei-ed tlie |)eriod from

November I, 1938 to April 12, 1 939. Atmospheric conditions in the testing chand)ei'

during the o])eration of the t(>,st truck ranged

from 45 to 75 percenl in relativ^c^ Ininiidity and

from 30° to 75° F in temperature. The test

floors were swept at least once every 500 cycles

of the test truck to remove loose particles.

The 40 test installations were subjected to 50 cycles of the testing equipment, after wliich

reference marks of white enamel were placed

at intervals on the floor coverings and initial depth measm-ements were recorded for use in determining the depth of compression and wear made by the equipment. Five measurements

were taken of the path made by the walking

wheel on each of the 40 installations. Measurements were also taken on a few of the installa- tions of the paths made by the steel-rimmed

truck wheel and the rubber-tired truck wheel.

These measurements were repeated at 4,000,

10,000, 20,000, 24,000, 30,000, 40,000, and

48,000 cycles of the equipment. During the

first 24,000 cycles the eight shoes of the walking

wheel were surfaced with strips of leather belting, 6 in. wide. During the second 24,000 cycles

the shoes were surfaced with strips of No. 3 grit

garnet cloth, 6 in. wide, which were replaced

with new strips every 2,000 cycles. After

48,000 cycles of the equipment the test floors were washed with soap and water, and were

then photographed.

IV. DESCRIPTION OF TEST

INSTALLATIONS

In this second series of tests, five of the

installations in the first series were allowed to remain for an additional test. The 35 new

installations involved 21 different floor coverings and 12 dift'erent adhesives. With a few

exceptions, specimens of each floor covering were installed on both a concrete and a wood

subfloor. An outline of the test installations

is given in table 1.

[3]
Table 1.

Test installations and results of measurements for depth of com-pression and wear made by the "walking wheel"

Subfloor

Concrete- Wood

Concrete

Wood

Concrote, Wood - Concrete- Wood - Concrete- Wood «-

.

Concrete- Wood

Concrete- Wood f—

ConcreteWood e__ Concrete- W^ood s. - Concrete- Wood 8- Cement mortar

-doi>.i

Concrete i-

.-do-.

--do-- Wood

Concrete i'- Wood c

Concrete ^- Wood

Concrete Wood c Concrete Wood < Concrete

Wood'

Concrete ^.

Wood " Concrete Wood

Bonding agent

Alumina cement-latex adhesive- Lienin paste

Oil-base cement, resinous do

Casein-latex cement

do

Lignin paste do

Casein-latex cement.

do Resin cement, copal resin- do

Lignin paste do Rubber cement-

-do- Cut-back asphalt cement-

_do-

-do-

- doFloor covering as installed.

-do-

_do.

Cut-back asphalt cement..

Oil-base cement, resinousNailed, 2d casin? Cut-back asphalt

nail cementAsphalt emulsion, soap type. Cut-back asphalt cement---_-

Asphalt emulsion, clay typeCut-back asphalt cement

A.sphalt emulsion, Cut-back asphalt

Asphalt emulsion. Cut-back asphalt

Asphalt emulsion

.Asphalt emulsion.

clay type- ement

clay typs- cement

clay type- soap type -

.

-do- -do.

.do.

Floor covering

Type and description '

Battleship linoleum; plain pattern sreen..

.

do - Battleship linoleum: plain pattern, brown.

do

Sheet rubber; marbleized pattern, brown..

-do. -do-

-do- Rubber tile,« marbleized pattern, gray- do

-do-

-do- Composition felt base; jaspe pattern, brown;

wearing surface, nitrocellulose composition. do Mastic felt base; plain pattern, red; wearing

surface, pitch, and resin composition.

-do- Mastic felt base; plain pattern, black; wearing

surface, asphalt and pitch composition. do Mastic felt-base tile;* plain pattern, rod; wearing surface, asphalt and pitch composition. do Alumina cement-latex monolithic composition;

terrazzo pattern, red; aggregate, marble chips and volcanic ash; density, 120 Ib./ft.^; crushing strength. 1.600 lb. /in.

2

Magnesium oxychloride monolithic composition;

plain pattern, green; aggregate, marble dust, cotton fiber and copper powder; density, 108

lb./ft.3; crushing strength, 5,700 lb./in.2 Magnesium-oxychloride monolithic composition; plain pattern, red; aggregate, calcite; density, 108 lb./ft.3; crushing strength, 7,400

lb./in.2 Short-strip maple; equal-length shorts Pressed fiberboard; plain pattern, brown

do

Asphalt tile; < plain pattern, red; 1-minute in- dentation, 0.007 in.i Asphalt tile; " marbleized pattern, white; 1-minute indentation, 0.006 in.' Asphalt tile; < plain pattern, white; cumarresin type; 1-minute indentation, 0.010 in.' do Asphalt tile; > plain pattern, mahogany; asphalt

type; 1-minute indentation. 0.010 in.' do Asphalt tile; " plain pattern, white; cumarresin type; 1-minute indentation, 0.008 in.' do Asphalt tile;' plain pattern, mahogany; asphalt

type; 1-minute indentation, 0.009 in.

do Asphalt tile;« plain pattern, maroon; contained

scrap asphalt-roofing material; 1-minute indentation, 0.011 in.' do Asphalt tile;' plain pattern, black; 1-minute

indentation. 0.010 in.' do

Nominal thick- ness

Inch

Mo

2%:

Average depth of depression at

4,000 cycles

Inch

0.000

.003

.000

.000

.001

.002

.000

.001 .000

.001

.000

.001

.001

.003

.003

.002

.001

.000

.001

.002

.006

.001

.001

.001 .000

.003

.000

.003

.001

.002

.000

.003

.001

.002

.001

.002

.000

.000

.001

.001

f L, left half of panel; R, right half of panel (facing the panels from the inside of the circular track).

'> Color listed is the predominating color.

' Underlay of V/i Ib./yd.* asphalt-.saturated lining felt bonded to subfloor with lignin paste.

d Remaining from first series of tests. See report BMS34 for details of installation and results of first test.

e Size of tile, 9 by 9 in.

f Underlay of Ib./yd.' dry lining felt bonded to subfloor with lignin paste,

s No underlay of lining felt.

i" Mortar fill of 1 part of cement and 2 parts of sand, }! in. thick, over concrete and sleepers. Surface given a wood-float finish,

i Subfloor given a priming coat of cut-back resin varnish.

i Steel-troweled surface of subfloor thoroughly chipped and primed with magnesium-chloride solution.

t Subfloor given a priming coat of cut-back asphalt primer.

I Method prescribed in Federal Specification SS-T-306, Tile; -Asphalt. " Result of 10,000 cycles reported, due to warped condition of tiles at 24,000 cycles.

" Underlay of IH Ib./yd.* asphalt-saturated lining felt bonded to subfloor with adhesive listed.

[4]
V. RESULTS

The depth of the depressions in the floor coverings made by the walking wheel at 4,000,

24,000, and 48,000 cycles are recorded in table 1. In general, for the first 24,000 cycles the walking wheel, surfaced with leather, caused very

little wear. The depressions appeared to re- sult principally from compression and occurred

mainly within the first 4,000 cycles. For most

of the floor coverings the depressions were

greater on a wood subfloor than on a concrete

subfloor, especially where an underlay of lining

felt was used on the wood subfloor. Between

24,000 and 48,000 cycles the walking wheel

surfaced with abrasive cloth caused measurable amounts of wear on the floor coverings.

The average wear of the different floor coverings during this period is shown in table 2. The averages were computed from the dift'er- ence in the resiilts given in table 1 for depth

of compression and wear at 24,000 and 48,000

cycles.

Table 2.Average wear of floor coverings caused by

24,000 cycles of the "walking wheel" surfaced with

abrasive cloth "

Fliiur covci iiig k

Battleship linoleum, green

Battleship linoleum, brown " Sheet rubber, brown

Rubber tile, gray Composition felt base, brown

Mastic felt base, red Mastic felt base, black Mastic felt-base tile, red Cement-latex coniposilion, red Magnesiuni-oxychlorido composition, green Magnesium-oxychloride composition, red..

Short-strip maple ' Pressed fiberboard » Asphalt tile, Me in., red Asphalt tile, ]4i in., marbleized white

Asphalt tile. Vie in., white Asphalt tile. Me in., mahogany

Asphalt tile, !4 in., white Asphalt tile, !-i in., mahogany

Asphalt tile, )-i in., maroon

Asphalt tile, J4 in., black

Average

leptli of wear

nch.

0. 004

. 002

. 003

. 008

. OOfi

. 024

. 018 .017

. 056

. 018 .016

.005

. 030 .025 .020

.Olfi .020

.014 .010

. 014

. 020

» The relative value of a floor covering should not be based entirely on resistance to wear. Otiier factors should also be considered, such as

cost, indentation characteristics, ease of maintenance, adherence to subfloors, resistance to tear and fracture.

k See table 1 for detailed description.

« Additional test on first series of installations. See report BMS34

for results of first test.

One very evident fact in this test was the

ability of the floor coverings and bonding

agents as a whole to withstand the action of the rubber-tired truck wheel in comparison to the damage done by the steel-tired truck wheel

to many of them. With the exception of -.oriu' of the asphalt tile ui stalled on a wood siil)ll()()r, the rubber-tired truck wheel caused very little fracture of the floor coverings or failure in the

bonding agents. The steel-tired truck wheel

caused failures ranging from a few small blisters and fractures in some of the floor covei-ings to a complete crushing or tearing of others. In view of the severe action of the steel-tired

truck wheel on both the floor covering and the

bonding agent and the probability of uncertain

or erroneoiis results due to faihire in the bond

and to buckling of the floor coverings, measure- ments of the depressions caused by the truck

wheels were limited to the monolithic doors and

a few others for comparative purposes. These

results are recorded in table 3.

Table 3.— -Depth of compression and. wear made by

truck wheels

Test

panel

IL..

IIR.

IZL.

Subfloor

Concrete do Cement mor

tar.do

Concrete

do

Floor covering

Battleship linoleum,

green. Battleship linoleum, brown.

a

Alumina oementlatex composition,

red. Magnesium-oxychloride composition, green. Magnesium-oxychloride composition, red. Short-strip maple »_

A \'erage depth of depression

Rubbertired wheel

Inch

0. 000

.003

.001

.000

. ono

Inch

0. 000

.003

.002

.000

. 002

Steel- tired wheel

Inch

0. 001

.000

.023

.001

.002

. 001

Inch

0.004

.003

.044 .on

.018

.011

" Additional test on first series of installations. See report BMS34

for results of first test.

With a few exceptions, the ball and roller casters caused very little compression or wear

in the floor coverings.

The accompanying photographs, flgures 2 to

34, show the general condition of representative

installations of the difl'erent floor coverings at the end of 48,000 cycles of the testing equipment. With the exceptions of figures 6 and

9, the paths shown in the photographs are, from left to right, those made by the rubbertired truck wheel, the steel-ball caster, the

walking wheel, the steel-wheel caster, and the

steel-tired truck wheel. The small white

[5]
dots in the photographs are reference marks of white enamel used in taking the depth measurements.

The floor coverings shown in figures 35, 36,

and 37 were exposed to both sei'ies of tests, a

total of 96,000 cycles of the equipment.

Brief summaries of the manner in which the

various test installations performed are herewith presented:

The %-in. green battleship linoleum, test panels IL and 2L, showed very good per- formance (see figs. 2 and 3, and table 2). There was no evidence of failure in adhesion to the

subfloors. On a wood subfloor, panel 2L, the

linoleum was fractured slightly at one end

by the steel-tired truck wheel (see fig. 3). On

a concrete subfloor the linoleum was only

slightly indented by the steel-tired truck wheel

(see table 3). The )^-in. sheet rubber, test panels 3L, 4L,

3R, and 4R, gave excellent performance (see

figs. 4 and 5, and table 2). No failure occurred

in adhesion to the subfloors except in panel 3L,

where the casein-latex adhesive accumidated

in rolls along the path of the steel-tired truck

wheel, causing welts to form in the floor covering

(see fig. 6). There was no evidence of fracture

of the sheet rubber.

The }^-in. rubber tile on a wood subfloor, test panels 6L and 6R, showed very good perform- ance (see fig. 8), with no evidence of failure in adhesion to the subfloor or fracture of the

rubber tile. On a concrete subfloor, test panels 5L and 5R, considerable failure in adhesion to the subfloor and fracture of the

tile along the path of the steel-tired truck

wheel were observed (see figs. 7 and 9). In

test panel 5L there were also welts in the floor covering, caused by accumulations of the

casein-latex adhesive (see fig. 9). Tlie rubber

tile was worn to a moderate degree by the

abrasive action of the walking wheel (see table

2)-

The nitrocellulose composition felt base, test panels 7L and 8L, withstood the severe test very well (see figs. 10 and 11). The only

failure in adhesion to the subfloors was a few

small blisters along the path of the steel-tired

truck wheel in panel 7L (see fig. 10). On a wood subfloor with a dry lining felt the floor covering was moderately depressed and the

wearing surface was fractured slightly by the

steel-tired truck wheel (see fig. 11). Upon

removal of the test panel there was evidence

of some separation in the dry lining felt along

the path of the steel-tired truck wheel. The

wearing siirface was not worn through to the

asphalt-saturated felt backing by the abrasive

action of the walking wheel (see table 2). In

general, the floor covering was still in serviceable condition at the end of the test. The pitch and resin mastic felt base,^ test panels 7R and 8R, showed very poor performance (see figs. 12 and 13). The wearing surface was cnmibled and completely worn through to the felt backing along the paths of the steeltii'ed truck wheel and the steel-wheel caster. The wearing surface was also worn through in

spots by the abrasive action of the walking

wheel in 1,700 cycles after the wheel had been

covered with abrasive cloth, and was worn

through over the entire path in 6,000 cycles.

The total depth of wear is shown in table 2. The only failure in adhesion to the subfloors

occurred as blisters along the path of the steel- tired truck wheel in panel 7R (see fig. 12). Tliis failure, however, did not occur until after 43,000 cycles of the truck, by which time the

surface of the floor covering was completely worn through to the felt bacldng.

The asphalt and pitch mastic felt base floor coverings, in sheet and tile form, test panels

9L, lOL, 9R, and lOR, were in unserviceable

condition at the end of the performance test. On a concrete subfloor the floor coverings were

considerably pitted and the bond broken along

the path of the steel-tired truck wheel (see figs. 14 and 16). On a wood subfioor considerable

failiu-e in bond and fracture of the floor coverings along the path of the steel-thed truck

wheel occurred (see figs. 15 and 17). This was

especially so for the tile, which curled up at the corners and edges and were displaced. Some

of the tile were recemented and later replaced

in order to continue the test. The wearing

surface of the floor coverings was worn through

in spots by the abrasive action of the walking

wheel in 7,800 cycles after the wheel had been

covered with abrasive cloth. The total depth

The authors have been informed by the manufacturer that, as a re- sult of faiUires also in service, the merchandise represented by this sample

has been removed from the market.

[6]
of wear is shown in table 2. The floor coverings were also worn, to a moderate degree by

the steel-wheel caster. The K-in. alumina cement-latex monolithic

floor, test panel llL, was considerably depressed by the steel-tired truck wheel (see table

3). There was also evidence of some pitting

and wear (see fig. 18). The floor was worn to a considerable degree by the abrasive action of the walking wheel (see table 2). There was no

evidence of the floor cracking, even though it was installed over a cement-mortar fill only

)i in. thick.

The M-in. magnesium-oxychloride monolithic

floor, test panel IIR, was pitted and worn to a moderate degree by the steel-tired truck wheel

(see fig. 19 and table 3). The floor was worn

to an appreciable degree by the abrasive action

of the walking wheel (see table 2). The cotton

fibers showed as fuzz along the paths of the

steel-tired truck wheel and the walking wheel

(see fig. 19). Inasmuch as the subfloor consisted of a ^/2-in. cement-mortar fill and not a

solid concrete slab, it is not considered advisable

to place too much significance on the cracks

which appeared along the path of the steel- tired truck wheel and across the paths of the

walking wheel and the steel-wheel caster (see

fig. 19). Upon removal of the test panel the

Vi-m. cement-mortar fill was also found to be

cracked along the path of the steel-tired truck

wheel. However, it was found possible to sep- arate easily and completely the K-in. magnesium-oxychloride layer from the j-^-in. cementmortar fill, which would indicate a poor bond

for this type of material.

The %-in. magnesium-oxychloride monolithic

floor, test panel 12L, was pitted and worn to a moderate degree by the steel-tired truck wheel

(see fig. 20 and table 3). The floor was worn to an appreciable degree by the abrasive action of the walking wheel (see table 2). There was no

evidence of the floor crackmg. Upon removal

of the test panel, bond to the chipped concrete

subfloor was found to be very good.

The }^-in. and Ke-in. asphalt tiles, in general,

did not stand up well in this test (see figs. 21 to 34 and table 2). With the exception of panels

15L and IBE, the tiles were badly broken and

crushed by the steel-tired truck wheel. The

tiles in panels 15L and 15R were pitted and

worn to a ino(l(u-uto degree (sec figs. 23 and 2f)). All the tiles were appreciably worn by the abrasive action of the walking wheel (see table 2). On a wood subfloor the tiles were also fractured

to a considerable degree by the wall<ing wheel

(see figs. 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34). The

tiles in panels 15, 16, 17, and 18 showed a tendency to curl. On a wood subfloor with the

clay type of asphalt emulsion, panels 16 and

18, there was evidence of considerable failure

in bond and the tiles were fractured by the

rubber-tired truck wheel (see figs. 24, 26, 28,

and 30). In general, the asphalt tiles showed

better performance over a concrete sid)flo()i- than over a wood subfloor, and the results indi- cate that complete contact with a firm and

even subfloor is essential to prevent the tile from cracking under traffic. The following installations were carried over from the first series of tests and were thus ex- posed to a total of 96,000 cycles of the testmg

equipment.

The }8-in. brown battleship linoleum, test panels IR and 2R, was in good condition after exposure to the additional test (see fig. 35 and

tables 2 and 3). Along the path of the steel- tired truck wheel there was some failure m adhesion to the concrete subfioor in panel IR and

slight fracture of the linoleum at one end of panel 2R.

The short-strip maple flooring, test panel

12R, was in good condition after exposure to the additional test except for some failure in adhesion to the concrete subfloor (see fig. 36

and tables 2 and 3). The adhesion failure was

indicated by the presence of slight separations

in some of the end joints (see fig. 36) and by

the hollow sound produced by many of the

strips when tapped on the surface with a hard

object. Failure in bond was further verified

by the condition of the adhesive when the test panel was removed. Contact of the test floor with the concrete subfloor appeared to be

about 50 percent.

The pressed fiberboard, test panels

13R and lJi.R, was in unsatisfactory condition

for additional service due to the total depth of wear caused by the abrasive action of the walking wheel during both series of tests (see fig. 37

and table 2). Bond to the subfloors was not

complete, as determmed by the chatter of the

[7]
Figure 2.

}i-in. batileship linoleum on concrete subfloor

(test panel IL).

I

[10]
[11]
Figure 14.

Asphalt and pitch mastic felt base on concrete suhfloor {test panel 9L).

Figure 20.

%-in. magnesiumoxychloride monolithic composition on concrete subfloor

{test panel 12D.

Figure 21.

Yie-in. asphalt tile on concrete subfloor {test panel

13L).

Figure 22.

Vi-in. asphalt tile on wood subfloor {test panel

UL).

[14]
iFlGURE 25. "/le-in. asphalt tile,

%_

asphalt type, on concrete sub

floor {test panel 15R).

[15]
[16]



fiberboards when tapped. On a wood subfloor

fractures and separations in the fiberboard were

observed along the path of the steel-tired truck

wheel (see fig. 37). In panel II^R some of the

nail heads were protruding to a slight degree.

VI. COMMENTS

In the selection and installation of a floor covering it is advisable to follow the recom- mendations of a reputable manufacturer or

installer. Important factors to be considered

are: Condition of the subfloor as to evenness,

cleanliness, and rigidity; exposure to which the

installation will be subjected, especially with

respect to moisture, concentrated loads, and

traffic; durability in relation to cost; and ease

or cost of removal and replacement.

In interpreting the resiflts of this performance

test as an aid in the selection of a floor covering and a method of installation, it should be

borne in mind that the test is highly accelerated

and represents very severe service. In view of

this fact, some of the lower-cost floor coverings, even though less diirable, may render economical and satisfactory service provided that they

are not subjected to abuse and that only

moderate length of service is required. They

may render more service per unit of total cost

(initial and maintenance or renewal) than some

of the floor coverings of higher initial cost. In general, the results show that battleship

linoleum, rubber, maple, and nitrocellulose

composition felt base are durable floor coverings even under severe service; hwt it should not be

concluded that the other floor coverings are not

to be considered, as they may render satis- factory service under less severe exposure and

may possess specific properties essential to meet

certain conditions.

The advisability of using dry lining felt in conjimction with felt-base floor coverings over wood subfloors is demonstrated by a comparison of figures 11 and 13. The use of a felt underlay will cause a felt-base floor covering to

be more susceptible to permanent indentations;

but at the same time it will improve the comfort value of the installation, give a more even

surface and thus less concentrated wear, and

permit easy removal for replacement.

Many floor coverings, due to their nature

and size, need to be bonded to a subfloor. The

importance of a good bond must be emphasized.

Failure in adhesion to the subfloor has a considerable efl'ect on the ability of the floor covering to withstand service. Of the adhesives tested, the alumina cement-latex adhesive, the oil-base cement, the rubber cement,

and lignin paste, in conjimction with the

particular floor coverings used, showed good

adhesive strength and durability. Resistance

to moisture was not included in this test. The

asphalt adhesives did not have sufficient adhesive strength or resistance to shearing

stresses to prevent the cui'ling and displacement of thin floor coverings in tile form.

A performance test on additional floor coverings and adhesives is in progress.

VII. SELECTED REFERENCES

[1] H. L. Drvdeii, Research on Building Materials and

Structures for XTse in Low-Cost Housing, NBS

Building Materials and Structures Report BMSl

(1938). 100.

[2] P. A. Sigler and E. A. Koerner, Performance Test

of Floor Coverings for Use in Low-Cost Housing:

Part 1, NBS Building Materials and Structures Report BMS34 (1939). 10(4.

[3] W. E. Emley and C. E. Hofer, Test nf floor coverinqs for post-office workrooms, J. Research NBS 19, 567 (1937) RP1046. For sale by the Superin- tendent of Documents, U. S. Government

Printing Office, Washington, D. C. 100.

[4] Investigation of Low-Cost Floor Coverings, NBS

Letter Circular LC502 F. May be obtained free from the National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D. C.

[5] P. A. Sigler and Myrtle B. Woodward, Indentation

and Recovery of Low-Cost Floor Coverings,

NBS Building Materials and Structures Report

BMS14 (1939). 100. Washington, September 30, 1939.

[20]
BUILDING MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES REPORTS

On request, the Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington,

D. C, will place your name on a special mailing list to receive notices of new reports in this series as soon as they are issued. There will be no charge for receiving such notices. An alternative method is to deposit with the Superintendent of Documents the sum of $5, with the

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If 100 copies or more of any report are ordered at one time, a discount of 25 percent is allowed. Send all orders and remittances to the Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing

Office, Washington, D. C.

The following publications in this series are available by purchase from the Superintendent

of Documents at the prices indicated:

BMSl Research on Building Materials and Structures for Use in Low-Cost Housing lOfS

' BMS2 Methods of Determining the Structural Properties of Low-Cost House Constructions 10^ BMS3 Suitability of Fiber Insulating Lath as a Plaster Base 10^ BMS4 Accelerated Aging of Fiber Building Boards 10^

' BMS5 Structural Properties of Six Masonry Wall Constructions 15^

, BMS6 Survey of Roofing Materials in the Southeastern States 15^ BMS7 Water Permeability of Masonry Walls 10^

\ BMS8 Methods of Investigation of Surface Treatment for Corrosion Protection of Steel 10^

' BMS9 Structural Properties of the Insulated Steel Construction Co.'s "Frameless-Steel" Constructions

for Walls, Partitions, Floors, and Roofs 10^ BMSIO Structural Properties of One of the "Keystone Beam Steel Floor" Constructions Sponsored by the

! H. H. Robertson Co 10^

I BMSll Structural Properties of the Curren Fabrihome Corporation's "Fabrihome" Constructions for Walls and Partitions 10^

I BMS12 Structural Properties of "Steelox" Constructions for Walls, Partitions, Floors, and Roofs Sponsored

I by Steel Buildings, Inc 15^ BMS13 Properties of Some Fiber Building Boards of Current Manufacture 10^ BMS14 Indentation and Recovery of Low-Cost Floor Coverings 10^ BMS15 Structural Properties of "Wheeling Long-Span Steel Floor" Construction Sponsored by the Wheeling

Corrugating Co 10^ BMS16 Structural Properties of a "Tilecrete" Floor Construction Sponsored by Tilecrete Floors, Inc 10^ BMSl7 Sound Insulation of WaU and Floor Constructions 10^ BMS18 Structural Properties of "Pre-Fab" Constructions for Walls, Partitions, and Floors Sponsored by

i the Harnischfeger Corporation 10^ BMS19 Preparation and Revision of Building Codes 15^ BMS20 Structural Properties of "Twachtman" Constructions for Walls and Floors Sponsored by Conj necticut Pre-Cast Buildings Corporation 10^ BMS21 Structural Properties of a Concrete-Block Cavity-Wall Construction Sponsored by the National Concrete Masonry Association 10ji

! BMS22 Structural Properties of "Dun-Ti-Stone" Wall Construction Sponsored by the W. E. Dunn Manufacturing Co 10^ BMS23 Structural Properties of a Brick Cavity-Wall Construction Sponsored by the Brick Manufacturers

i Association of New York, Inc lOji BMS24 Structural Properties of a Reinforced-Brick Wall Construction and a Brick-Tile Cavity-Wall Construction Sponsored by the Structural Clay Products Institute 10^ BMS25 Structural Properties of Conventional Wood-Frame Constructions for Walls, Partitions, Floors,

and Roofs 15^ BMS26 Structural Properties of "Nelson Pre-Cast Concrete Foundation" WaU Construction Sponsored by

the Nelson Cement Stone Co., Inc 10^ BMS27 Structural Properties of "Bender Steel Home" Wall Construction Sponsored by The Bender Body Co_ lOfi BMS28 Backflow Prevention in Over-Rim Water Supplies lOji BMS29 Survey of Roofing Materials in the Northeastern States lOjS BMS30 Structural Properties of a Wood-Frame Wall Construction Sponsored by the Douglas Fir Plywood

Association lOfi

: BMS31 Structural Properties of "Insuhte" Wall and "Insulite" Partition Constructions Sponsored by The

Insulite Co 15fi BMS32 Structural Properties of Two Brick-Concrete-Block WaU Constructions and a Concrete-Block

WaU Construction Sponsored by the National Concrete Masonry Association lOfi BMS33 Plastic Calking Materials 10^ BMS34 Performance Test of Floor Coverings for Use in Low-Cost Housing: Part 1 lOfi BMS35 StabiUty of Sheathing Papers as Determined by Accelerated Aging 10^

[List continued on cover page iv]
BMS36 Structural Properties of Wood-Frame Wall, Partition, Floor, and Roof Construction with "Red

Stripe" Lath Sponsored by The Weston Paper and Manufacturing Co 10^ BMS37 Structural Properties of "Palisade Homes" Constructions for Walls, Partitions, and Floors Sponsored by Palisade Homes 10^ BMS38 Structural Properties of Two "Dunstone" Wall Constructions Sponsored by the W. E. Dunn Manufacturing Co lOji BMS39 Structural Properties of a Wall Construction of "Pfeifer Units" Sponsored by the Wisconsin Units

Co 10^ BMS41 Effect of Heating and Cooling on the Permeability of Masonry Walls 10^ BMS43 Performance Test of Floor Coverings for Use in Low-Cost Housing: Part 2 10^